www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, April 7, 2010 · 24 First Canadian program will test the all-new Prius Plug-In Hybrid Metroland Newspapers Carguide Magazine Toyota has announced the first phase of a national Canadian partnership for real-world demonstrations of the all-new Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid vehicle (Prius PHV). Compared to traditional hybrids, the Prius PHV has the ability to recharge its newly developed lithium-ion battery from the electrical grid and travel longer distances and at faster speeds on electricpower alone. For consumers, this technology means fuel savings and lower emissions, bringing us closer than ever before to the ultimate eco-car. Toyota Canada Inc. (TCI) is working with 13 partners on the first phase of this national trial, including academics, provincial government departments, municipalities and provincial power authorities. Partnerships in four provinces British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Québec make this the first Canadian trial of advanced technology vehicles. TCI will provide each province with a Prius PHV to conduct their local test program, and a fifth Prius PHV will remain with TCI for its own technical and marketing tests. Trials will begin shortly and continue through next winter to assess Prius PHV performance under a range of driving and climate conditions. Each test vehicle will be fitted with a telematics device to capture performance data, and partners are encouraged to drive their Prius PHV in as many road, traffic and weather conditions as possible. Based on the world's most popular hybrid vehicle, the Toyota Prius PHV is designed to deliver a range of more than 20 KM and top speed of almost 100 KPH on battery alone. In addition, a small onboard Atkinsoncycle gasoline engine enables the vehicle to revert to hybrid mode and operate like a regular Prius giving the vehicle the driving range and performance Canadians demand from today's automobiles. McMaster and Queen's University students drive away winners Metroland Newspapers Carguide Magazine In an unprecedented double-victory, students from McMaster and Queen's University are `cruze'n' towards a bright future in advertising after winning the title of Canada's Next Top Ad Exec (CNTAE), sponsored by Chevrolet. With their win, Mark Scattolon (McMaster) and the team of Rachel Zimmer and Bram Warshafsky (Queen's) each secured the keys to their own all-new 2011 Chevrolet Cruze. The national competition, in its fourth year, offered business students across Canada the opportunity to develop an innovative non-traditional marketing campaign (including social media and event marketing) to help launch the fuel-efficient Chevrolet Cruze coming to Canada this fall. Students were required to develop a strategic plan to promote this all-new compact car from Chevrolet for the chance to secure a spot in the finals. The top ten advancing to the finals presented their ideas to a panel of 16 industry and academic experts. The winners were announced at a gala on March 30 in Toronto and were deemed to have developed the most inventive and executable pre-launch campaign for the Cruze. "Chevrolet is proud to sponsor Canada's Next Top Ad Exec," said Marc Comeau, Chevrolet's vice-president of sales, service and marketing, in Canada. "Through this exciting competition, we have been able to gain valuable marketing and media strategies directly from students across Canada, who as today's youth, represent one of the key target demographics for the Cruze." This year's CNTAE began with 196 teams from 28 business schools coast to coast. As the competition evolved, participants were narrowed down until the top ten finalists representing seven Canadian universities were selected. Canada's Next Top Ad Exec was conceived and hosted by the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University.