Green Energy Ohio (GEO) is making history by taking an electric vehicle road trip and visiting five major Ohio cities, including a stop in Toledo June 6.

An electric-powered Chevy Volt car was the feature attraction at the EV Tour del Sol event held at the University of Toledo’s Scott Park Campus of Energy and Innovation. GEO and Clean Fuels Ohio (CFO) partnered to make the tour a reality, with Delphi Automotive sponsoring it.

The 534-mile road trip had its third stop in Toledo following visits to Columbus on June 4 and Cincinnati June 5. It was scheduled to wrap up with stops in Warren June 7 and at Progressive Field in Cleveland June 8.

“There’s a lot of excitement for electric cars around the state. We expect more cities and universities to have electric chargers for these vehicles in the near future,” said Bill Spratley, executive director of GEO.

Green Energy Ohio’s Bill Spratley shows Chuck Lehnert of UT the Chevy Volt car being driven by Greg Kuss in the EV Tour del Sol. Toledo Free Press photo by Duane Ramsey

GEO and UT officials held a press conference at 10 a.m. to open the day that included expert speakers at educational workshops, with exhibitors and “Ride and Drive” demonstrations of electric powered vehicles.

“UT is a showcase campus for solar energy in Ohio,” Spratley said.

“We’re very proud to be a showcase for solar and alternative energy at UT,” said Chuck Lehnert, vice president of administration at UT, in the shadow of the large wind turbine on the Scott Park Campus.

“UT is very serious about green energy and its contribution to the environment. Solar energy is part of our DNA at UT,” Lehnert said, referring to leading photovoltaic research that continues to be conducted at UT.

Al Compaan, a professor involved in that photovoltaic research at UT for many years, brought his homemade electric-powered truck to the event. Compaan said he bought the 1982 model pickup in 1997, removed the gasoline engine and converted it to an electric vehicle that he has driven more than 34,000 miles during the past 14 years.

Greg Kuss, CEO of SolarVision based in Westerville, was the official driver of the signature Chevy Volt in the EV Tour del Sol. SolarVision is involved in installing a 5-watt solar array in Celina, Ohio.

Kuss said that 60 percent of the electricity powering the vehicle is generated by the solar installation at his home. He said he drives about 55 miles each work day and recharges the Volt for about $1.35 per day while he’s at work.

The Volt was recharged at a station available on the Scott Park Campus during the event.

GM officials said the Volt comes with a 110-volt charger for recharging the vehicle’s batteries at homes and businesses. A 240-volt charger is available for $1,000 for recharging the batteries at remote locations.

The Chevy Volt driven in the EV Tour del Sol held at UT June 6 is recharged at the Scott Park Campus. Toledo Free Press photo by Duane Ramsey

A Delphi portable electric vehicle charger was onboard the Volt driven in the EV Tour del Sol.

Delphi Automotive is a leading supplier of electronics and technologies for automotive and commercial vehicles. Delphi’s Electrical/Electronic Architecture was developed for use in the electric and hybrid vehicle market.

Derek Harper, an innovations technology specialist from GM, drove another Chevy Volt from Detroit for the event. Another electric vehicle, the Toyota Prius, was provided for the UT event.

Owens Community College and the Electric Vehicle Institute at Bowling Green State University participated in the event at UT. The EV tour crew spent Tuesday night in Bowling Green following the event in Cincinnati and a stop in Dayton.

Green Energy Ohio is a nonprofit organization that promotes economically and environmentally sustainable energy policies and practices in the state. Clean Fuels Ohio is another nonprofit organization that promotes the use of cleaner, nonpetroleum fuels and efficient vehicles in Ohio.

Tags: Clean Fuels Ohio, Delphi Automotive, electric car road trip, Green Energy Ohio, University of Toledo Scott Park Campus

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 7th, 2012 at 2:06 am and is filed under Community, Education, Environment, Technology, Toledo Business Link, Transportation, Wheels.
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