pluginaustin

Austin Energy to Plug into Electric Hybrid

By Sarah Coppola
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Monday, December 20, 2004

Two weeks after ordering its first batch of hybrid sport-utility vehicles, the City of Austin is joining a research program to test a new model of hybrid van.

The vans, produced by DaimlerChrysler AG and the California-based Electric Power Research Institute, are the first to run on gas and electricity. The vans are designed to cut fuel needs by 40 percent.

Austin will get one of only 30 vans that Chrysler is making for corporations and government agencies nationwide, including the Army and the New York Power Authority.

The city will spend $200,000 to lease one van for three years and take part in the research. Austin Energy will use the van, which has a payload of 4,000 pounds and can be used for deliveries or carrying passengers

The van, called the Dodge Sprinter, can run only on the electric battery in urban driving and stop-and-go traffic.

"At slow speeds, the engine is off, so it doesn't produce any emissions or make much noise," said Mark Duvall of the research institute. In electric mode, it can travel about 20 miles before the gasoline engine is needed.

Other companies have produced cars that run on electric power only. But some consumers have complained that the cars don't have enough oomph or take too long to charge. The Sprinter's battery takes about three to four hours to charge.

Austin Energy officials said vans such as the Sprinter could help boost electricity use during off-peak hours.

"If we had more electricity-driven vehicles, we could produce more electricity from different fuels, including wind," said Roger Duncan of Austin Energy. "Most of our wind power comes in at night. This would allow you to charge the battery directly from the electric grid. So if you were a subscriber to wind power, you could plug in your vehicle at night and essentially have a wind-powered car."

The vans are scheduled to be out on the market by 2008.

This month, the city ordered five Ford Escapes but there's no guarantee they'll arrive because the hybrid SUVs are in such high demand

posted by AE @ 3:17 PM