Toyota is teaming up with the nonprofit WattTime to help its customers reduce their environmental footprint.
“We are providing customers an easy and accessible way to identify times when they can charge their vehicle that help reduce environmental impact," said Steve Basra, group vice president of Connected Technologies for Toyota in a press release on Jan. 11.
Toyota and Lexus customers with battery-electric vehicle (BEV) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) will now be able to identify key charging times with less health and environmental impact.
"With the help of WattTime data, Toyota and Lexus have pioneered a feature in their phone apps to help customers identify when they can charge their electric vehicle with electricity coming from some of the cleanest power plant options available," said Gavin McCormick, executive director of WattTime.
Founded in 2014 by UC Berkley researchers, WattTime is a environmental tech nonprofit that provides insights the best forecasted times to pull electricity from the grid for the smallest carbon footprint.
How does it work?
Customers who own eligible vehicles can download the Toyota or Lexus app and register their vehicle, and then they can choose to opt-in to the Remote Connect service through the app.
Through the ECO Charging feature, the app gathers electricity forecast data from WattTime and combines it with the customer's own charging and mobility requirements to propose a charging schedule.
The optional schedule will be presented to the customer on their app. Customers may use the data to align their charging schedule with the times of day that will offer the best potential for a reduced carbon footprint and impact on health.
The ECO Charging feature is available now on the Toyota and Lexus apps, both of which are available for download on any smartphone.
"The Toyota and Lexus apps offer a seamless and simple solution for our customers, and we're confident this will enhance their electrified vehicle ownership experience,” said Basra.
For more information, click here.
