The Energy Blog

New York to Convert 600 Hybrids to PHEVs

New York Governor George E. Pataki and Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno today announced a new $10 million State program to convert vehicles in the State fleet to plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and plans for the construction of a state-of-the-art alternative fuel research laboratory at the Saratoga Technology + Energy Park (STEP).

The conversion program should be a big boost the PHEV movement, probably the biggest single project that has been started.  The cost of $10 million for 600 vehicles, $16,666, seems way out of whack to me when EDrive plans to do it for $10-12,000, Hymotion conversions will start at $9,500, and CalCars is working with the Electric Auto Association to develop a "Do It Yourself Option" to convert hybrids for under $5000.

The $10 million PHEV program will encourage the development and deployment of these vehicles, which can achieve a fuel economy of up to 100 miles per gallon. The 600 hybrid vehicles in the State fleet will be retrofitted to be PHEVs. Once the State’s hybrid vehicles have been converted to PHEVs, the program will be made available to private vehicle owners through a competitive process.

Fuel Economy and Biofuels: The Answer to our Liquid Fuels Crises

The Union of Concerned Scientists have two articles in its Clean Vehicles series: Fuel Economy: The Single Most Effective Step for Cutting Oil Dependence , and Ethanol: Frequently Asked Questions which are well worth reading and generally support my views as to what we need to do to reduce our dependence on oil imports. They have put some numbers on the scenario that they develop.

Their conclusion is: "The importance of fuel economy is thereby twofold. First, it delivers bigger savings in the near to medium term. Second, it makes it conceivable that biofuels could almost completely replace gasoline for our cars and trucks in the long term because we would need much less fuel."

The top edge of the blue area on this graph indicates the total gasoline demand for our cars and light trucks under a business-as-usual scenario. 

If our average fuel economy is increased  to 40 mpg in 10 years, we have some modest fuel economy improvements beyond that date, and also add in some policies to help reduce miles traveled, all of the oil in the blue area can be saved. The green area represents the potential savings from ethanol, if everything goes well in growing that industry. In the near term our saving from biofuels is modest, but by the end of the period biofuels nearly replace all gasoline usage. Projected demand would drop to the line between the blue and the green.

RE: The False Hope of Biofuels

The Sunday, July 2, edition of the Washington Post had a column titled "The False Hope of Biofuels" which had the basic premise that biofuels could only supply half of our transportation fuel needs by 2025 and that food supplies would be compromised if it did so.  I don't think that any responsible person has argued that we could supply more than 30% of our current transportation fuel requirements, rather a diversity of fuels and conservation methods, featuring plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, will be required to provide relief from our increasingly expensive oil supplies.

In the most authoritative report on this subject "Biomass as Feedstock for a Bioenergy and Bioproducts Industry: The Technical Feasibility of a Billion-Ton Annual Supply", an ORNL study determined that enough fuel could be produced from biomass to meet more than one-third of our current demand for transportation fuels in the U.S. by 2030. As far as the arguments about land usage, the land necessary for producing the biofuels includes currently unused marginal land on which switchgrass or similar crops could be grown, land that is currently idle, and cellulose products produced from forestry wastes and the like, that do not require any additional land usage, as well as a fraction of the land currently devoted to the production of food, which is currently used to produce food for export or to produce food that is bought by the government to subsidise farmers. This study did not include the very significant amount of fuel that could be made from municiple solid waste, or methane from landfills and animal wastes (manure).

The answer to our increasingly expensive fuels is a diversified utilization of several technologies, not just biofuels.  The combination of biofuels; vehicles that use less fuels, such as energy efficient hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs): those made by Toyota, the Honda Insight and Civic and the Ford Escape Escalade; more importantly plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs); all electric vehicles (EVs); fuels made by coal liquefaction; vehicles running on CNG; our remaining domestic supplies of oil; and gains in efficiency made possible by more widespread use of mass transportation are more than sufficient to supply our transportation needs for the foreseeable future, even after allowing for population growth and land needed for growing food crops.

GM Plug-in Reported

Bloomberg reported that GM is developing a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV).

