Author: Sherri Shields

UCF’s FSEC to Establish Statewide Alternative Fuel Vehicle Training for First Responders

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By Sherri Shields
April 3, 2015

Central Florida Clean Cities logo
Central Florida Clean Cities Coalition is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy

The University of Central Florida’s Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), host of the Central Florida Clean Cities Coalition, was selected to establish an alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) training network for the state of Florida that adapts safety and technical training based on existing curricula for local needs. This project will establish training on electric drive, compressed natural gas (CNG) and propane vehicles for first responders, college instructors, tow-truck operators, and salvage/recycling operators.

The project, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities program at $600,000 over a two-year period and starting later this month, will bring together Florida’s Clean Cities Coalitions and their stakeholders to increase the acceptance and deployment of AFVs.

The Central Florida Clean Cities Coalition, in partnership with CareerSource Brevard, has demonstrated both the need and demand for this type of training as they have supported classroom, online, and hands-on instruction for nearly 200 local public safety officers.

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University of Central Florida’s First Electric Vehicle Fast Charger Opens in Cocoa — Grand Opening and Ride and Drive Announced

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By Sherri Shields

COCOA, Fla., March 16, 2015 – Electric Vehicle drivers now have a place to charge up on the Space Coast in Cocoa. Located just two miles off State Road 528, otherwise known as the “Beachline,”—a main artery connecting Orlando to the Space Coast —the University of Central Florida’s Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) is now home to a Direct Current (DC) Fast Charger and a dual Level 2 charger.

The grand opening of UCF’s re-charging facility at FSEC is scheduled for Friday, March 20 at 11 a.m. Nissan will be offering a Ride & Drive for the all-electric Nissan LEAF® from 11:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. A variety of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles will also be on display. The public is invited to attend and participate in this special event.

Donated by Nissan North America, and provided by NovaCharge, a leading provider and integrator of EV charging solutions nationwide, the DC Fast Charger is a first for UCF, as well as the City of Cocoa.

“We’re excited to have such a valuable resource for the electric vehicle community right in our backyard,” said City of Cocoa Mayor Henry Parrish III.

Photo of black Nissan Leaf being charged with DC fast charger.
UCF’s first DC fast charger at FSEC in Cocoa will re-charge the all-electric Nissan LEAF to 80% capacity within 30 minutes.

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MEDIA ADVISORY: UCF’s First Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Station Opens in Cocoa ­— Grand Opening and Ride & Drive Announced

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Tuesday, March 10, 2015

WHAT:
UCF’s Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) will have a Grand Opening for its new Electric Vehicle charging station. A Ride and Drive of the all-electric Nissan LEAF will be offered, and a variety of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles will be on display, including the Cadillac ELR and Chevy Volt.

WHEN:
Friday, March 20, 2015
11:00 a.m. – Ribbon cutting
11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. – Ride & Drive, Nissan LEAF

WHERE:
Florida Solar Energy Center
1679 Clearlake Road, Cocoa, FL 32922
(321) 638-1000

BACKGROUND:
Working with NovaCharge, Nissan North America donated the Direct Current Fast Charger (DCFC) to UCF’s FSEC. Located on the Eastern Florida State College Cocoa Campus, FSEC is an ideal location for a DC fast charger since it’s two miles from State Road 528, the “Beachline Expressway”—a main artery connecting the Orlando area and Orlando International Airport to the Space Coast.

The EV charging station includes two standalone chargers:

  • DC Fast Charger with CHAdeMO connector.
    This 50 kW charger can provide about 80 percent battery charge to a Nissan LEAF within 30 minutes.
    Specs: 480V, 3-phase, 60 amps
  • Level 2 Charger with 7 kW dual J1772 connectors.
    This charger takes 3-4 hours to provide a full charge.
    Specs: 208V, single-phase, 30 amps

EDITOR’S NOTE: Representatives from UCF, City of Cocoa, City of Orlando, Nissan North America, Chevrolet, NovaCharge, FPL, and Drive Electric Florida will be in attendance.

CONTACT:
Sherri Shields
Director, Communications
Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC)
University of Central Florida (UCF)
(321) 638-1019
www.fsec.ucf.edu

PR15-02

Crowe Honored as Electric Vehicle Transportation Center’s Outstanding Student of the Year

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February 6, 2015

Each year at the annual winter meeting of the U.S. Transportation Research Board, the most outstanding student from each participating University Transportation Center (UTC) is honored for his/her achievements and promise for future contributions to the transportation field.

Mr. Thron Crowe was selected by the University of Central Florida’s Electric Vehicle Transportation Center and honored at this year’s 24th Annual Outstanding Student of the Year awards banquet in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2015.

Photo of Thron Crowe holding certificate
Mr. Thron Crowe (center) accepts award from Dr. Neville Parker, chair, CUTC Awards Committee, The City University of New York (left), and Mr. Greg Winfree, assistant secretary, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology, US Dept. of Transportation, Washington, DC.

Mr. Crowe, an engineering student at Valencia College and employee at UCF’s Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), received the award for being responsible for locating and identifying accurate vehicular data in Florida’s main traffic arteries, which will be used for computational modeling of transport systems. He coordinated data collection with the University of Maryland’s Regional Integrated Transportation Information System and the Florida Department of Transportation. Additionally, Mr. Crowe has helped educate students, teachers, consumers, and fleet owners about the benefits of Plug-In Electric Vehicles (PEVs) and using Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment in the public and private environments. Mr. Crowe also recently assisted in the award of a 50-kilowatt Direct Current Fast Charger at FSEC’s research testing facility in Cocoa, Fla.

For more information about UCF’s Electric Vehicle Transportation Center, visit http://evtc.fsec.ucf.edu/ or contact Dr. David Block at block@fsec.ucf.edu or 321-638-1001.