INL co-sponsors electric hybrid urban trials

POSTED: 04:10 MST Tuesday, October 30, 2007

by Robb Hicken

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Tags - Idaho National Lab

The INL is helping to sponsor testing for a yearlong demonstration project testing the performance of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in an urban area of Seattle.

The money will come from the U.S. Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory, matched by funding from program participants. Thirteen existing Priuses will be converted to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles at a total cost of $156,000.
The project will test technology used to convert the second generation Priuses to 100 miles per gallon vehicles; test plug-in hybrid electric vehicles performance in an urban area; help evaluate plug-in hybrid electric vehicles-electric grid integration issues; and promote electricity as an alternative fuel for transportation.
Achieving up to 100 mpg, plug-in hybrid vehicles are just one more step in the city's fight against climate change with the added benefit of ultimately reducing dependence on foreign oil. Expected greenhouse gas emissions from the plug-in hybrid electric vehicles Priuses in this demonstration project are 50 percent less than conventional Priuses.

1 Comments

This is a great experiment in many ways. But where is the household electricity to recharge the Priuses coming from? If fossil fuel plants are supplying the electricity, there may not be much net carbon avoidance.
Comment By Martin Johncox
Tuesday, October 30, 2007 @ 9:51 AM

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