Launching of a Major Study on Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles

QUEBEC CITY, April 22 /CNW Telbec/ - Université Laval rector Denis Brière
together with Secretary general of Desjardins Group Pauline D’Amboise, Enersys
president and CEO John D. Craig, and Quebec City mayor Régis Labeaume
celebrated Earth Day by announcing the launch of an innovative joint study
project on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV). If this pilot study is
successful, a second phase of the project could integrate up to 50 PHEVs into
Quebec City streets.
Thanks to the financial, technical, and professional participation of
Desjardins Group, Canada’s largest integrated cooperative financial group, and
Enersys, the world’s largest producer of industrial batteries, a
multidisciplinary team of Université Laval researchers will begin a series of
studies looking at technological improvements under real-world conditions as
well as social, economic, and environmental issues related to the use of these
vehicles.
The test vehicle in this pilot project will be a Prius-type hybrid with
its standard battery replaced by a high performance lithium ion battery
providing a range of over 70 km. This battery can be plugged in and recharged
using household current from a regular outlet.
Researchers at the Faculty of Business Administration will study, under
the leadership of professor Michel Gendron, various economic, environmental,
and social impacts of the use of this type vehicle. In particular, they will
investigate the financial viability of such vehicles for consumers, evaluate
the costs of installing power ports together with methods of imposing fees for
recharging, and together with Desjardins develop innovative financial
contracts for this type of vehicle.
Researchers at the Faculty of Science and Engineering will assess the
vehicle’s performance in urban environments as well as look at ways to
optimize output and performance, improve recharging techniques through the
development of power ports, and test technologies for connecting the battery
with the power grid.
Université Laval Security and Prevention, which has already integrated a
first PHEV into its fleet of conventional vehicles, considers progressively
replacing all its vehicles with this type of hybrid.
“Sustainable development is a top priority at Université Laval,” stated
rector Denis Brière at a press conference. “That’s why we plan to implement
concrete measures to support projects such as the one presented today, which
features a promising strategy to tackle the global challenge of reducing
greenhouse gases.”
“Desjardins Group is pleased to be associated with Université Laval in
conducting this study, which will allow us to develop unique expertise here in
Quebec City,” declared Ms. D’Amboise.
“Desjardins is more than a mere financial partner-it is contributing its
know-how as a financial institution to explore such matters as what kind of
financial product could make this type of vehicle more available to
consumers.”