Plug-In Electric Hybrid Vehicles: Cars for the Future
82Can you imagine a day when you may never have to go to the gas pump again? Sound like science fiction? What about America's love affair with oil? Maybe its time to start breaking up. In the not-too-distant future, we hope to have plug-in electric hybrid vehicles available on the market. These cars run on electric powered batteries. The batteries are charged over night, or during the day when they are parked in garages or at park-and-ride facilities, plugged into converted electrical outlets.
These are not wimpy cars, either, with limited ranges of 20 miles. Technologies exist (but for some reason have not yet been implemented by the major vehicle manufacturers yet) to allow up to 40 miles on a single charge, at which point the vehicle switches over to fuel. Estimates are that these vehicles get from 100-125 miles per gallon. This could be much higher if you have a short commute and do not drive far enough to switch from battery to fuel power.
The ride is silent, and acceleration capabilities are satisfactory to quite good. The most pleasing prospect, however, is the fact that we can save at the pump, cut back on greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil production. At the date of this publication, gas prices are nearing $3.50 a gallon in the United States and are expected to rise to over $4.00 a gallon by the end of summer 2008. With hundreds of millions of vehicles on the road, especially in congested areas like Los Angeles, Dallas, and New York, the air is downright brown. Couldn't we all breathe a little easier if we convert to cleaner energy sources for our transportation?
How Plug-In Electric Hybrids Work
Web Resources and More Information
- PEHV Article in Popular Mechanics Magazine
- Austin Energy.com Article Discussing PEHVs
- Wikipedia Information on Plug-in Electric Hybrid Vehicles
- Plug In Partners
Detailed information about planned releases of new hybrid cars, electric grid capabilities and a petition to sign to get automakers on board! - Calcars.org
Five fundamental topics about PEHV
Questions You May Have
- Can you plug into a regular electric outlet? Yes! All it takes is a 120-volt socket in your garage. Some organizations that are spearheading efforts to get the PEHVs into circulation are working with local municipalities and businesses to install outlets in parking garages and park-and ride facilities so that commuters can charge their cars while they are at work.
- What kind of batteries are needed? They are different than the regular battery in your vehicle. Some of the prototypes initially manufactured replaced the standard 1.3 kWh battery pack with a 9 kWh battery pack. Others use powerful lithium-iron batteries. Technologies continue to improve in this department.
- How often will you have to fill the gas tank? That depends on how far you drive your car between recharging. If you're only going 20-30 miles a day, theoretically, you could drive for weeks on end without EVER having to go to the pump!
- When will PEHVs be available? Some models may be on the market as early as late 2008, but there is still a great deal of R&D in the works. Look for most models to come out within the next 2-3 years.
- How much more will PEHVs cost? The cost of the larger, more powerful batteries will increase the sticker price of a PEHV by about $2,000-3,000 over a conventional hybrid. Federal and state tax rebates may be available, however. And, it is estimated that savings of ownership will more than pay for the initial increased outlay.
- Are they slow or sluggish? Nope. Not at all. They are completely comparable to conventional hybrid vehicles. The Chevy Volt can reach speeds of up to 120 mph!
- What's holding back the auto manufacturers? Supposedly mass production glitches. How to adapt lithium-ion cells for mass production vehicles, and guarantee the batteries' life and safety.
With advancing technologies, we don't have to settle for just passenger vehicles to be plug-in electric hybrids. Buses, taxis, utility vehicles, etc. They can all be powered in this more efficient, clean manner. Recently, Barack Obama called for all government vehicles to be hybrid. Its not clear if he was referring to PEHVs, but certainly that would seem to be the greenest way to go.
There are so many more "green" ways to go. Don't forget your grocery shopping habits, or how your living may impact the rain forest!
Go for a Ride in Toyota's PEHV
Read More About Plug-In Electric Hybrids
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I'm with you Angela! I have a really short commute, so I could be one of those people that could completely avoid the gas pump! :-)
Very good hub and I hope more people will be able to use such wonderful technologies soon. Our earth will be a better place for it!
These Toyota electric hybrid vehicles really drive very well. They look nice, they are very silent. The only characteristic I lack, considering these ultra modern cars is the size. I like large SUVs.
Ervin, I think that size is definitely one of the things that American auto manufacturers are considering with the PEHVs. They realize that a "green" car must also come in a variety of sizes for large families or for businesses that need to transport materials. The final piece in this puzzle is a battery that can be mass produced at a reasonable cost. Some early models may be out next year, like the Chevy Volt.
