Electric car test
A University of Florida partnership hopes to discover how clean, cheap and reliable electric-powered cars really are.
To do so, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher, Pierce Jones, is working with North Carolina-based companies Progress Energy, Advanced Energy and Duke Energy to test a Toyota Prius modified to use electricity delivered through a regular household electrical outlet.
'This isn’t a new idea, but it is one that now has to be closely examined because it’s likely to be a reality in just a few years,' said Jones, who is participating in the research as part of the University of Florida’s Program for Resource Efficient Communities.
The University of Florida car is one of 12 that will be deployed throughout Florida and North Carolina.
The researchers will chart basic use patterns, such as how much petrol and electricity are consumed.
More importantly though, the project will also seek to show that electric cars will not overburden local electrical grids.
Register now to continue reading
Thanks for visiting The Engineer. You’ve now reached your monthly limit of news stories. Register for free to unlock unlimited access to all of our news coverage, as well as premium content including opinion, in-depth features and special reports.
Benefits of registering
-
In-depth insights and coverage of key emerging trends
-
Unrestricted access to special reports throughout the year
-
Daily technology news delivered straight to your inbox
WildFusion helps robot traverse difficult terrain
<a...