EDrive Systems LLC (Los Angeles, CA), a consortium of advanced vehicle technology companies, released a new gas-optional hybrid technology that enables hybrid vehicles to be plugged in and charged by a conventional three-prong, 110 V home electrical outlet. EDrive Systems will present and demonstrate its EDrive technology as applied in a Toyota Prius at the Clean Cities Conference in Palm Springs.
By combining gasoline power with electricity from a home recharge, an EDrive-equipped vehicle can average 100 mpg to 150 mpg for roughly the first 60 miles of the day, compared to 45 mpg to 55 mpg for a conventional Prius. The vehicle also has the capacity to run in "electric-only" mode at neighborhood speeds, resulting in zero emissions. The EDrive product is engineered by Energy Control Systems Engineering (EnergyCS) and distributed by Clean-Tech LLC, using battery technology from Valence Technology Inc.
"The EDrive proves that locally produced, potentially renewable electricity can displace gasoline today. Why should we have to wait a decade or two for the hydrogen economy?" stated Greg Hanssen, a partner in EDrive Systems and Chief Engineer of the EnergyCS development team that led the technology innovation. "It really is the ideal fusion of the clean and conveniently home-refueled electric vehicle with the state-of-the-art gasoline-hybrid technology. Renewable power with unlimited range."
