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.
