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The Idaho National Laboratory and the Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois conduct PHEV testing as part of the Department of Energy’s Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity (AVTA). Both laboratories and their public and private partners recently celebrated 1 million miles of PHEV road testing. This testing involves 204 PHEVs charging more than 26,000 times throughout North America. The AVTA program spans from 59 test PHEVs in California to 30 in Canada and a single test vehicle in Finland. The Department of Energy is able to spread its AVTA miles internationally with partners like BC Hydro, Google and A123 Systems.
The AVTA program has exceeded 12 million miles in total alternative vehicle testing in the matter of a few years. In addition to 1 million miles of PHEV testing, the Idaho and Argonne laboratories have conducted 5 million miles of testing on battery-electric vehicles. The Department of Energy has also conducted 200,000 miles of testing on neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs), 4.7 million test miles for hybrid electric vehicles and 500,000 miles for hydrogen cars. The PHEV tests include 12 PHEV models including the Renault Kangoo, the Ford Escape Hybrid and the Toyota Priu with varying battery chemistries.
Through 1 million miles of testing, DOE researchers have calculated important metrics like fuel mileage and charge speed. The AVTA program uses test drivers and fleet vehicle owners to put PHEVs through the rigors of day-to-day driving. AVTA's PHEV tests have demonstrated that plug-ins hold up well to the limited commuting needs of most drivers. The AVTA program also finds that many trips occurred without significant charging, which eliminates concerns by drivers about journeying too far from electrical outlets.
The DOE will extend its hybrid testing capabilities soon with the 2010 release of the Nissan Leaf EV. AVTA researchers will work with Nissan and eTec to test 4,700 Nissan Leaf EVs in the United States ahead of the rollout. This ambitious testing program will involve 1.8 million charges and 70 million miles in both highway and city conditions. While the slow pace of developing PHEVs and EVs may be frustrating, the evidence built through AVTA and other programs is invaluable to future rollouts. The DOE and its long list of partners are dispelling myth after myth about green vehicles through millions of miles of testing. We should only be disappointed if the federal government fails to stand behind evidence of alternative fuel vehicle success to serve traditional vehicle interests.
