Hybrid vehicle research begins at N.C. State
Online Exclusive
By: Meghan Cooke, Staff Writer
Issue date: 2/14/08 Section: State & National
On Tuesday Gov. Mike Easley announced the creation of the Advanced Transportation Energy Center at N.C. State University, which will research innovative ways to increase the efficiency of plug-in hybrid vehicles.
"It is our patriotic duty to free ourselves from dependence on foreign oil and become leaders in developing the technology to make our nation energy independent," Easley stated in a press release.
ATEC will study the efficiency of improving the plug-in hybrid vehicle industry, wherein hybrid cars are charged periodically by plugging into an electrical outlet. A central goal is to develop a battery capable of traveling more than 100 miles without having to recharge.
Alex Huang, director of the Semiconductor Power Electronics Center at NCSU, said the center is meant to integrate the efforts of utility companies, car manufacturers and auto parts makers.
ATEC will work in partnership with Duke Energy and Progress Energy.
Huang said the center will work to improve battery technology, find and develop energy sources and develop necessary infrastructure, such as charging stations.
"Where you might pull up to a parking meter these days, you could pull up and recharge your vehicle," said Seth Effron, deputy press secretary for Easley.
Other universities nationwide have taken up hybrid electric vehicle research, including the University of California at Davis.
"We're not the only ones doing it," Huang said. "But we might be the only ones doing it with strong support from the state."
Effron said Easley believes the center is an opportunity for North Carolina to be a leader in hybrid technology similar to the way in which the state rose as a leader in biotechnology.
"By getting involved now, it will keep North Carolina's economy strong and help it grow," Effron said.
It costs between $10,000 and $12,000 to convert a hybrid car to a plug-in hybrid, but that cost has to be reduced for consumers to be interested, he said.
"It is our patriotic duty to free ourselves from dependence on foreign oil and become leaders in developing the technology to make our nation energy independent," Easley stated in a press release.
ATEC will study the efficiency of improving the plug-in hybrid vehicle industry, wherein hybrid cars are charged periodically by plugging into an electrical outlet. A central goal is to develop a battery capable of traveling more than 100 miles without having to recharge.
Alex Huang, director of the Semiconductor Power Electronics Center at NCSU, said the center is meant to integrate the efforts of utility companies, car manufacturers and auto parts makers.
ATEC will work in partnership with Duke Energy and Progress Energy.
Huang said the center will work to improve battery technology, find and develop energy sources and develop necessary infrastructure, such as charging stations.
"Where you might pull up to a parking meter these days, you could pull up and recharge your vehicle," said Seth Effron, deputy press secretary for Easley.
Other universities nationwide have taken up hybrid electric vehicle research, including the University of California at Davis.
"We're not the only ones doing it," Huang said. "But we might be the only ones doing it with strong support from the state."
Effron said Easley believes the center is an opportunity for North Carolina to be a leader in hybrid technology similar to the way in which the state rose as a leader in biotechnology.
"By getting involved now, it will keep North Carolina's economy strong and help it grow," Effron said.
It costs between $10,000 and $12,000 to convert a hybrid car to a plug-in hybrid, but that cost has to be reduced for consumers to be interested, he said.
Be the first to comment on this story