News

Portland State University President Wim Wiewel was handed the keys to the next generation of plug-in electric vehicles Friday by Toyota Vice President Michael Rouse in the PSU urban plaza as part of a partnership with the automaker and Portland General Electric to study electric transportation technology.

PSU is one of six groups nationally to demonstrate and evaluate the Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicles, which will use charging stations across Portland to charge the lithium-ion battery.

PGE Economic Development Director Charlie Allcock and George Beard, adjunct professor in the College of Urban & Public Affairs who is the liasion between PSU and PGE in urban mobility, said 1,000 PGE-powered plug-in stations will go up in the next year to charge electric vehicles, which are being rolled out by several automakers.

Under PSU's study, data from the demonstration electric vehicles will be gathered to help consumers understand how the plug-in hybrids are being used, their performance, gas mileage and other information.