Local Company Could Revolutionize Hybrid Vehicles

October 4, 2012

Local Company Could Revolutionize Hybrid Vehicles

 

Bells Corners, ON —Pierre Poilievre, Member of Parliament for Nepean-Carleton, invited Greg Tarasco, President and CEO of Blueprint Energy Inc., to speak to the Transportation Committee this past Wednesday. Mr. Tarasco explained how his company’s technology could revolutionize the hybrid vehicle market by eliminating the three main obstacles that consumers currently face when dealing with their chemical batteries: the additional cost, the ongoing maintenance involved with changing a battery and the complications of disposing these batteries at the end of their life.

 

“This is yet another exciting innovation coming out of Bells Corners,” said Poilievre. “With this technology, we could potentially see the end of gasoline-only vehicles. This is great news for consumers and for the environment.”

 

The hybrid industry currently experiences many difficulties, especially when it comes to heavy duty vehicles like buses. These pose significant economic challenges to transit authorities like OC Transpo. As the cost of fuel continues to increase, companies are looking to hybrid vehicles as a solution. The problem is that current battery technology causes other problems relating to affordability and reliability. Blueprint Energy’s flywheel technology presents an affordable solution for transit companies across the world, as well as for the 70,000,000 cars, vans and trucks produced annually.

 

“We believe that our technology will be the catalyst for mass migration to hybrid vehicles,” said Tarasco. “With over fifty projects and $10 million in development, Blueprint Energy’s flywheels are staged to commercialize and address the significant challenges of the current hybrid vehicle market.”

 

Flywheel technology captures energy from the normal operation of the vehicle, typically from heat created when braking. As the driver hits the brakes, energy is created which makes a wheel spin inside the engine. When the driver hits the gas pedal later on, energy from the spinning wheel helps power the car forward. There are a number of benefits for the consumer including greater affordability, improved gas mileage, wider temperature tolerance, and a longer lasting power source as there is never a need to replace the mechanical battery. There is also a benefit to emergency workers and mechanics because the high voltage exposure that we see in today’s hybrid vehicles is not a factor with this new technology.

 

Blueprint Energy Inc. is an Ottawa-based company whose technology results from research by its minority shareholder partner, Flywheel Energy Storage Inc.  The company is gaining much attention across the industry, and is being looked at seriously by vehicle manufactures and fleet operators alike, such as Purolator. One thing is clear – Blueprint Energy is generating a lot of attention these days.