Illinois Institute of Technology's Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) Project with City of Chicago to Begin Field Testing Phase

Illinois Institute of Technology's (IIT) Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) Project , sponsored by Chicago-based All Cell Technologies, LLC in collaboration with the City of Chicago, MicroSun Technologies, LLC, and ComEd, moves into a new phase today.

IIT returned a prototype vehicle to the Chicago Department of Fleet Management. DFM now will conduct four to six months of field testing of the vehicle under various conditions to evaluate the performance of the vehicle and improvement in fuel efficiency and emission reduction. The project is an effort to double the fuel efficiency and reduce emissions from the city's fleet of hybrid vehicles.

At the conclusion of the testing period, the city will evaluate the concept and its potential for mass implementation for plug-in conversion of other hybrid vehicles in the city's fleet.

The vehicle's Li-ion battery pack utilizes an IIT patented technology with a passive thermal management system using phase change material (PCM).

The City of Chicago's Department of Fleet Management provides an array of fleet-related services to all City of Chicago departments and several "Sister Agencies", including the Chicago Park District and the Chicago Housing Authority, who, in turn, use their vehicles and equipment to provide important city services to citizens and guests.

"We are proud to partner with the IIT team during this Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid conversion project. The team has successfully overcome many technical challenges," said Howard Henneman, Chicago Department of Fleet Management Commissioner. "We're excited to begin evaluating the performance of the vehicle through our field-testing, and look forward to potentially expanding this plug-in technology to other vehicles in the fleet."

All Cell, which is sponsoring the IIT PHEV Project, is an IIT-based technology transfer company located in University Technology Park At IIT (UTP), formed in 2001 by Professors Said Al-Hallaj and J. Robert Selman to commercialize Lithium-ion batteries in military, medical, portable and transportation applications.

ComEd has contributed to the project by providing best practices from operating its hybrid vehicles and expertise in technical and regulatory matters related to charging the plug-in hybrid vehicles' electric drive systems.

"We are delighted to be part of this collaborative effort to help the city improve fuel economy and benefit the environment," Al-Hallaj said. "We are confident that the technology used for this project has many applications to help create a more sustainable transportation system to strengthen the energy security of the United States."

Founded in 1890, IIT is a Ph.D.-granting university with more than 6,700 students in engineering, sciences, architecture, psychology, design, humanities, business and law. IIT's interprofessional, technology-focused curriculum is designed to advance knowledge through research and scholarship, to cultivate invention improving the human condition, and to prepare students from throughout the world for a life of professional achievement, service to society, and individual fulfillment.