(Remember, most standard EVs only have a range of about 40 miles (64 km) per charge.) The program operates under the University of California at Davis' Institute of Transportation Studies, which focuses its research on the consumer end of PHEVs. University of California at DavisĮngineers at the Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) Research Center in Davis, California, are working on extended-range EVs. The results of this work are products that can be used in the clean energy industry and students who have the technical know-how to work and innovate in the EV field once they graduate. This has led the center to design improved photovoltaic cells for solar panels and more efficient ways to convert wind energy to electricity.
In order for an EV to be a true zero-emissions vehicle, the source of the power that recharges the batteries should be clean as well. The EC&EC at UMass-Lowell covers many subjects in these five labs, from the energy used in batteries to the crashworthiness of new car designs, but the center places a special focus on renewable energy. There are five labs contained within the center: the Renewable Energy Lab, the Electric Car Lab, the Battery Evaluation Lab, the Power Electronics Lab, and the Advanced Composite Materials and Textile Research Lab. Read on to find out where and how labs are working to improve EVs for modern consumers.Īt the Lowell campus of the University of Massachusetts (UMass), mechanical and electrical engineering professors work with students at the Center for Electric Car and Energy Conversion (EC&EC). However, lead-acid batteries don't get people as far as we'd like, or as quickly. Lead-acid batteries were used for decades - even in the early 1990s, when EVs first became popular. Most of the advances being made in EVs are in battery technology and design. The cars can charge overnight at a regular outlet or in a few hours at a higher-voltage outlet. Most EVs can travel about 40 miles (64 kilometers) per charge, which is roughly the same distance as the average daily American commute. EV speeds are usually low, about 35 miles per hour (56 kilometers per hour). The EVs available today can't yet replace all the gasoline-powered cars and trucks on the road. Some cities, like Portland, Ore., are installing curbside charging units so that current and future EVs will be able to top off their batteries themselves while their owners work or run errands. Any standard household outlet will do, but an outlet with higher voltage will do the job faster. To refuel an electric vehicle (EV), all you need is an electrical outlet.