About Our Group
(Looking for the car?)

RideForward is an independent program operating under the University of Virginia non-profit umbrella. We are comprised of approximately 35 UVa students, both undergrad and graduate, several professors, a high school student, and a few very knowledgeable Charlottesville community members. We welcome any interested parties and hold the philosophy that you can never have too much help.

RideForward is the brainchild of professor James Durand (UVa mechanical engineering), who oversees the program. All daily operations, decisions, etc. are made by students, who address both the technical and nontechnical sides:

Technical groups include drivetrain, photovoltaics, car computer, data acquisition, energy storage, auxiliary, and systems integration.

Nontechnical groups include business, project management, marketing, public relations, funding and policy research.

We are focused on two tracks:

1. generating proof-of-concept electric vehicles that demonstrate current technology, cost and feasibility

2. research and development of disruptive technologies to further electric vehicle implementation at the fleet and community levels

About Our Cars

Every academic year, RideForward converts at least one used or discarded gas-powered vehicle to plug-in electric drive using currently available technology. The resulting EVs are used to assess performance and gather data for improved future designs.

2009-2010: RF2 Ford Ranger

• Motor - 20hp DC series wound
• Batteries - 6V deep cycle lead acid golf cart batteries (#24)

Status: In Progress

2009-2010: EZ-GO golf cart

• 2 AC induction motors coupled with 10:1 gear reductions to each wheel; each motor will have its own controller

Status: In Progress

2008-2009: RF1 '94 Honda Accord

• Motor - Azure Dynamics AC55 (35HP and 103 Ft-lbs torque at 320VDC)
• Controller/inverter - Azure Dynamics DMOC445 (400A)
• Potbox - included with the above Azure Dynamics system
• Batteries - ThunderSky LFP90AH batteries (#100)
• Charger - Onboard Zivan NG3 (240V in 320V out)
• Battery Monitoring System - ThunderSky BMS (configured to 100 cells with touchscreen monitor)

• Solar Monitor - Apogee Pyranometer
• PV Data Acquision - National Instrument USB 6009 DAQ

Status: Driving

Want to see it?

Check the gallery for photos of our current progress (note: gallery loads in a new window; make sure you have pop-ups enabled). You can also visit our shop at the old power plant on campus -- just ask!