Electric Vehicle

REV Delivers 1st of 4 battery electric vehicles with V2G capability to TARDEC

Canada-based Rapid Electric Vehicles, Inc., has delivered the first of what it calls “Ancillary Power Vehicles” (APVs)—batter-electric vehicles with a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capability—to the US Army Tank Automotive Research Center (TARDEC) in Hawaii this week in partnership with Honeywell Aerospace. The vehicles will make use of REV’s bi-directional charging capabilities as part of TARDEC’s micro-grid demonstration.

The TARDEC order includes three REV 300ACXs and one REV 300AZX based on the Ford Escape and Ford F150 platforms, respectively. (Earlier post.) REV removes the internal combustion engine and related drive and fuel components from the OEM vehicles. There is no other re-engineering performed on the vehicle, with the original driving characteristics remaining intact.

The vehicles are propelled by a 125 kW permanent magnet AC motor and single speed eGearDrive system that deliver 300 N·m (221 ft. lbs) of torque to the wheels.

Range is up to 120 miles (200 km) combined city/highway. Charging is via either a regular 120 VAC source or from a 220 VAC source via a 7kW on board charger.

The APVs include REV’s proprietary energy storage system that allows vehicle operators to invert its stored electricity and power industrial equipment, buildings and homes.

In North America power outages cost the North American economies more than $100 billion dollars a year, due in part to the lack of energy storage, according to REV. Using wireless control, APV’s can be viewed online as an energy storage resource distributed throughout a region. With a signal from the utility, APV’s can charge energy from and discharge energy to the grid wherever the vehicle is plugged, to help prevent blackouts and increase the reliability of power grids in the utility’s local areas.

Launch partners for REV’s technology launch partners include the City of Santa Monica (more than 25 APVs), the City of Surrey, City of Welland, Burlington Hydro and a major undisclosed power utility.

REV has additional launch partners in the construction, utility, military and municipal segments with expected orders of more than 200 APVs in 2011. Following these launch orders REV is preparing to scale production beyond 15,000 vehicles through 2014.

Rapid Electric Vehicles, a Vancouver-based company, develops and delivers high-performance electric vehicles for North American fleets. REV specializes in vehicle-to-grid networks and bi-directional energy storage systems that support renewable energy production and a reduction of dependence on carbon-intensive sources.

www.rapidelectricvehicles.com/