I am Switch, or Flo to some, Australia’s first hybrid-electric car that can feed power back into the grid with potential to transform the way we power our cars and use energy that provide a glimpse of what a cleaner, greener future may look like in NSW.

I am being trialled as a fleet vehicle by staff at the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water. The progress of the car, its fuel efficiency and electricity tariffs will be monitored in partnership with EnergyAustralia and posted on the department’s website at www.environment.nsw.gov.au

My researchers from the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) have engineered me in project funded by the NSW Government, as an example of the kind of cutting edge research currently underway into greener transport solutions.

I can save up to 2.8 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions a year, compared to an average car – and act as a portable storage unit for renewable energy.

I can reduce petrol use and greenhouse gas emissions, but also help families save money.

Based on a 30km per day commute it’s estimated that I would cost as little as 50 cents per day to charge with off-peak power.

Householders could one day save money by powering their car at night when electricity is cheapest and even feeding back into the grid at times when electricity is more expensive.

I could also give a big boost to renewable energy by storing green energy when the wind is blowing or the sun is shining, and then supplying this clean, green energy to the grid when demand is at its peak.

While I am is only at the trial stage, it is possible that new smart grid technology could control a whole fleet of cars so that they charge or supply energy at different times.

I can be seen as the next step in the electric vehicle revolution and opened up exciting opportunities for renewable energy storage.

The research team at UTS adapted me car from a standard Toyota Prius by adding extra batteries, controls and connections so that I can charge from — or feed into — household mains power supply.

The extra batteries can store energy at off-peak times and feed power back into the grid at times of peak demand. On a large scale, this could level out peaks and troughs in power supply across regions.