IIT Plug-in Conversion Project with the City of Chicago

The necessity to significantly enhance efficiency of transportation vehicles in response to global warming issues and to ever-increasing oil prices is recognized around the world. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEV's) were the first proposed solution to reduce energy consumption, however much additional improvement is necessary. Benefits of HEV's include a smaller internal combustion engine (ICE), the inherent efficiency of the electric motor at low speeds, and the reuse of the braking energy which have generated fuel efficiency improvements of -25%, a good start but a long way from solving the energy crisis. The long-term goal for automotive power systems is zero emissions and zero use of hydrocarbon-based fuels. The significance of successful demonstration of hybrid technology is the development of appropriate electric motors, optimization and control systems, regenerative braking systems, and identification of the limits of existing battery technology. These benefits can be extended by increasing the vehicle's energy storage capacity with batteries an order of magnitude larger and with the additional energy coming from the electric grid, ideally generated from non-carbon sources. Theoretical studies have suggested that a majority of American commuters could avoid the daily use of gasoline with such a system. A Ford Escape Hybrid was obtained from the City of Chicago to be used as a test platform for this concept. Initial goal was to double the expected 25 miles per gallon using lithium ion battery technology. After characterizing the vehicle's electric power needs, a battery was proposed, designed, and installed using a controller to regulate the pack output into Ford's existing motor drive system. Initial results show proof-of-concept via improved all-electric range and gas mileage. The patented thermal management technology developed by IIT Licensee All Cell Technologies LLC allowed the use of latest high-power lithium ion cells in this demanding application. More study is needed to further improve the performance, simplify user interaction, and quantify benefits, i.e. gas mileage and reduced emissions. Sufficient progress in motors, control systems, batteries, and thermal management has been achieved by a number of innovators to make the dream of zero emissions and zero fossil fuel usage a reasonable target for the next generation of automobiles.