U.S. Department of Energy | Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

May 19, 2017

Johnson Space Center Explores Alternative Fuel Vehicles (Text Version)

This is a text version of the video segment Johnson Space Center Explores Alternative Fuel Vehicles, which aired on May 19, 2017.

JOHN DAVIS: Our success story this week rockets us right into the heart of alternative fuel exploration at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. First off, visitors can hop on a propane-powered tram for a tour of the JSC campus facilities, which includes two plug-in hybrid vehicles: a Ford C-MAX and Fusion.

The center's charging stations use power provided in part by this renewable energy system. Its wind turbines and solar panels also help power a child care center.

JERRY ROWLANDS: 172 times, we have generated more power than what the building uses. This is a grid-connected system, so it's just basically excess electricity that goes out into the JSC grid and is used someplace else.

JOHN DAVIS: At JSC, EV science is also being harnessed for some "out of this world" work like this modular robotic vehicle that could also prove beneficial to earthbound carmakers.

DAVE HANSON: Having electric motors drive vehicles has a number of advantages. First, it's reliability. There are fewer moving parts compared to other types of propulsion.

JOHN DAVIS: With the Houston-Galveston Clean Cities coalition as partner at Johnson, when it comes to alternative fuel, the sky and imagination are the limits.