A source, who asked not to be identified, said that mileage will significantly exceed 60 mpg. The car may be ready for the 2007 Detroit Auto Show and production is at least a year away.

That is all the details of the car that the Bloomberg article reported.  Rising gasoline prices and Toyota's increasing market share are obvious reasons to develop a PHEV.  Introducing the first PHEV would help revitalize its sales.  If GM plans come to fruition it would put some urgency into Toyota's PHEV plans. Toyota has said they have no immediate plans because of the battery requirements.

Source: GM Plans Gas-Electric Car to Catch Up to Toyota, People Say, Bloomberg, June 23, 2006

Toyota Admits Working on Plug-in

Felix Kramer of Cal Cars found this quote in a Toyoto Motor Corporation (TMC) press release that confirms that TMC is developing a plug in vehicle:

TMC aims to make hybrid vehicles more widespread by doubling the number of hybrid models by the early years of the 2010s.TMC will advance its research and development of plug-in hybrid vehicles (which can be charged from an external power source and provide electricity) and is currently working on a next-generation vehicle that can extend the distance traveled by the electric motor alone and that is expected to have a significant effect on reducing CO2 and helping to abate atmospheric pollution.

The entire press release can be found at the CalCars news site.

While this is an admission that they are working on plug-ins, it does not indicate when they might be available-reading between the lines suggests to me maybe 2015.

UCD Students Build Super-Efficient Plug-in Hybrid

"Trinity," a highly fuel-efficient plug-in hybrid vehicle, has been built by engineering students at the University of California, Davis. The vehicle is the team's entry in the national Challenge X competition, sponsored by General Motors Corp. and the U.S. Department of Energy. Field trials for the competition are currently taking place in Phoenix.

Trinity is a 2006 model Chevy Equinox SUV powered by electric motors and a small internal combustion engine that can run on gasoline or ethanol. The electric motors and batteries provide power for driving at low speeds and for a range of up to 40 miles, and the gas engine supplies additional power for longer journeys and highway driving.

Computer models run by the team show that Trinity's average gas consumption in everyday use could reach about 200 miles per gallon, assuming an all-electric range of 40 miles, said graduate student Peter English, outreach coordinator for the team.

Trinity also carries a small on-board fuel cell to provide auxiliary power for air conditioning, entertainment systems and other services.

Solar Hybrid Cars

I have been asked several times why solar panels have not been proposed for charging the batteries in a plug-in hybrid vehicle.  I have not felt that, with current technology, a solar panel could generate enough electricity to provide a meaningful range for a car.  I ran across an article that makes the case for solar hybrid vehicles.  The author assumes that a the car would be driven 10 miles per day on solar power. Additional range could be obtained from the power grid to provide low cost commuting for those commuting a relatively short distance, which is a very large number of people.  The range could be extended considerably by using lightweight construction materials and by future efficiency improvements in solar cells.

According to Cris Neal writing in Energy Pulse "Hybrid vehicles with solar photovoltaic (PV) panels should be part of the solution to America’s environmental problems and dependence on oil." He goes on to say that PV panels added to hybrid cars are much more cost effective than PV panels added to buildings, and that solar hybrid vehicles directly address the shortage of oil. "The incremental cost of solar PV panels on hybrid cars and displacing gasoline has a payback period that is much shorter than the payback for solar PV panels on buildings and displacing electricity.

A solar hybrid vehicle would allow someone to drive their plug-in hybrid vehicle 10 miles to work on grid power. The solar system on the car would charge the battery while sitting in the parking lot all day. Then it could be driven home in the evening on solar power.

His analysis is based on using a vehicle that requires the same power as the Toyota Prius, requiring 1 kWh of electricity to travel seven miles, with a 150 watt solar panel.  A 3.1 year payback period would result when using gasoline at $3.00/US gallon.

