The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and Argonne National Laboratory, two of the nation’s premier research organizations, announced today a three-year collaborative agreement to conduct detailed analysis of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) aimed at assessing the commercial feasibility of this technology for the U.S. Department of Energy.
The EPRI and Argonne analysis will evaluate PHEVs, hybrids and conventional vehicles, assessing them from environmental, cost, design, and marketing perspectives. The engineering and technical studies will be conducted at the two organization’s respective research facilities in Palo Alto, California, and Argonne, Illinois, and will involve the participation of some of the world’s leading transportation experts.
The objective of the multi-year research project is to provide a balanced and authoritative study of both the advantages of and the challenges to the design and commercial production of PHEVs. An assessment of potential social benefits of PHEVs, including reductions in imported petroleum-based fuels, enhancement of American energy security and air quality improvement will be key components of the study.
The research project, which is funded by the Department of Energy’s Office of FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies, is the latest in ongoing formative research that began in 2001 with the EPRI study, “Comparing the Benefits and Impacts of Hybrid Electric Vehicle Options,” and the Argonne study “Hybrid Electric Vehicle Technology Assessment.” The new project will look carefully at the effect of PHEVs on the nation's economy, and their viability from an industrial and manufacturing perspective.
About the Electric Power Research Institute
The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), with major locations in Palo Alto, California, and Charlotte, North Carolina, was established in 1973 as an independent, nonprofit center for public interest energy and environmental research. EPRI brings together members, participants, the Institute's scientists and engineers, and other leading experts to work collaboratively on solutions to the challenges of electric power. These solutions span nearly every area of electricity generation, delivery, and use, including health, safety, and environment. EPRI's members represent over 90% of the electricity generated in the United States. International participation represents nearly 15% of EPRI's total research, development, and demonstration program.
About Argonne National Laboratory
Argonne National Laboratory, the nation's first national laboratory, is one of the U.S. Department of Energy’s largest testing and evaluating research facilities. As such, Argonne has been designated by the Department of Energy’s Office of FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies as the lead national laboratory for the simulation, validation, and laboratory evaluation of Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles and the advanced technologies required for these vehicles. Research at Argonne falls into a wide spectrum of disciplines including, but not limited to, Advanced Vehicle Technology where engineers work closely with the transportation industry to improve processes and products, evaluate markets, and provide cost-effective transportation solutions; Energy Resource programs help ensure a reliable supply of efficient and clean energy for the future; Environmental Management includes work on managing and solving the nation’s environmental problems and promoting environmental stewardship; and Scientific Facilities, such as the Advanced Photon Source, help advance America's scientific leadership and prepare the nation for the future. Argonne is managed by the University of Chicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.