The Electric Vehicle Transportation Center (EVTC) is a University Transportation Center funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation and is a research and education effort to help create the nation's electric-vehicle transportation network. The project objectives are to perform research, development and education to ensure seamless integration of electric vehicles into a complex transportation network and supporting electricity grid. The EVTC will bridge the gap between deployment of electric vehicles and the traditional transportation system.
The EVTC's research, education and its associated projects are conducted to prepare the U.S. transportation system for the future influx of electric vehicles into a sustainable transportation network while at the same time, seizing the opportunity these vehicles present to enhance electric grid modernization efforts. EVs provide the unique capability of being able to store energy, thus, an EV can both use and supply energy to the nation's electric grid. The future use of "smart-grid enabled" inverters and chargers will feature real time, two-way communication and will be capable of providing live network access and the ability to remotely control both the transportation network and the electric power grid.
The Electric Vehicle Transportation Center is a comprised of transportation and energy experts from the University of Central Florida (UCF), University of Hawaii, and Tuskegee University. It is led by UCF's Florida Solar Energy Center. The EVTC program will conduct research, educate students, transfer technologies and form collaborations with manufacturers, suppliers, utilities and governmental agencies in order to achieve its goal of accelerating EV acceptance and adoption. The Center will leverage the resources of its universities and partners to conduct needed research and development and to inspire and educate the scientists, engineers, and technicians of the future.