Solar Hybrid Vehicles, Cris Neal, Energy Pulse, May 22, 2006

A123 Unveils Hybrid Vehicle Battery Pack

A123 unveiled a new hybrid battery pack this week at the Advanced Automotive Battery and Ultracapacitor Conference in Baltimore. It could be appearing in vehicles within three years, says Ric Fulop, one of the company's founders and its vice president of marketing and business development. He also said that they could make hybrid vehicles cheaper and more convenient, while maintaining or improving performance. The pack, smaller than a carton of cigarettes, weighs about as much as a small laptop computer. Ten packs would replace the 45-kilogram battery in the Prius, Fulop says; and if one failed, the consumer could continue to drive the car using the remaining batteries, then replace the faulty one as easily as changing the battery on a rechargeable tool.

Because the batteries put a lot of power into a small, light package, a much smaller battery is needed to power the car, which could reduce hybrid prices. As a result, cars could come with a hybrid option that costs about as much as the option for an automatic transmission, Fulop says.

Ford Considering Plug-ins, Consortium Wants to Build Demonstration Fleet

Bill Ford, CEO of Ford Motor Company made these remarks at the companies annual meeting this week.

Asked about the company's commitment to reducing its reliance on gas-guzzling trucks and sport-utility vehicles, Ford said the company was weighing a plug-in hybrid.

Plug-in hybrids can be charged from a mains outlet and have greater range in all-electric mode. For longer distances a small gasoline engine kicks in, powering the vehicle like the hybrids currently offered by automakers.

Felix Kramer of the California Cars Initiative (CalCars) and plug-in hybrid guru Prof. Andy Frank of the University of California at Davis had pushed Ford to make a statement on their plans for plug-ins.

AFS Trinity Discloses Info on 250 mpg Plug-in

AFS Trinity Power Corporation today filed its patent application disclosing the company's new technology for an Extreme Hybrid(TM) car capable of carrying the average American motorist more than 250 miles on a single gallon of gasoline or ethanol. Gasoline and electricity cost expected to be $8 per week for the average American driver driving 300 miles per week. At $3 a gallon, gasoline costs about $48 a week for a conventional 20 mpg car and $36 if the car can get 25 mpg. The most efficient conventional hybrids get about 50 mpg which means $19 a week

The Extreme Hybrid(TM) will plug into a house's electrical current overnight to run without gasoline or ethanol for the 40 miles that the average American drives each day. For longer trips, the vehicle will operate as a conventional hybrid that efficiently burns gasoline or ethanol.

2008 Prius Aiming for 113 mpg, to Use Lithium-ion Batteries

According to an article in Auto Express, the next Prius, to be introduced in 2008, has a target fuel economy of 113 mpg (40km/liter) and will use lighter and smaller lithium-ion batteries.  Performance will also be improved by reducing the car's 0-60 mph time by more than a second. The article stated that the motivation was to try to improve European sales, where the car has not been a sucess due to the popularity of diesel models.

The article also noted that both Subaru and Mitsubish both plan to sell electric cars by 2010.

About time!! This is the first mention, that I have seen, of a production car planning to use lithium-ion batteries.

Prius hits 113mpg, Auto Express (UK), April 4, 2006

Technorati tags: vehicles, batteries, energy, technology

Biofuels, Batteries and Power Plants

I must say that I agree with most of what U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman's said in remarks as reported in the referenced article, but they were too short, as mine are usually, to really reflect viewpoint. Our research dollars spent for biofuels and batteries may be in the right direction, but not enough is being spent soon enough and much too much is being spent on hydrogen. I believe that government spending for batteries and biofuels is a pittance and is worth it if it reduces the time until implementation by the smallest amount.  I also think we should reduce all subsidies for ethanol production as soon as possible by tying them to the price of gasoline. Corn ethanol subsidies should be phased out  as soon as cellulosic ethanol is commercial. Congress needs to appropriate the money for the cellulosic ethanol demonstration plants! I am glad to see that batteries are moving to the forefront, but they are so close to commercialization that I don't know how much government research can be justified.  We will need more power plants powered by either coal or nuclear. I prefer coal with sequestration because they can be built faster and the nuclear waste problem is reduced, but a parallel building program may be required.  No mention was made of conservation.  The greatest amount of conservation occurs with electric vehicles getting their energy from advanced power plants operating at above 60% efficiency. The government has sheparded this development much faster than industry ever would have.  Changes in lifestyle and better building insulation standards are very important also. The most immediate impact would be to raise vehicle efficiency standards immediately! But no matter how much conservation is used we will require more power plants. Renewable energy, although important, is not the subject of this discussion because there is no way it can significantly impact our power production in the next 10 years.

