PSU plugs in
27 Apr 2010
by: PSU Vanguard
It was announced last week that Portland State is one of six national sites selected by Toyota to demonstrate and evaluate the next generation of Prius plug-in hybrid vehicles.
The university is working closely with Portland General Electric, its corporate partner on electric vehicles and energy management, to create a sound infrastructure for electric vehicles.
“They are interested in the ‘electrification of transportation,'” said George Beard, senior PSU instructor and manager of PSU's relationship with Toyota Motor Sales USA.
“PSU was chosen because Toyota likes Portland and its leadership in sustainability. [PSU] has unmatched stature for urban planning and is connected to affairs of the region,” he said. “It is fabulous for PSU to be involved in this program.”
PSU's Parking Structure 1 currently has an electric car charging station, but it is “not to current standards,” Beard said.
Toyota will be providing 10 plug-in vehicles in late spring to early summer for demonstration by citizens and businesses around Portland.
“PSU will be a kind of program administrator, and will also be collaborating with Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium,” Beard said.
According to the Toyota Prius plug-in demo website, each placement scenario will have a variety of driving conditions (i.e., commute length, usage type and access to charging).
“People to test the vehicles will be chosen based on geography, individual story and driving record,” Beard said.
PSU will be sharing eight other cars with Corvallis and Salem. The car-sharing service Zipcar will be getting two plug-in Priuses as well, one of which may be placed on PSU campus.
“We want to see how well-suited this car is for short-use driving,” said Beard. “And we want it to get visibility.”
Zipcar is a good candidate for determining how feasible electric cars will be for Portland since its users typically use them for short, around-town trips.
Portland Zipcar General Manager Bill Scott said, "Our members tell us they place a high value on the opportunity to drive electric vehicles, including plug-in hybrids, and the average trip in a Zipcar falls within the range of most batteries, so Zipcar is a good fit for the test."
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