Mechanical and Economic Performance of an Electric Car Utilizing the Zebra Battery Technology in Vermont

Due to its hilly terrain and cold climate, Vermont offers a unique environment for testing the performance of electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. In this study, researchers evaluated the performance of a battery electric vehicle. Vermont converted a 2005 Toyota Echo from an internal combustion engine automobile to a battery powered electric vehicle. The researchers examined the overall performance of this vehicle in daily use. In particular, they investigated the influence of air temperature and internal battery temperature on vehicle performance. Additionally, Dr. Varhue considered the economic cost of operating this vehicle. Data was collected over a period of nine months and 260 trips totaling over 5,500 miles traveled. The yearly range of the vehicle in this study was found to be 67 miles, with an estimated energy cost of 7.7 cents per mile.

• Record URL:
  http://www.uvm.edu/trc/university-transportation-center/utc-current-project-list/
• Supplemental Notes:
  • http://www.uvm.edu/~transctr/research/trc_reports/UVM-TRC-08-002.pdf

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $75980.50
• Contract Numbers:

  DTRT06-G-0018

  021753

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Research and Innovative Technology Administration

  University Transportation Centers Program
  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Troy, Austin

  Aultman-Hall, Lisa

• Performing Organizations:

  UVM Transportation Center

  University of Vermont
  210 Colchester Avenue
  Burlington, VT  United States  05405
• Principal Investigators:

  Varhue, Walter

• Start Date: 20070701
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 20081231
• Source Data: RiP Project 20485

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cold weather; Electric vehicles; Energy conservation; Hybrid vehicles; Plug-in hybrid vehicles; Research projects; Terrain; Vehicle tests
• Identifier Terms: Toyota automobile
• Geographic Terms: Vermont
• Subject Areas: Energy; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01566478
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: UVM Transportation Center
• Contract Numbers: DTRT06-G-0018, 021753
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Jun 16 2015 1:00AM