City plugs into hybrid car trend - 24 volt lifepo4 battery pack

Mayor David Miller will announce an ambitious plan this morning to convert the city's hybrid cars into "plug-in"
The Toronto Star learned that in a model that "can be charged from any wall socket and powered primarily by electricity.
The goal of the project-Toronto plug --
In the pilot project of hybrid vehicles-is to prove that hybrid vehicles, when equipped with larger batteries that can be charged from the grid, in the urban environment, it can run more than 50 kilometers with only one charge and no need for gasoline.
These vehicles can also be used as mobile backup power stations on the road. Be able to provide emergency power to the home during a power outage, or access the power grid on a large scale during the day to provide peak power and prevent power outages. It's a far-
But a California utility is already studying the possibility that drivers will sell excess power back to the grid from their cars.
"By improving the whole
This technology could help us solve one of the biggest problems of climate and air pollution.
"Quality affects the city," Miller said in the media draft obtained by The Star . ".
The announcement came after an international Mayor's meeting in New York City last week, where some municipal climate --
The "green city" competition was strong with the announcement of changes.
In the first phase of the Toronto project, 10 vehicles-8 Toyota Prius, 1 Honda Civic Hybrid and 1 Ford Escape Hybrid-will be modified in urban driving conditions
Auto share, for example, will plug in a hybrid car in its city parking space so members can test drive it during dry, wet and snowy seasons.
Other organizations providing hybrid vehicles for the project include "green" electric power retailer Bullfrog electric, Toronto Hydro, University of Toronto, University of York, TAS Design Build, a construction company, and the Ontario Department of Transport and Environment.
The plan will expand the project to as many as 200 vehicles in 2008, depending on funding.
Philip Jessup, executive director of the Toronto Atmospheric Fund, said: "I would love to show this to the public . " The fund is a pioneer in the project.
"First of all, we have to prove that this technology is feasible, it works on the streets of Toronto and our winter, the system is safe and has significant potential environmental benefits.
Then we set off from there.
"Some other cities are experimenting with hybrid cars to cope with soaring gasoline prices while cutting emissions significantly.
New York, for example, is planning to charge congestion fees in the city center, announcing this week that it will transform its taxi fleet into a hybrid car within five years, and Toronto has so far been reluctant to do so.
But Test hybrid cars that can be charged from power outlets, a method for some major cities in New York, California and the United StatesS.
In the long run, cities are also exploring and may be more effective.
The traditional hybrid is driven primarily by a gasoline engine, assisted by an electric motor-the battery pack recycles the energy lost during braking and deceleration, but cannot be charged in any other way. Plug-
On the other hand, in hybrid cars, which are powered mainly by electric motors, the gasoline engine provides some help.
Their battery pack is charged by inserting a standard 110
Volt power socket.
This is the expected plug
The range of hybrid cars will be twice that of traditional hybrids.
It's also much cheaper to drive a kilometer with electricity instead of gasoline, and with Ontario phasing out coal, it can become cleaner over timefired plants.
The city agency Toronto Atmospheric Fund, which funded the project, estimates that modified cars will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 40 and will grow to 60 once all coal facilities are closed.
Students and faculty at the University of Toronto will collect performance data from vehicles to determine precise emission reductions and fuels
Mileage Increase.
The data will be compared with the rest of the United States. S.
Cities carrying out similar projects. Concord, Ont. -
Headquartered in Hymotion, recently acquired by A123 Systems Inc.
Mass, Watertown.
, Will be based on the Advanced Lithium of a123-
Ion battery technology
The companies are also working with GM to develop their plugs.
Hybrid development project.
Ricardo bazarira, president of Hymotion, said the modified car can travel 100 kilometers.
4 liters of gasoline. Once time-of-
In the province, the use of electricity prices has become more common, and drivers can charge their vehicles overnight while they sleep and when the electricity price is lowest, he said.
The extra battery pack, while expensive today, is expected to drop significantly in the coming years.
Greg keslin, executive chairman and founder of Bullfrog Power, his company car, Toyota Prius, contributed to the project because he called it "perfect fit" for renewable energy generation such as wind and water.
But some observers say the idea is worth exploring, but at least not supported by technology.
"Battery technology has a long way to go," said Barry Bauer, an oil analyst at the Energy Department . ".
"In Ontario we have a lot more to do, where we have a little thing called Winter.
"Batteries don't like the cold," he added.