Carnegie Mellon Custominzing Electric Cars

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University's Robotic Institute have converted a car into an electric commuter vehicle that will serve as a test bed for a community-based approach to electric vehicle design.

ChargeCar uses a smaller electric car battery than other cars and a supercapacitator, typically used to power locomotives. It uses artificial intelligence to manage the flow of power between the two.

The car is meant to be used for urban commuting - for short distances. The researchers are interested not in developing new vehicles but in creating a research base.