Andrew A. Frank
Encyclopedia
Dr. Andrew Alfonso Frank is an American professor
of mechanical and aeronautical engineering at UC Davis
. He is recognized as the father of modern plug-in hybrids,, and coined the now-common term. He has a B.S.
degree (1955) from the University of California, Berkeley
, a M.S.
(1958), from the University of California, Berkeley, an M.S. (1965) from the University of Southern California
, and holds a Ph.D.
(1968) from the University of Southern California.
Dr. Frank and his teams of students have been experimenting with various advanced vehicle technologies for the last 25 years. His pioneering inventions in plug-in hybrid vehicle technology and transmission systems developed at UC Davis have been licensed to Efficient Drivetrains Inc. (EDI) of Palo Alto in Silicon Valley
. In the late nineties General Motors
contracted Dr. Frank to convert an EV 1
electric car
to plug-in hybrid.
Dr. Frank is a member of the CalCars
initiative.
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of mechanical and aeronautical engineering at UC Davis
University of California, Davis
The University of California, Davis is a public teaching and research university established in 1905 and located in Davis, California, USA. Spanning over , the campus is the largest within the University of California system and third largest by enrollment...
. He is recognized as the father of modern plug-in hybrids,, and coined the now-common term. He has a B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree (1955) from the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, a M.S.
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
(1958), from the University of California, Berkeley, an M.S. (1965) from the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, and holds a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
(1968) from the University of Southern California.
Dr. Frank and his teams of students have been experimenting with various advanced vehicle technologies for the last 25 years. His pioneering inventions in plug-in hybrid vehicle technology and transmission systems developed at UC Davis have been licensed to Efficient Drivetrains Inc. (EDI) of Palo Alto in Silicon Valley
Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
. In the late nineties General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
contracted Dr. Frank to convert an EV 1
General Motors EV1
The General Motors EV1 was an electric car produced and leased by the General Motors Corporation from 1996 to 1999. It was the first mass-produced and purpose-designed electric vehicle of the modern era from a major automaker, and the first GM car designed to be an electric vehicle from the...
electric car
Electric car
An electric car is an automobile which is propelled by electric motor, using electrical energy stored in batteries or another energy storage device. Electric cars were popular in the late-19th century and early 20th century, until advances in internal combustion engine technology and mass...
to plug-in hybrid.
Dr. Frank is a member of the CalCars
CalCars
CalCars is a charitable, non-profit organization founded in 2002 to promote plug-in hybrid electric vehicles as a key to addressing oil dependence and global warming both nationally and internationally...
initiative.
Vehicles
Some of the vehicles- 2007 - conversion of a 8 ton delivery step van for the US Air Force to a PHEV jointly with a partner company.
- 2005 - Trinity - 2006 Chevy Equinox, participating in the Challenge X competition. http://www.news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=7761
- 2002 - Yosemite - 2002 Ford ExplorerFord ExplorerThe Ford Explorer is a sport-utility vehicle sold in North America and built by the Ford Motor Company since 1990, as a replacement for the smaller but related Ford Bronco II. It is manufactured in Chicago, Illinois...
converted to a battery dominant hybrid electric vehicle. - 2000 - Sequoia - 2000 Chevrolet SuburbanChevrolet SuburbanChevrolet offered a station wagon body, built on the 1/2 ton truck frame. This model was specifically built for National Guard units and Civilian Conservation Corps units. Much of the body was constructed from wood, and could seat up to eight occupants....
with a parallel hybrid powertrainPowertrainIn a motor vehicle, the term powertrain or powerplant refers to the group of components that generate power and deliver it to the road surface, water, or air. This includes the engine, transmission, drive shafts, differentials, and the final drive...
. - 1998 - Coulomb - hybrid-electric Mercury SableMercury SableThe Sable was a very important sedan for both Mercury and the American auto industry.Ford had lagged in introducing mid-size front wheel drive cars to compete against General Motors' Chevrolet Citation and its best-selling Chevrolet Celebrity/Pontiac 6000/Oldsmobile Cutlass/Buick Century quartet as...
AIV. - 1997 - Joule - 1996 Ford TaurusFord TaurusThe Ford Taurus is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States. Originally introduced in the 1986 model year, it has remained in near-continuous production for more than two decades, making it the fourth oldest nameplate that is currently sold in the North American...
converted to a hybrid electric vehicle. - 1993 - AfterShock - "Ground-up" hybrid electric vehicle.