US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE CHARGES AHEAD WITH ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND ROAD SAFETY ON-BOARD COMPUTER SYSTEMS
US Navy and Road Safety team up to determine cost of operating US Department of Defense Electric Vehicle fleet
CAMARILLO, CA - The US Navy has initiated the data collection process from Road Safety on-board computers installed in Department of Defense electric vehicles. Using 900 MHz RF transceivers, data gathered by the on-board computers is automatically downloaded from the vehicles to one of nine (9) Navy and Air Force bases where the EV test is being conducted. The test includes 108 Dodge Caravan and Chevrolet S-10 electric vehicles.
"For over 15 years our on-board computers have been widely used for durability testing by major automotive manufacturers such as GM, Chrysler, Ford, Nissan and Jaguar," says Larry Selditz, President of Road Safety International, Inc. "This experience helped us bring an affordable solution to the Navy for their EV cost evaluation project."
Simplifying the task of installation, the Road Safety on-board computer connects directly to the EV data link connector. In addition to miles driven, stops, AC request, brakes, speeds, ranges and rapid accelerations, the on-board computer records EV specific information such as charges, energy used and energy gained through regenerative braking.
EV driving and charging data gathered by the on-board computer, along with vehicle maintenance records, will be used to determine cost per mile driven for the new electric vehicle fleet. This information will be compared to costs associated with Navy and Air Force gasoline powered vehicles. Cost per mile driven will help determine future Department of Defense purchasing decisions and efficient vehicle utilization strategies.
Road Safety International, Inc. is a privately held company with headquarters in Camarillo, California. Road Safety is an industry leader in the field of data acquisition and fleet management systems. |
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