On Tuesday Gov. Mike Easley announced the creation of the Advanced Transportation Energy Center at N.C. State University, which will research innovative ways to increase the efficiency of plug-in hybrid vehicles.
"It is our patriotic duty to free ourselves from dependence on foreign oil and become leaders in developing the technology to make our nation energy independent," Easley stated in a press release.
ATEC will study the efficiency of improving the plug-in hybrid vehicle industry, wherein hybrid cars are charged periodically by plugging into an electrical outlet. A central goal is to develop a battery capable of traveling more than 100 miles without having to recharge.
Alex Huang, director of the Semiconductor Power Electronics Center at NCSU, said the center is meant to integrate the efforts of utility companies, car manufacturers and auto parts makers.
ATEC will work in partnership with Duke Energy and Progress Energy.
Huang said the center will work to improve battery technology, find and develop energy sources and develop necessary infrastructure, such as charging stations.
"Where you might pull up to a parking meter these days, you could pull up and recharge your vehicle," said Seth Effron, deputy press secretary for Easley.
Other universities nationwide have taken up hybrid electric vehicle research, including the University of California at Davis.
"We're not the only ones doing it," Huang said. "But we might be the only ones doing it with strong support from the state."
Effron said Easley believes the center is an opportunity for North Carolina to be a leader in hybrid technology similar to the way in which the state rose as a leader in biotechnology.
"By getting involved now, it will keep North Carolina's economy strong and help it grow," Effron said.
It costs between $10,000 and $12,000 to convert a hybrid car to a plug-in hybrid, but that cost has to be reduced for consumers to be interested, he said.
Scott Sutton, spokesman for Progress Energy, said the company will work closely with the center to develop infrastructure capable of supporting the new technology.
Sutton said introducing electric vehicles into the market would not have any short-term impact on Progress Energy's operations or grids, but that as use becomes more widespread, Progress Energy would have to incorporate the increased demand in its long-range planning 10 to 15 years down the road.
He said the energy demand in the Carolinas is expected to double by 2030.
Duke Energy spokesman Andy Thompson said the company would contribute $1.5 million to ATEC in its first five years.
In its own fleet, Duke Energy already has a plug-in hybrid that has been used to trace performance of the vehicle and its battery life.
"We recognize that if, in fact, this technology really takes off with the driving public, there could be impacts to our system," Thompson said.
He said Duke Energy hopes that the research will shed light on how much electricity would be necessary if these cars became popular.
He added that Duke Energy might be able to offer incentives to customers that would encourage them to recharge their car batteries during non-peak times when less electricity is used, such as after 9 p.m.
"We want to be prepared from a utility perspective," Thompson said. "We think it has great potential."
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