BOSTON – The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has received a demonstration fleet of 10 Ram 1500 plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) pickup trucks. According to Chrysler, the company selected specific cities and states to evaluate temperature extremes, urban traffic cycles, and diverse climates and geographies.

"We are underway with a three-year educational opportunity to better understand the benefits of advanced technology and the importance of supporting smart energy saving investments," said Jon Davis, MBTA acting general manager.

Chrysler Group LLC has delivered Ram 1500 PHEV trucks to the city of Yuma, Ariz., to take full advantage of hot weather and conduct thermal testing in the desert southwest. Other cities that have received the demonstration Ram 1500 pickups include San Francisco and Sacramento, Calif., Albany, N.Y., and Charlotte, N.C.

Strictly a demonstration program, there are no plans for a production version of the PHEV Ram 1500 truck at this time, Chrysler stated.

Funding for the program in part is provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 through the Transportation Electrification Initiative sponsored by the DOE, Chrysler said.

The grant, totaling $48 million from DOE and $49.4 million from Chrysler Group LLC, was designed to develop vehicles that will be cost efficient for consumers, satisfy safety concerns of daily travel without recharging, and help reduce dependence on foreign oil.