On July 26, 2009, in Rosemount, Minn., students at Dakota County Technical College claimed to produce a vehicle that gets 170 miles per gallon. They modeled it after the Toyota Prius, which has a hybrid gas/electric engine. The newer vehicle was designed as a "plug-in," meaning a driver can simply recharge its 300-volt lithium better by plugging it in. Teachers and students said repeated tests showed the new hybrid worked as advertised. Even so, auto experts said it could take 18 months or more before the technology showed up on the market. The research was funded in part by a Minnesota Department of Commerce grant.
So what happened to that car? My guess is it went over to China.
Robert Smith
Hermantown
