VAUGHAN, Canada, May 31, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Georgian College students and faculty will initiate cutting-edge research on power use, quality, consumption and costing for electric vehicles (EV) thanks to a first-of-its-kind charging station supported by PowerStream and Ford Motor Company of Canada.
The station is solar power-assisted and has superior ability to collect research data and capacity to offer Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 vehicle charging to the public. Level 2 is available now and plans to install a Level 3 charger are underway. With Level 2 charging, a pure electric vehicle can charge from empty to full power in about eight hours. With Level 3, that time is reduced to less than an hour.
PowerStream has invested $250,000 in this station that Electrical and other Engineering students will use to analyze the impact and opportunities that electric vehicles create for electric utilities and society in general. The students' research will also include recommendations on how best to manage vehicle charging patterns to optimize electricity use patterns and the electricity distribution system.
Ford of Canada has donated leases for a C-MAX Energi and a Focus Electric to be driven to collect the data for analysis, as well as two charging units.
Through this station, Georgian's Electrical and Environmental programs, and the Automotive Business School of Canada, are collaborating to advance sustainable technologies. Students will have hands-on learning opportunities to become leaders in the integration of electric vehicles, renewable energy and smart grid technology.
The solar power-assisted electric vehicle charging station was unveiled at the college's Barrie Campus prior to the start of the 28th annual Georgian College Auto Show. Launch participants included Georgian College President and CEO MaryLynn West-Moynes, PowerStream President and CEO Brian Bentz, Ford of Canada President Dianne Craig and City of Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman.
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"Our goal is to contribute to research and analysis of the utilization of electric vehicles on the power grid, but most importantly to prepare our students for work in the electrical and sustainable technology sectors," says MaryLynn West-Moynes, President and CEO, Georgian College.
"As an energy-services company that is a recognized leader in the development and implementation of smart grid technologies, we are pleased to be supporting and working with Georgian College on this initiative," says Brian Bentz, PowerStream President and CEO. "The results and data the college will gather from this project will assist us in preparing our grid to handle the charging requirements of electric vehicles as their use becomes more common in the marketplace."
"Ford of Canada is pleased to be the automotive partner of the Georgian College electric vehicle charging station. The charging station will be an important resource as the students study sustainable technologies," says Paul Roy, Director of Product Marketing, Ford of Canada. "As a manufacturer of a full range of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles, Ford looks forward to learning more about the students' discoveries in this area of research that is so vital to the environment and to the future."
PHOTO CAPTION:
L-R: Brian Bentz, PowerStream President and CEO; Gwen Strachan, Georgian College Board Chair; MaryLynn West-Moynes, Georgian College President and CEO; Jeff Lehman, PowerStream Board member and Mayor of the City of Barrie and Mark Henderson, PowerStream EVP and COO, stand in front of Ford's C-MAX hybrid and new solar power-assisted electric vehicle charging station at Georgian College.
Georgian College
Georgian College fosters a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation, preparing students to become not only job seekers, but job creators. Working together with industry and community partners, Georgian offers relevant, cutting-edge curriculum, quality work placements and co-op experiences. With more than 120 career-focused programs across seven locations in Central Ontario (Barrie, Midland, Muskoka, Orangeville, Orillia, Owen Sound and South Georgian Bay), Georgian serves 11,000 full-time students and 28,000 Continuing Education registrants annually. Georgian received the highest score among Ontario colleges in the 2013 International Student Barometer – ranking number three in the world – and has been named one of Canada's Top 100 Employers six times and one of Canada's Greenest Employers four years in a row.
PowerStream
PowerStream is a community-owned energy services company providing power and related solutions to more than 355,000 customers residing or owning a business in communities located immediately north of Toronto and in Central Ontario. It is jointly owned by the municipalities of Barrie, Markham and Vaughan.
Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited
Ford of Canada's operations include a national headquarters, three regional offices, two branch offices, three vehicle assembly and engine manufacturing plants, and two parts distribution centres. Ford employs approximately 6,000 people in Canada, while an additional 18,000 people are employed in the more than 400 Ford and Ford-Lincoln dealerships across the country. For more information, please visit www.ford.ca.
A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=19088
