| Super efficient plug-in hybrid vehicles join ODOT fleet |
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| ODOT News |
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It looks like a regular Toyota Prius — which is good. We know how fuel efficient and environmentally friendly a Prius can be, with its combination of battery power and internal combustion, sometimes getting up to 50 miles per gallon.
So how ‘bout doubling that?
The Oregon Department of Transportation, in conjunction with the Department of Administrative Services and other partners, has introduced plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) — garnering up to 100 miles per gallon, or more!
PHEVs arrive
In November, the state added eleven PHEVs to its fleet; two are owned by ODOT’s Salem and Portland offices.
“We’re thrilled to have these out on the roads so we can collect data on them,” said Greg Brown, Licensed Mechanical engineer in ODOT’s Support Services section, and in-house “champion” of the project. Several of the state’s PHEVs have global positioning systems on board that transmit data about the vehicle’s performance back to a computer. Brown and other engineers, including staff at the Idaho National Laboratory, are evaluating the information to determine how to make the most of the new technology.
“Before we recommend a large-scale purchase of these kinds of vehicles, we need to know as much about what they can do as possible, including when it’s best to use them and when it’s better to use non-electric vehicles,” Brown said. And of course, PHEVs and all-electric vehicles are both still in the developmental stages and aren’t even available as a regular option yet for consumers or fleet managers.
But that hasn’t quelled enthusiasm. Director Matt Garrett, Deputy Director Doug Tindall and Central Services Administrator Lorna Youngs looked over the vehicles soon after they arrived in Salem.
“This is the perfect integration of good environmental, funding and energy use policies,” Garrett said, emerging from one of the vehicles after a test drive. “It fits right into our mission.”
How PHEVs work
PHEVs have two batteries instead of just the one in a normal Prius. Because of this, the battery power stays working at higher speeds in the PHEV, using less fuel. For example, in a regular hybrid (such as the Prius), the fuel-powered motor kicks in at about 10 miles per hour. In the PHEV, you can go up to 35 miles per hour on the battery alone. And if you never got above that speed, you could go as far as 40 miles before internal combustion kicked in to power the vehicle. If you just plugged it in to re-charge it, you wouldn’t ever have to use the fossil-fuel powered engine to propel the car! (The engine may kick on every so often to create heat for the heater and warm up the emission system.)
Electric vehicle charging network
Expanding alternatives to traditional vehicles is a department-wide effort. ODOT’s Office of Innovative Partnerships and Alternative Funding is working with Portland General Electric, the Oregon Department of Energy and others to create an electric vehicle charging network. Electric vehicle charging stations are simply locations where vehicles can plug in to an electrical source to re-charge batteries. By having a “network” of charging stations throughout the state, motorists are more likely to purchase the vehicles as they become available. Research shows that within the next 18-24 months, auto manufacturers will be offering some variety plug-in hybrids and all-electric vehicles.
For more technical information about EVs, visit
http://www.a123systems.com/hymotion/products/N5_range_extender.
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