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

Isopomoto IIT EnPRO-356, Fall 2006
1.0 Executive Summary
The mission of Isopomoto is to analyze the business opportunities for Plug-in
Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) for the Grainger Power Electronics Lab and All Cell
Technologies. Superior fuel economy, lower long-term cost, and environmental
considerations have played a role in the gradual, but steady trend from internal
combustion vehicles to alternative power sourced vehicles. The plug-in hybrid electric
kit offered by Isopomoto reduce emissions and dependence on gas, and is the next step
towards a fully electric car that has zero emissions and zero dependence on gas.
Isopomoto was established in August 2006, but its members have been involved
in hybrid vehicle research for five years. It is currently staffed by a Chief Executive
Officer, Vice President of Operations, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Technical Officer,
and six additional employees. The current executive staffing is expected to be adequate
to meet identified market demand and potential for the next two years. Isopomoto is
affiliated with the Grainger Power Electronics Center at the Illinois Institute of
Technology.
The gas savings that Isopomoto‘s kits offer is tremendous. For example, a Toyota
Prius hybrid coupled with Isopomoto‘s plug-in hybrid electric kit potentially achieves
123 miles per gallon (mpg). Applications for the use of plug-in hybrid electric kits
include direct consumers and average car owners, commercial or private fleets, and
licensing the technology to auto manufacturers. To reach direct consumers, an alliance
with a dealership such as Chris Schneider‘s Honda Motorwerks is being considered.
Concurrently, the Grainger Power Electronics Center is working on retrofitting the Ford
Escape hybrid for a private fleet.
Using a Lithium Ion (Li-ion) battery, the cost per kit is $13,500. This will be the
standard price during the company‘s initiation and developmental phase. This
introduction price is necessary in order to offset the company‘s start-up costs. Once the
company is in the operational phase, the target price per kit will be $12,000.
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