He was quoted that he's "surprised" that oil price increases haven't had a greater impact on the U.S. economy and that he is  "worried" that the economy will suffer if oil prices stay above current levels. He further stated that "we are going to reach a limit and we will see a real impact of increased oil prices on our economy. Whether its $95 or something north of that I don't know. I can tell you I'm worried about anything above the current levels."

He went on to say that the administrations policy to increase research dollars for bio-fuels, hybrid battery technology and hydrogen fuel has the country on the right track. "But this country has been decades in getting itself into the fix we're in now. And it'll be a significant number of years working our way out of it."

He also called for the approval of the Yucca Mountain project to dispose of our nuclear waste. "This country doesn't need four (nuclear power) plants. We need 14 or we need 24." In order to support this kind of construction "will require Yucca Mountain be built."  Bodman said demand for electricity in the U.S. will increase 50% over the next 20-25 years and "the only thing I see meeting that is nuclear power."

US Energy Secretary:Oil Prices Eventually Will Impact Economy, Terry Kosdrosky, Dow Jones Newswire, April 6, 2006

Technorati tags: biofuels, batteries, nuclear, electric power, ethanol, coal, energy, technology

Dodge Sprinter PHEV Deployment

I ran across this announcement a couple of days ago, you may have seen it already. I thought they had announced this test program earlier.  Does this count as the first production of PHEVs and can we expect more production in the future? If we increased the production by 350% every year until 2015 we would have a production of over 3 million PHEVs.  I think this is possible, but do the car companies?  You can see the limits of battery technology as the electric range of the Sprinter is only 20 miles.  I don't think there would be much of a market until electric mileage could be doubled. Smaller, lighter, higher energy density batteries should be available in three years or less.

Up to 40 Dodge Sprinter Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) will be placed in operation with customers in California, Kansas City and New York among other locations within the United States. As part of a test fleet program DaimlerChrysler is placing the Dodge Sprinter PHEV with a variety of customers around the world. The company is the only auto manufacturer to investigate the feasibility of plug-in hybrid technology in real world tests.

Plug-in technology lends itself to commercial applications in which the vehicle returns to base after each shift to be plugged into the power grid but also works well in urban traffic situations for daily commuters.

Battery development is one of the keys to the success of hybrid transportation and PHEV's yield valuable information through durability tests.

Based on Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle technology, The Dodge Sprinter PHEV has the ability to drive up to 20 miles on electric only power. It accomplishes this with a switch on the dashboard giving the operator the ability to manually switch between modes as needed or automatically by the vehicle control system. Two different combustion engines are being mated to the PHEV system, a five cylinder diesel and a V6 gasoline. The diesel version will yield the highest fuel economy benefit and is the first fleet test of a diesel plug-in hybrid system.

Technorati tags: vehicles, plug-in hybrids, energy, technology

The Energy Blog: Dodge Sprinter PHEV Deployment

Plug-in hybrids are bettah!

Felix Kramer just posted a new blog:

CalCars launches BETTAH 90-Second Flash Online Movie Summary: We're happy to announce the launch of BETTAH, an animation that shouts to the world: "Hybrids are good, but plug-in hybrids are bettah!"

Watch the movie and sign the petition! (press the "Demand Plug-In Hybrid" button below movie)

CalCars launches BETTAH 90-Second Flash Online Movie

Scientific American Plugs Plug-ins

The advantages of plug-in hybrids are probably quite familiar to most of the readers of The Energy Blog, but this article, via Felix Kramer of CalCars, is especially well written. I especially like their comments in the next to last paragraph where they conclude that the efficiency of a plug-in is much higher than that of fuel cell car.  If you want to read more than is below, you will have to fork over $4.95 at your local newstand. Felix nothing but praise for this article that is appearing in the current issue of Scientific American saying:

"Anything that goes into this 161-year-old magazine is exhaustively examined and 'vetted.'  Thus, it's a major signal that hybrid cars have arrived when an article called "Hybrid Vehicles Gain Traction" appears on pages 72-79 of the April 2006 issue (now on new-stands). That's also true for plug-in hybrids when the cover promotes the article with the phrase 'Plugged-In Hybrid Cars.' This article provides a superb overview of hybrid technology, Then it positions PHEVs as the logical outcome of the evolution of advanced technology vehicles, and explains their benefits. We present a few excerpts below."

