CU-Boulder to test Toyota plug-in hybrids

A joint venture of the University of Colorado at Boulder and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden will conduct a field study of plug-in hybrid cars for Toyota starting this month, CU announced Tuesday.

The joint venture is called the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute, or RASEI.

The study for Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. will focus on "household experiences and the technical impacts of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, or PHVs, in a 'smart grid' environment," the CU announcement said.

Xcel Energy Inc. has used Boulder as a test market for smart-grid technology aimed at improving power reliability, providing customers with real-time information about their energy use, and allowing remote control of energy use. Xcel is involved in the Toyota field study.

Toyota will supply 18 Prius PHVs for the two-year RASEI program in Boulder. The cars, which are scheduled to be delivered later this month, will be used in three-month stints by 108 volunteer Boulder households.

The Boulder project “will gather data on vehicle performance and electricity usage, as well as how households interact with vehicle feedback through smart grid technology. The Boulder location also presents the opportunity for researchers to monitor the performance of Toyota’s first-generation lithium-ion battery at high altitudes and in cold weather,” CU said.

Portland State University is also a test site for the program.

Read more about the Colorado announcement in the Denver Business Journal.