Plug-In Forum

Engineers in Australia modified a Prius so that it can ** you don't have permission to see this link **.

By Adrian Raschella

Imagine a world where cars not only consume energy, but also become a source of energy for the electricity grid.

Researchers at the University of Technology in Sydney (UTS) say that time is coming, with the launch of the first Australian prototype hybrid car that can feed power back into power grid.

UTS engineers refitted a Toyota Prius, known as SWITCH, with extra batteries and new technology.

The car simply plugs into a regular power point, and recharges its batteries overnight during the cheaper off-peak hours.

It can then feed energy back into the grid during peak times in the day when the car is not being used, reducing the consumer's power bill and providing greener energy into the grid.

UTS research project director Chris Dunstan said it would cost about 50 cents a day to recharge with off-peak power, with a fully charged battery lasting about three hours.

Mr Dunstan said the SWITCH has a fuel economy of less than two litres per 100 kilometres of city driving, with a fuel cost equivalent of 40 cents per litre.

There are no plans to make it commercially available yet, but the prototype will be incorporated into the fleet at the New South Wales Environment Department.

Ford and General Motors have announced plans for plug-in electric cars, but they will not be able to feed energy back into power grids.