By then [2010], next generation technology, called plug-in hybrids will offer motorists still better fuel efficiency as well as other perks: low-cost battery recharging overnight by simply connecting a 120-volt plug to an electrical outlet at home or work, very few trips to the gas station each year, and even the chance to sell surplus power back to the electric grid. Beyond the consumer benefits, however, the new plug-ins would help reduce the release of greenhouse gases by displacing emissions from millions of tailpipes to utility power plants. Today these facilities burn domestically supplied coal or natural gas, and in the future they should generate cleaner electricity from energy sources such as wind, solar or even advanced fossil-fuel systems that capture carbon dioxide for underground storage.

AFS Trinity to Develop Plug-In Drive Train

Another company, AFS Trinity, is entering the plug-in hybrid race. Quoting from their press release:

An Extreme Hybrid(TM) car -- which plugs into house current from the power grid for most of its power and is expected to give the average driver more than 250 miles per gallon of gasoline -- moved closer to reality according to news from AFS Trinity Power Corporation and the leading global automotive engineering firm, Ricardo. ....

Plug-In Partners Launch National Campaign

With articles in the Wall Street Journal, on the Dow Jones Newswire, the Plug-In Partners coalition launched a national campaign with a rally in Washington DC on Tuesday.

Declaring the country's economy, environmental health and national security at risk, a grassroots coalition of cities including Austin, Baltimore, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle as well as electric utilities and national policy organizations today kicked off a nationwide campaign to urge automakers to accelerate development of plug-in hybrid vehicles.  Some quotes from the press briefing include:

"Nothing has to be invented to produce a plug-in hybrid vehicle," says Dr. Andrew Frank, a mechanical engineering professor at the University of California at Davis and Director of the UCD Hybrid Electric Research Center. "Everything needed is available: the power trains, the gasoline engines, the computer systems, electric motors and batteries. All we need is for one of the large auto manufacturers to step up to the plate."

"A plug-in vehicle with even a 20-mile range could reduce petroleum fuel consumption by about 60 percent," says Bob Graham, Manager of EPRI's Electric Transmission program.

"Even drawing from our existing power plants, plug-in vehicles have the potential to cut a vehicle's petroleum consumption by three-fourths or more, can operate at as little as one-fourth the fuel cost, and reduce greenhouse gases by two-thirds," said Kateri Callahan, President of the Alliance to Save Energy.

Resource: National Coalition Launches Campaign to Urge Automakers to Produce Plug-In Automobiles Press release, January 24, 2005

Technorati tags: vehicles, batteries, energy policy, energy, technology

National Campaign for Plug-In Hybrids to Launch Jan. 24

Austin, Texas, will lead a nationwide partnership that will lobby carmakers to build a new green vehicle — plug-in hybrids. In return, cities in the coalition are prepared to commit to buying the cars — Austin alone 600 of them.  Around a dozen cities and dozens of public utilities are set to announce the partnership Tuesday in Washington, D.C.

A live broadcast of a media briefing by the Plug-In Partners Coalition will be held at 9:30 -10:30 am EST tomorrow January 24, 2005.  According to their press release the following topics will be covered:

• Find out why local governments, national policy organizations, utilities, and environmentalists are uniting behind the push for plug-in hybrid vehicles (electric-flex-fuel vehicles that can be recharged by plugging into electrical sockets);
• Hear how the Plug-in Partners campaign plans to create a compelling case for automakers to produce plug-in hybrid vehicles;
• Learn from some of the country's leading experts on national security, energy efficiency and plug-in hybrids about the merits of developing this next generation of hybrid vehicles.

The webcast can be heard at: www.PlugInPartners.org

The Coalition was started by Austin, Texas, Mayor Will Wynn who be the lead off speaker.  Other speakers include:

Mitsubishi Ponders Producing Plug-in MIEV?

