September 15, 2009
Media contact: Kim Lawrence
Cell: 604-302-6257
Office: 604-864-4611
kim.lawrence@ufv.ca
Futuristic transportation technology tested at UFV
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Dr. Mark Evered with the eVaro
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Not only does it get great mileage, but it looks cool too. The three-wheeled, bullet-shaped, electrical eVaro is one of the most fuel-efficient cars in the world...and it’s produced and tested right here in the Fraser Valley.
The team at Maple Ridge-based Future Vehicle Technologies (formerly FuelVapor Technologies) has been working on creating the ultimate in efficient transportation for more than ten years. Until recently, they used gasoline-based motors that vaporized the fuel before it reached the engine, and achieved about 92 miles per gallon. When the company switched to electrically powered motors in 2008, they managed to crack the elusive 100 mile per gallon target and never looked back. In fact, they cracked it to the tune of 275 miles per gallon ― that’s 100 km on just .8 litre (city-rating).
“When we saw what this technology was capable of, we knew no one would believe the incredible numbers involved,” says Todd Pratt, vice-president of Future Vehicle Technologies. “We needed a trustworthy, independent body to verify our findings, and we knew it should be a university.” FVT partnered with the Trades & Technology Centre at the University of the Fraser Valley to conduct a series of fuel efficiency tests, with the final assessment taking place on February 23, 2009 near Agassiz.
Randy Kelley is the electronics instructor at UFV who was on-hand to do the testing. “The eVaro was driven through a series of test passes at incremental speeds through the normal driving range and each pass was monitored using on-board data acquisition systems,” he explains. “When analyzed, the numbers demonstrated truly impressive outcomes.”
But there was still room for a bit of fun. “Once the serious testing was out of the way, the team at FVT allowed me to take the car out on the road myself,” recalls Kelley. “Not only does it deliver some very impressive numbers, it also falls into the "wow" category of fun to drive.”
At 20 km/hour, the eVaro uses the same power as a toaster and is completely electrically powered, unlike most hybrid cars on the market, which use gasoline and electric motors to drive the wheels. The eVaro does have a small gasoline motor on-board but only to keep the batteries charged, and can accelerate to 96 km/hour in five seconds, with a top speed of 217 km/hour.
Pratt says that the eVaro is scheduled to begin production in California in 2011 followed by manufacturing in B.C. in 2013. Check it out at www.futurevehicletechnologies.com .
FTV is working with UFV as well as UBC and UVic on several fuel-efficient innovations and ultimately could help create cutting-edge courses aimed at preparing students for the burgeoning field of hybrid electric vehicles.
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