UVM, CVPS test hybrid-electric vehicles

Print More

(Host) A new research project has begun at the University of Vermont into new hybrid electric vehicle technology.

Central Vermont Public Service Corporation donated a “plug-in” hybrid electric car to UVM’s Transportation Center.

Researcher Richard Watts says that car and several others around the state will be studied to see how effective the technology is in Vermont’s climate and geography.

(Watts) “Those are some of the questions we want to look at. Because we’re going to actually have several vehicles, we really want to understand how consumers will use these. How often they’re going to plug them in. How much of the time they’ll be driving on the electric side. What the impact on Vermont‘s electric grid might be of actual use.”

(Host) Traditional hybrid cars have an electric engine but can switch to a gasoline version when needed.

A plug-in version of the car allows the driver to plug a battery pack into an outlet so the car can operate on electricity for greater distances.

That helps to reduce pollution caused by burning gasoline. Forty-four percent of Vermont’s carbon emissions come from transportation.

Comments are closed.