 plug-in by the California Cars Initiative, a nonprofit group dedicated to accelerating the availability of the technology.)
The electricity cost for powering a plug-in hybrid is only about one quarter of the cost of powering a like-size gasoline vehicle. Pictured here: a regular Toyota hybrid Prius converted to a 100 mile-per-gallon (avg.) plug-in by the California Cars Initiative, a nonprofit group dedicated to accelerating the availability of the technology.
Image: jurvetson, courtesy Flickr.
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Dear EarthTalk: Should we expect to see “plug-in” hybrid cars anytime soon? I’ve been hearing they are on the horizon but I wonder if that means in one year or 10.
-- Bill A., Stratford, CT
Gasoline-electric hybrids now, like Toyota’s popular Prius, don’t need to plug in—you just fill their tanks with gasoline and the battery keeps charged by the internal combustion engine and by energy generated from the wheels when braking (a feature known as “regenerative braking”). The battery then powers the electric motor when it is called into service during idling, backing-up, crawling in gridlock, maintaining speed while cruising, and for extra uphill power when needed. As such, the electric motor is essentially a back-up engine while the hybrid relies mainly on the gasoline engine.
Plug-in hybrids take the concept further by plugging into a regular electric outlet to enable the vehicle to operate solely on its electric motor for ranges of 40-50 miles or more on a single charge. This has profound implications for commuters who need only drive short distances to and from work every day and who may be able to do so solely on electric power. The gasoline engine then becomes the supplemental one for when the car needs to travel farther than the electric engine can take it.
According to researchers at the University of California Davis, the electricity cost for powering a plug-in hybrid is only about one-quarter of the cost of powering a like-sized gasoline vehicle. Other benefits include far fewer fill-ups at gas stations and the convenience of recharging at home.
Toyota, currently the world’s largest producer of hybrid vehicles by far thanks to the success of its Prius, announced that it expects to have a commercially viable plug-in hybrid available to consumers as early as 2010 and is now testing prototype versions of plug-in hybrids at two California universities.
Felix Kramer of the California Cars Initiative (CCI), a non-profit dedicated to promoting plug-ins, called Toyota’s announcement “stunning and very welcome,” and says that these vehicles will be the cleanest practical cars on the road in a world where gas stations dot just about every intersection. The promise of such cars, says CCI on its website, is that drivers will have a “cleaner, cheaper, quieter car for local travel, and the gas tank is always there should you need to drive longer distances.”
U.S. automakers are also jumping onto the plug-in bandwagon. General Motors says that it will have mass-market plug-in hybrids—modifications of its Saturn Vue and Chevrolet Volt—on the road by 2010. Ford has also developed a small fleet of plug-ins, but is not yet ready to offer them to the public. Fisker, a U.S. start-up focusing on the creation of high performance, energy efficient vehicles, plans to sell an $80,000 plug-in hybrid sports car by late 2009. Chrysler’s Sprinter van was the first plug-in from a major U.S. manufacturer, but it is only presently available to a limited number of institutions as a fleet vehicle.
Plug-ins have also caught on elsewhere. Chinese carmaker BYD plans to sell a plug-in hybrid sedan in the U.S. within five years. And Volkswagen hopes to have a plug-in hybrid Golf ready to roll by 2010.
CONTACTS: California Cars Initiative; BYD; General Motors; Fisker
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12 Comments
Add CommentI'm tired of hearing these american automakers whine about lack of sales. They knew this day was coming and they didn't have the innovation or foresight to make cars that people would want to drive when gas prices got too high. They kept rolling out these SUVs or UAVs (urban assault vehicles). Ignorance, greed, corruption, are to blame. I have no sympathy for them.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe Prius just doesn't pencil. It cost too much, for the return. Base price + additional dealer mark up + $2500 replacement of batteries @ 75K miles, for not enough MPG. I had a 71 Datsun B210 that got 41MPG on a carburetor,once. What city commuters need is a plug-in / hybrid, that goes maybe 60 miles@up to 60MPH, on a charge, before the gas engine is in play, at all. Since, the average car is only driven approx 20 miles/day, some people could drive weeks on electricity only. The technology is already available. The new Chevy Volt (2009) is touted as just this kind of car. Of coarse, expect it to be GM over-priced, with GM shitty quality.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHere's a citizen's revolt in the making. For those who worry that the 60 to 80 mile range won't get them to work and back, remember that any city that can afford to install a parking meter can also afford to equip it with an electrical outlet into which to plug your car. In addition to extending your range, it'll bring new meaning to "charge while you shop".
