Toyota Teams With U.S Army, DoE, NREL For Electric Vehicle Research Using Prius Plug-In Hybrids

With All Them Plug-Ins, Toyota Has At Least Some EV Knowledge

A collaborative research effort is now underway and it combines some unlikely groups.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, the DoE, the U.S Army and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will research integrating plug-in vehicles into the grid.
Here’s how it’ll go down. Research scientists at the DoE’s Energy Systems Integration Facility and the NREL’s Vehicle Testing and Integration Facility will use 20 Prius plug-in hybrids (donated by Toyota) to research ways to prepare grid operators and the nation’s energy infrastructure for the mass adoption of electric vehicles.
NREL is teaming with the U.S. Army to develop Consolidated Utility Base Energy (CUBE) System — a solar, battery and generator setup that provides electricity to forward operating bases.
A prototype CUBE system will be tested soon to validate its performance, reliability and projected fuel savings.