A team of researchers from the University of Chester's Faculty of Science and engineering is putting an electric car through its paces in order to test range accuracy and drive technological innovation further.
Dr Graham Sparey-Taylor, Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering, and colleagues at the Faculty's base in Thornton Science Park, will be road testing a Nissan Leaf for the next six months to gather data to look at the precision of the vehicle's range.
The car, on loan to the Faculty from Lookers Nissan – Chester, will be driven over repeated journeys at random times to gather information which will assess how precise its travel range is.
Dr Sparey-Taylor, an electro-mechanical engineer, said: “This has given us a great opportunity to collect some really interesting data. We're using drive cycle analysis with Geographic Information System data, mixed with 'roller coaster' theory to help predict the vehicle range of this electric car accurately.
“Essentially, it is being road tested on different terrains and journey lengths to find new ways to calculate more accurately how far it can travel while it's still charged."
Professor Nick Avis, Dean of Science and Engineering, added: “We are delighted to gain access to this electric car platform to allow us to establish our scientific test programme and assess present commercial offerings. This will provide benchmark data for future technological innovation."