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThere have been many attempts to design an electric powered vehicle for as long as the the internal combustion engine has been around. Unfortunately, battery power was never a formidable contender to the present internal combustion engine, but it looks as though the future looks more pronising.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe Electric Vehicle: is It the Answer?
If you want to extend homo sapien's period of existence you must live a frugal life. Buy the most energy efficient vehicle maintain it well and use it till it will no longer go (this applies to everything). I have a 17 yr old Honda Civic, can buy a new car for cash now, but will not. My next car will not use petrol or diesel, I shall wait till that day.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisi guess the author doesn't know anything about Aptera: They are starting to build small plug-in hybrids that get over 120 mpg and their electric-only version can go 120 miles on a 10KWHr charge. (That's about $1.40 where I live, cheaper elsewhere.) At $4.00/gallon that is equivalent to 340 mpg!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYou can check out their website: www.aptera.com
As a Prius owner here in California I am guaranteed 150000 miles on my battery so I do not know what Carlos is talking about. Without changing my admittedly modest driving style I get an honest 50 mpg on the highway at the speed of most traffic. My 1980 carburated Renault got 39 mpg with much less safety, creature comforts, and carrying capacity. The Renault was also much dirtier in air quality, and the engine was toast by 100000 miles.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe Prius does cost almost twice as much as the Yaris with a similar engine and car capacity. Because the engine of the Yaris has to do all the work of acceleration and the Prius engine needs only to do about half of it at a lower stress level (lower rpm), it is likely it will go much farther than the Yaris in its lifetime. Some taxi fleets are willing to use it and they have to get longer life mileage or it is not cost effective. I would say that the Prius pencils out just fine.
What about the small problem that the production of electricity in Califoria pollutes more than modern gasoline powered cars do, including the production and transportation of gasoline. Attack the problem at the source and then use the technology being developed in these cars. If everyone in California switched now to plug ins pollution would increase due to the meathods used to produce the electricity not to mention the fact that the current (pun) grid couldn't handle it.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOh yah another thing, why does it matter so much to so many people that it has to cost less than current practices to save the planet ? Seems like a good investment to me.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisShame on you
There is an answer to that question WillyL. The reason that the option needs to cost less is that energy cost is the foundation of economies. All other things being equal, over the long haul, a low-energy cost economy will do better than a high energy cost economy. Right now it is looking like China's overall energy cost is going to be 1/2 that of the USA's or even less. That means in 10-20 years they'll be buying all our food, just as they are doing in poorer parts of the world.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDo you like eating? Do you like doing anything else, like owning a computer, a home, etcetera?
I don't understand why there is hate for the Prius. It's not perfect, but it's the best available. My wife and I purchased two and we love them. The batteries are guaranteed for 8 years ( not sure what the mileage guaranteed is) and are projected to last 15 years. I had a friend who said I was paying too much for them, but now that gas has reached the current levels he does not say much. The cars he recommended would not have worked for me. I am too tall. What I liked about the Prius, aside from its good gas mileage, is that someone can sit behind me with my seat all the way back. It's a large small car with good gas mileage.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe plug-in car will bring a renaissance to America. Electricity from solar, wind, and geothermal energy sources will put Americans to work in these industries and stop the transfer of our wealth to other countries. The cleaner air will be a health boost to all including the planet's health if human induced global warming is contained. Never has our economic and physical health been more risk, but never has the fix been easier. The Cold War was less dangerous but was harder to fix. Americans wanting to save money on fuel will lead to a cleaner and healther planet which makes me proud to be an American and happy our founding fathers set in motion a system that evolves and improves conditions for the human race.
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