ETV Motors successfully completed a milestone test of its novel Range-Extended Electric Vehicle (REEV) architecture. The company’s REEV architecture includes an on-board charger. While the vehicle is in motion, a gas microturbine generator re-charges the battery when it depletes. Re-charging the battery’s energy level in this way enables the vehicle’s driving range to be significantly extended. For its milestone test drive, the company modified a Toyota Prius sedan, replacing its factory-supplied nickel metal hydride battery with a large-format Lithium Ion battery. A liquid fueled, gas turbine generator was retrofitted to the car to charge the battery. With its standard internal combustion engine disabled, the customized vehicle operates as a plug-in hybrid, complete with onboard range extender.
