Hymotion and A123Systems have been awarded a contract to provide 10 converted plug-in hybrid electric passenger vehicles (PHEVs) to a pollution regulator in the Los Angeles area for testing.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD), the air pollution control agency for major portions of Los Angeles, is helping identify a PHEV-conversion method for the state of California's vehicles.

Similar to commercially available hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs), PHEVs utilize a battery pack and an electric motor in concert with an internal combustion engine. PHEVs, however, employ a larger battery pack which can be designed to extend the electric portion of the driving cycle.

Hymotion is providing a kit to convert 10 existing Priuses into pluggable hybrids. The kit incorporates A123Systems’ batteries into a PHEV module that requires minimal modification to the stock vehicle. All necessary components and safety features are integrated and contained within the module, including batteries, power electronics, crash sensors, power electronics, charger, battery management system, safety sensors and manual-electric interlock. The system can be installed in less than 2 hours, Hymotion says.

The system is expected to get up to 220 miles per gallon in city driving and cut carbon dioxide emissions in half. The solution is to also include power processing and rapid chargers from AeroVironment.

A123Systems and Hymotion are also working with a similar air quality agency in New York that could soon see as many as 600 plug-in hybrids on the roads of New York State.

A123Systems recently announced that it is working with General Motors and Cobasys on the Saturn Green Line Vue Plug-In Hybrid program, and that the company is working with GE to develop systems for the hybrid bus market.

A123Systems recently received a $15 million development contract for next generation HEV batteries from the U.S. Department of Energy and the United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC) (see ABC goes with 123, spends $15M USD.)

In addition to the ten converted Priuses, 20 hybrid Ford Escapes are being converted to PHEVs by Quantum Fuel Systems, using the company's advanced lithium batteries.

Total investment in the 30 vehicles and charging stations will be $3.8m.