Newsletter Issue 5
June 2007, Boulder, CO
 
One more PHEV-30
We just finished another Prius PHEV 30 conversion for a private individual in Seattle, using production level assemblies. The owner personally came to Hybrids Plus to drive his new PHEV back home, just outside the Seattle area. You can see pictures here.
 
Custom conversion
A battery manufacturer hired us to integrate their Lithium cells into our conversion technology. Their representative came to Boulder with a Prius and 10 days later we completed their custom Prius PHEV. You can see pictures here.
 
Hybrids Plus featured in Popular Mechanics
The May issue of Popular Mechanics has a nice feature article on Plug in Hybrids: http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/new_cars/4215489.html?series=19 Although the article was a general overview, especially of battery technology and A123 Systems, it was nice to see a mention of Hybrids Plus in Boulder, CO. The article also features a picture of our own VP of Engineering, Davide Andrea, busily at work on a battery pack.
 
We Are Growing!
We increased our work force significantly by hiring a Mechanical Engineer and 2 summer interns from the University of Colorado. We also have a wider pool of volunteer and paid consultants helping us with everything from machining to business plan preparation.
 
Progress on the Ford Escape
We are a few weeks away from completing the Ford Escape PHEV conversion for NYSERDA. Afterwards, we are planning to tool up for production of Escape PHEVs, and start taking orders.
 
Next vehicle?
Toward the end of this summer Hybrids Plus will embark on development of a new PHEV system for another type of vehicle. The input we have received from YOU, our readers, has significantly influenced our decision on which vehicle to choose. We will announce which vehicle in our newsletter later this summer. We are still open to your feedback of course, so let us know your opinion.
 
V2G
Vehicle-To-Grid (V2G) is a technology that lets PHEVs power the electrical grid in times of high need. Utility companies are looking at PHEVs as stored energy that could be purchased from the PHEV owner while plugged in. V2G promises to be a partial solution to periods of peak demand, and therefore another driving force in the PHEV market. The Hybrids Plus PHEV conversion system soon will incorporate a V2G feature. Our engineering team is developing the Hybrids Plus "INVERGERÓ (TM), a device that allows the electrical power to flow either from the battery to the grid (as an inverter) or the opposite way (as a charger). This will add one more benefit for PHEV owners.