The Vision of Alex Severinsky: During the oil crisis of 1979, Alex Severinsky conceived the idea for a hybrid gasoline/electric car that could help reduce America’s dependence on oil. That vision eventually led Dr. Severinsky to form Paice (Power Assisted Internal Combustion Engines) in 1992 as part of the small company incubator program at the University of Maryland’s Clark School of Engineering. Later that year, he filed a patent application covering his groundbreaking concepts for a hybrid vehicle. Paice was issued U.S. Patent No. 5,343,970 (the ‘970 patent) in 1994.

The Mission of Paice: Paice was formed to develop and commercialize hybrid vehicle technology. Paice is committed to seeing hybrid technology adopted throughout the automotive industry.

The ‘970 Patent – A Breakthrough in Hybrid Technology: Hybrid electric vehicles increase fuel economy and reduce harmful emissions by combining an electric motor with the vehicle’s internal combustion engine. The ‘970 patent describes a hybrid vehicle with a microprocessor that receives control inputs and uses that information to determine whether the internal combustion engine, the electric motor, or both should provide torque to the wheels. It also describes a system with a powerful electric motor that receives energy from a battery at high voltage and low current to increase dramatically the efficiency and performance of the system. This patent represents the best of America’s innovation and is a significant breakthrough in the development of efficient and cost effective hybrid vehicles today.

Bringing Paice Technology to the Market: Paice has invested heavily in the commercialization of its patented technology. The company recruited an experienced group of U.S. automotive industry executives from companies like Ford and GM who spent years working with engineering firms to create a working prototype and pursuing joint venture opportunities and licensing arrangements with automakers. In October 1999, Paice proved that its patented technology could reduce gas consumption of a Cadillac Coup de Ville by nearly one-half while retaining its driving performance and reducing harmful emissions.

Paice Testimony in the U.S. Congress: As a pioneer in the development of hybrid vehicle technology, Paice testified in committee hearings before the U.S. Senate (December 2001) and the U.S. House (June 2002). The hearings emphasized Paice’s leadership in the emerging American hybrid vehicle market and its efforts to commercialize its patented technology.

Recognition for Dr. Severinsky: Dr. Severinsky was awarded the prestigious Thomas A. Edison Patent Award from the American Society for Mechanical Engineers in November 2009. This award recognizes the creativity of Paice’s invention as having the potential of significantly enhancing an aspect of mechanical engineering.

Paice Patents Rank Among World’s Most Dominant Hybrid Patents: Paice’s United States Patents rank as the two most dominant hybrid patents in the world – and four of its patents rank among the 10 most dominant patents – according to a recent study of all hybrid patents filed worldwide. “Paice started drivetrain development before Toyota and other Japanese car companies got serious about hybrid cars around 1994,” says the report from Griffith Hack, an Australian law firm that specializes in intellectual property.

Licensing Agreements: Paice has reached licensing agreements with Toyota and Ford, two of the world’s largest automakers, for its hybrid technology. The agreement with Toyota covers the Paice patents, while the Ford agreement covers the ‘970 patent.