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FUTURE VEHICLE TECHNOLGIES DEBUTS 275 MPG eVARO Canadian Company’s New Series Hybrid Breaks the X PRIZE Barrier

Posted on 02. Nov, 2009 by webmestre in North America, Uncategorized

“It’s not easy being green”…Kermit the Frog
FUTURE VEHICLE TECHNOLGIES DEBUTS 275 MPG eVARO Canadian Company’s New Series Hybrid Breaks the X PRIZE Barrier
MAPLE RIDGE, British Columbia, April 7, 2009 – With all due respect to Kermit the Frog, green has been the recent flavor of choice in the North American auto industry as both manufacturers and entrepreneurs look to design the “green car of the future.”
Future Vehicle Technologies (FVT), formerly known as Fuel Vapor Technologies and the designer of the 92-mpg ale that was introduced at the 2006 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, recently debuted their latest state-of-the-art vehicle, the eVaro (Electric Vehicle with Advanced Regeneration Onboard).
The new eVaro is a series hybrid, a fully functioning plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) with an onboard gas generator, also referred to as an extended-range electric vehicle. While the eVaro is similar to the Chevrolet Volt, the only series hybrid currently confirmed for production (2010), the eVaro (as in “arrow”) has a number of features and performance criteria that will exceed the Volt. These include better aerodynamics (much lower drag coefficient), much less weight, much higher mile per gallon (electric) and a greater range.
The new eVaro also compares extremely well with two vehicles from entrepreneurial companies that have received considerable media attention: the $109,000 Tesla and the Aptera. Both of these vehicles are battery electric vehicles (BEV) and, as such, are limited in their operating range because they have to be recharged. “FVT firmly believes that consumers will prefer the security of a series hybrid like the eVaro,” stated George Parker, president of FVT. “The best thing about the eVaro is that, unlike other vehicles, it doesn’t compromise anything for the consumer. Not only is it beautiful, but it is quick, quiet and has no emissions for the first 90 miles of driving and, most importantly, because of the onboard generator will never strand anyone.”
Although FVT initially chose to design and build three ale prototypes using its proprietary fuel-vapor technology, the eVaro was always planned as the “car of the future” and the challenger for the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE. The $10 million Automotive X PRIZE is an incentive for teams to design, build and race innovative, environmentally friendly vehicles that can achieve 100 miles per gallon. FVT’s ale was a featured vehicle at the 2008 New York Auto Show announcement that the X PRIZE would kick off with an event in New York City this fall with the competition beginning in the spring of 2010.
Although FVT is one of over 120 teams that have signed a letter of intent to participate in the X PRIZE, Popular Mechanics magazine chose the ale as one of the ten most promising entries. With the ale’s mileage maxed out at 92 mpg, FVT chose to accelerate the development of the fourth prototype, the eVaro series hybrid, and the preliminary results are impressive.
The eVaro weighs a mere 1250 lbs., turns 0-60 times of five seconds and has a top speed of 135 mph. The new series hybrid achieves an amazing 275 mpg equivalent (MPGe) for city driving (15-40 mph) and 165 MPGe for highway driving (45-75 mph), and a range of 65-90 miles (electric) and unlimited miles with the onboard generator.
Unbelievable? Well, for those doubting Thomases that don’t believe in green frogs, the University of Fraser Valley conducted third-party verification tests of the eVaro last month (see attached letter). When one considers that 80% of North Americans drive less than 40 miles per day, the new eVaro is definitely in the running for the “green car of the future!”
Future Vehicle Technologies is a Canadian “Clean Tech” entrepreneurial company whose mission is to improve the automobile and its impact on the earth through fuel economy research, CO2 emissions reduction and new concept vehicle development. The organization is funded by private investors and consists of three companies: FVT Research, FVT Motors and FVT Racing.

I attended a test session of the FVT eVaro on February 23, 2009. A series of test runs were conducted near Agassiz, BC on BC Highway #7, immediately east of Chowat Road.
All test runs were conducted between 1430 and 1730 local time. Each test run consisted of a 1km outbound leg, a 180 degree turn, and a 1km return. Battery voltage and current was acquired and logged during each run through the use of transducers and software provided by Motec Engine Management and Data Acquisition Systems.
Meteorlogical conditions for the test period reported at Aggasiz by Environment Canada show a temperature range from 10.0 to 10.8 degrees Celsius, winds were from the North between 6 and 11km/h, light rain though not reported by Environment Canada, was evident toward the end of the test session.
The section of highway used for the test session is a busily traveled portion of public highway, it is reasonably flat and the exact grade of the highway should be a matter of public record if it is required.
The accuracy of the onboard data acquisition system was verified both prior to the test runs and then at random intervals throughout the test session by comparison reading obtained using a Fluke 190 Series Scopemeter. The margin of error between the measuring instruments was very small, and the repeatability of the results was good.
The eVaro achieved an average of 275 mpge for city driving (20-60k) and an average of 165 mpge for highway driving (70-120k).

Tags: Awards, BEV, Concepts, Design, Environment, eVaro, Fuel economy