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February 18, 2009
Dominion Virginia Power Tests Plug-In Hybrid
Cars, Hybrid Bucket Trucks
RICHMOND, Va. – Dominion Virginia Power has added two plug-in electric hybrid cars and two hybrid-powered bucket trucks to its fleet as part of its efforts to determine the impact of plug-in vehicles on electricity demand and to find ways to conserve energy and reduce vehicle emissions.
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Toyota Prius hybrids have been equipped with recharging equipment and
additional high-technology batteries that significantly increase fuel
efficiency by providing up to 30 miles of battery-only driving in normal
operating conditions before the gasoline engine takes over. Recharging
requires about five hours, at a cost of less than 50 cents, by plugging
into a 110-volt electrical outlet.
"Hybrid vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles
are well-suited to the urban locations Dominion serves," said David A.
Heacock, president of Dominion Virginia Power. "We are putting these vehicles
through their paces to determine how they perform in our service area.
It will be important to determine how they impact the need for additional
electricity - especially at peak early-evening hours - if they become
widespread."
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The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Idaho National
Laboratories will analyze the Dominion test data as part of a larger study
of modified hybrid vehicles.
Greenhouse gas emissions for the plug-in versions are half
those of a standard Prius and about 80 percent less than those of a gas-powered
midsize sedan.
Dominion also is operating two hybrid bucket trucks that use
battery power both for driving and for operating the bucket. The truck’s
diesel engine provides power to recharge the batteries and runs far less often
than that of a standard truck. These trucks, which produce lower emissions and
less noise, have been assigned to Dominion’s offices in Northern Virginia.
The new hybrid trucks - and all on-road diesel trucks in Dominion
Virginia Power’s fleet - operate on a blend of 80 percent diesel fuel
and 20 percent biofuel produced in Virginia from soy.
The company uses approximately 1.7 million gallons of biofuel per year in 783 trucks. Lower vehicle operating costs resulting from improved fuel economy and reduced engine maintenance requirements offset the slightly higher cost of biofuel.
Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers of energy,
with a portfolio of approximately 27,000 megawatts of generation. Dominion serves
retail energy customers in 12 states. For more information about Dominion, visit
the company's Web site at http://www.dom.com.
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Editors: Video clips and photographs
are available for download at: http://www.dom.com/news/media_downloads.jsp
Available for download is B-roll video featuring the new hybrid
vehicles as well as Dave Heacock, president of the Dominion
Virginia Power.
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