ComEd Joins Illinois Institute of Technology's Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) Project

CHICAGO, Sept. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- The Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) today announced that ComEd is joining IIT's Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) Project in collaboration with Chicago-based All Cell Technologies, LLC, the City of Chicago and other industrial and government partners in an effort to double the fuel efficiency and reduce emissions from the city's fleet of hybrid Ford Escape SUVs. The PHEV Project will use Lithium-ion batteries developed by All Cell.

ComEd will provide expertise by sharing its best practices from operating its hybrid vehicles. The utility owns 64 hybrid Ford Escapes and its SUV fleet will expand to 114 hybrid vehicles by the end of 2007. ComEd also will provide expertise in technical and regulatory matters related to charging the plug-in hybrid vehicles' electric drive systems from the utility's electrical power distribution system.

"We are pleased to contribute to the efforts of IIT and Chicago to improve the environment and the fuel efficiency of hybrid vehicles," said Anne Pramaggiore, senior vice president of ComEd Regulatory and External Affairs. "ComEd's commitment to hybrid vehicles is one of the elements of our voluntary efforts to reduce greenhouse gas. There also is real potential for this initiative to advance the opportunities to create plug-in hybrid electric vehicles on a significant scale."

"This partnership is a major step in advancing Mayor Daley's commitment to make Chicago the nation's most environmentally friendly city," said Howard Henneman, Chicago Department of Fleet Management (CDFM) Commissioner. "This is a great opportunity to grow sustainable companies, set up manufacturing facilities within the city and create jobs in the Chicago area."

"This project is indicative of the university's overall commitment to energy sustainability and positions IIT as a leader in the nation," said Lew Collens, president of IIT.

All Cell, which is sponsoring the IIT PHEV Project, is an IIT-based technology transfer company formed in 2001 by Professors Said Al-Hallaj and J. Robert Selman to commercialize Lithium-ion batteries in military, medical, portable and transportation applications. The project will use IIT's patented thermal management technology with phase change material (PCM).

"There are few better validations for an emerging technology enterprise than partnership with one of the largest utility providers in the nation," said Bob Anderson, president of All Cell. "ComEd's involvement promises significant capacity to realize our vision and provide relief to consumers for the high economic and environmental cost of gasoline."

About ComEd

Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation , one of the nation's largest electric utilities with approximately 5.2 million customers and more than $15 billion in annual revenues. ComEd provides service to approximately 3.7 million customers across Northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state's population.

About IIT

Founded in 1890, IIT is a Ph.D.-granting technological university awarding degrees in the sciences, mathematics and engineering, as well as architecture, psychology, design, business and law. IIT's interprofessional, technology- focused curriculum prepares the university's 6,200 students for leadership roles in an increasingly complex and culturally diverse global workplace.

Funded by the State of Illinois, IIT's Business Incubator focuses on companies like All Cell that need sophisticated laboratory facilities and can benefit from leveraging university resources. IIT provides training, business services support, and opportunities for networking and interaction with other companies, IIT faculty, and students.