Power is precious. All vehicle and home owners know that. Whether it's running your refrigerator or your new Toyota vehicle, the machines we use on a daily basis take a lot of energy to operate. In order to make the flow of energy more efficient and the power grid a bit tighter, Toyota has developed an incredible system called "V2H."

As the name implies, V2H is an innovative bit of technology that allows for the transfer of electrical power from vehicles to homes. Specifically, the system operates using electric vehicles (EV) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHV). Using a special AC100 V inverter, the EV or PHV can convert and store power that can be called on during prime hours of the day at home and in the case of emergency.

When will this technology debut in models like the Toyota Prius? Not for a bit. Before Toyota places V2H on the market, a heavy amount of testing will be carried out. Company officials say that they will begin testing the system on a small fleet of Prius PHV models by the end of 2012.

Not only does the Toyota V2H system have the potential to provide back-up power for houses and vehicles during day-to-day operations, but it could make a huge difference in the lives of those regularly afflicted by natural disasters. Currently, engineers estimate that a Toyota Prius PHV with a full charge and tank of gas is capable of providing four-days-worth of power to a typical Japanese household.

Talk about some serious game-changing potential...

Eager to know more? So are we at Tri-State Toyota, 191 West Main Street Dudley, MA 01571. As Toyota moves forward with this and many other cutting-edge technologies, we invite you to pay close attention to our blog. That way we can keep you as informed as possible.