A most interesting article stephhicks. As a Prius owner you are "preaching to the converted"! The plug-in concept is great and not only lessens the dependency upon gas/petrol, but electricity can be generated from a variety of sources, giving flexibility.
pjdscott, you just summarized the biggest benefits of the PEHVs over regular hybrid vehicles! Great that you are already driving a Prius. I have friends in the industry that are actually working to get these cars from the concept stage to reality, so this is near and dear to my heart. Not to mention the tremendous benefit of getting us off our dependence on oil!
Great info here, Steph and well presented. I'm waiting for the Chevi Volt and am very excited by the prospect of all electric cars--everything old is new again LOL in the early days of automobiles there were electric cars and " stanley steamers" but the internal combustion engine won the day. Turned out not to be the best choice in hindsight--way to go! Thumbs up.
Staphanie, I'll better wait for the Chevy Volt, than. I simply cannot imagine myself to drive a small car anywhere else, but in the city. I'd rather use a bus):
steph,
My husband has such a long communte, he is seriously considering another vehicle at this point.. Perhaps he sould wait a little bit longer for the Chevy Volt? Is it truly a possiblility soon? Have you heard anything more about the car?
Hi Robie, Erwin and In the Doghouse, re: the Chevy Volt, what I understand is that it could be commercially available in 2009. That may mean the end of 09, but still, we could see plug-in electric hybrids on the road right here in the US in about 18 months or less. What I do know is this: my friend is engaged in meetings with D.C. and state officials at very high levels to get proper legislation passed to help make this a reality. The organization has worked with Microsoft with respect to smart technology that will be able to work out commute congestion and with power companies optimize impacts on electric grids. I could say more, but I don't want to jeaopardize his organization's efforts or make it look like I am "leaking" information. I do believe this will be a reality on a number of levels. They are even proposing new park and ride facilities at which commuters would be able to plug in vehicles to recharge during the day, hop on a bus or light rail, and also shop at targeted kiosks such as dry cleaners, Amazon.com (pick up orders) and more. It is so exciting, I am only scratching the surface. Oh, and one final note. My friend is not buying another car until he can get a PEHV because he believes it will happen soon.
Stephanie, WOW...thank you for your thorough information about this topic. I didn't know, that you are personally so well informed on this very interesting and very environmentally positive topic. So we could expect great changes, quite soon. Electric hybrid vehicles are finally won the game, considering their inclusion in the institutional planning.
Yes Ervin, there is so much more than meets the eye. I think the public will soon find out that plug-in electric cars are not just a dream, but a reality to the nightmare that is rising gas prices all over the world. The organizations that are moving this technology forward are (excuse the pun) very well plugged in with influential corporations, state and national departments of transportation and legislators across the United States. Hold on tight for the next 12-24 months.
Great work Steph.
The only reservation I have is the supply of electricity from brown coal to fuel electric cars.
Where I live a lot of our power is from low grade filthy brown coal.
The other factor with electric cars is weight, but the batteries are getting lighter and stronger so I guess this will improve with more developement
Hi earnesthub - I live in the Northwest of the United States, where most of our electrical power comes from hydro and other "cleaner sources." Hopefully, with the advent of solar power and wind energy power, we can power the grid for PEHVs, which will use less foreign oil and over all..... we all win. Yes, they are working on batteries too, which will make things more affordable and lighter. Thanks for the great comment.
This toyota electric hybrid car look very nice for me:) thank you
Great post....I bet that the Prius Plug-in will break the 100 MPG mark next year!
I'm with you there! And, with the new battery changing stations, you can zip in and replace your depleted battery with a fully charged battery in less time than it takes to refuel at the gas station.
Most of the energy used by plug-ins comes from electricity and not from gasoline. That electricity can be generated efficiently and cleanly from America's abundant domestic energy resources, thus greatly reducing our dependence on imported oil.
Even if we did all have these types of vehicles, the world of the smart grid would not be able to handle it, anyway. Not that we will all have these type of vehicles any time soon, given the fact that all the car manufacturers want to charge us stupidly high prices for them.
thanks, interesting and I try to keep up with the current technology on hybrids of all types!
I would much rather drive the Chevy Volt built and designed in America. It can go more miles on electric power than the Prius btw.
I do like the Volt a lot - and I got to see and sit in one at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in 2011. Looking forward to owning a plug-in car someday!
I am eagerly waiting for the day.
It will be good for us, it will be good for our environment.
Great hub and lots of really good commentary. I'm in the market for a second car right now, need one for our household and have been thinking all electric, maybe Volt - maybe time to do a little test driving.
For any of you guys who might want to learn about a good cause for the EV / PHEV future:
Angela Harris 4 years ago
120 mph speed? Wow, I love these new technologies that are coming out. Thanks for the information. I'm in the market for a car soon. I'm trying to hold out for something ecofriendly. This may be the ticket.