ipro 356: plug-in hybrid electric vehicle - Community List - Illinois ...

Isopomoto IIT EnPRO-356, Fall 2006
2.3.9 Assembly Labor
Unlike conventional vehicles, the PHEV Escape requires more advanced
technology, and, therefore, skilled workers at the assembly line. Wages for the workers
will be $25 per hour, and they will work 10 hours a day.
2.3.10 PHEV Model
A regular combustion (RC) engine model car was purchased with the intention to
convert it to hybrid and then retrofit it with Plug-In technology. In order to achieve this,
the combustion engine was taken apart and an electrical motor (EM) (electrical motor +
control switch + battery) was added in such a way that car would run on either RC or EM
mode. Activating the RC motor, let the DC motor charge the hybrid battery. Then next
step was to add a battery in parallel to the hybrid battery using a DC to DC converter
which could be charged externally. This model will be used as a marketing and
education tool for our customers.
2.4 Industry Review
The primary purpose of this section is to understand the major trends and
technologies affecting the automobile industry, its top players and how Isopomoto fits
into the industry. With this in mind, a SWOT analysis for the firm is given below (table
9).
Table 9: SWOT analysis for Isopomoto
Organizational (Internal) Environmental (External)
1. Strengths 1. Opportunities
Technological prowess High gasoline prices
Productive and committed team Increased environmental awareness
2. Weaknesses 2. Threats
No capital Alternative fuels
15
Current emphasis on fuel economy
No established customer base Discovery of new gas reserves