Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) represent a major step in the effort to reduce energy consumption.  Benefits such as a smaller internal combustion engine, high efficiency of electric motors, and recaptured braking have generated fuel efficiency improvements of 25%.

A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) extends these benefits by increasing the vehicle's energy storage and externally charging its batteries from the electric grid.  The City of Chicago provided AllCell with a Ford Escape Hybrid as a test platform to demonstrate and quantify these increased performance benefits.

Phase I:
A 7.2 kWh lithium-ion battery was built into the vehicle trunk space.  The patented thermal management technology developed by AllCell allowed the use of lithium-ion cells in this demanding application.

Results:
From March 19th - April 27th, 2007, the vehicle was driven 495 miles on the road and consumed approximately 14.37 gallons, resulting in 34.4 mpg.  This was a 38% increase over the EPA estimated 25 mpg for a standard Ford Escape Hybrid.

Phase II:
A 2.4 kWh battery and converter was built into the vehicle trunk space to reduce the size and weight of our system while reducing the battery charge time. 

Results:
The vehicle is currently being tested by the City of Chicago.  Check back soon for our results!