According to the Chicago Tribune Mitsubishi may introduce a plug-in mini vehicle in the U.S. by 2009.  It would be a four-door, four-passenger car derived from a Mitsubishi Colt that's now sold in Japan.   It would be powered by a 1.1-liter, 3-cylinder gasoline engine and electric motors at the wheels, a MIEV--Mitsubishi In-wheel Electric Vehicle.  With electric motors powering the wheels, it is always driven by the electric motors, the engine being only used to recharge the batteries. This eliminates the need for a conventional transmission and save a lot of space and weight which translates to better mileage.  The estimated recharging time for the lithium-ion batteries would be only 10 minutes.

There seems to be quite a bit of conflict between the Tribune description and what Green Car Congress has to say about developments at Mitsubishi, although the Trib got some info in a phone interview.  Neither Green Car Congress or the Mitsubishi press release have anything to say about a plug-in, only about the concept CT MIEV (shown) to be introduced at the Detroit Motor Show, which is clearly a two  door.  That leaves the questions: Is it more like the MIEV electric that GCG reported on in May with an engine added, is it the 2 door CT MIEV with a plug, is it something else or did the Trib get the facts mixed up? I'm voting for the latter.

Resource: Mitsubishi ponders joining the mini derby despite late start, Chicago Tribune, December 5, 2005

More blogs about vehicles, hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, energy, technology

New Plug-in Hybrid Organization

A Wired News article discusses a new group of automotive component suppliers, the Advanced Hybrid Vehicles Development Consortium, will coordinate the development of the advanced technology needed for a cost effective Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) that will run the first 20 – 50 miles in all electric zero emission mode. The consortium will develop a prototype hybrid vehicle within a year that includes more-powerful electric motors, longer-lasting batteries and ultracapacitors that can store electricity used for acceleration.  The prototype will cost about as much to build as today's hybrids, because some components such as the flywheel will be eliminated. Not only will the vehicle get more than 100 mpg, but consumers will save even more by tapping into the grid.

The group hopes to license the hybrid technology to auto companies that have yet to produce hybrids, which would enable automakers to jump in the game without having to do 15 years of research and development.  Companies participating in the group include high performance electric motor manufacturer Raser Technologies, lithium-ion battery manufacturers Electrovaya and Enax, utility Pacific Gas and Electric and ultracapacitor supplier Maxwell Technologies.

More blogs about vehicles, hybrid cars, batteries, motors, energy

Toyota May Not Build a Plug-in

From: Felix Kramer <fkramer@...> Date: Sat Nov 5, 2005  3:47 pm Subject: EVWorld says Toyota not about to build plug-in hybrids

felixkramery Offline Send Email

We encourage you to forward this email to anyone to whom you "wishfully" told about the possible good news from Toyota. Or point them to: http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/calcars-news/message/193

That says it all.

RUMOR: Toyota May Build PHEV

Just received notice from Felix Kramer of CalCars via hybridcars.com that an industry newsletter reported a RUMOR that Toyota may build hybrid PHEV's.  In part here is what Kramer revealed:

"Inside Fuels and Vehicles" by Editor-In-Chief Peter Rohde
Toyota Mulls Dramatic Reversal, May Be Developing Plug-In Hybrids

After years of emphasizing its hybrid vehicles do not have to be plugged in, Toyota appears to be on the verge of a dramatic reversal and may be developing plug-in hybrids, auto industry sources tell Inside Fuels and Vehicles. But they also say the auto giant is still leery of the limitations battery technology places on the endeavor. 

A recent Toyota presentation at the Tokyo auto show on hybrid vehicles extolling the environmental and practical virtues of plug-in hybrids seems to provide the intellectual underpinnings of the decision. The presentation, obtained by Inside Fuels and Vehicles, concludes that based on five criteria: 1. well-to-wheels carbon dioxide emissions; 2. missions of criteria pollutants; 3. refueling infrastructure; 4. driving range; and 5. fuel diversity. Under these criteria, plug-in hybrids would perform as well as or better than other motor vehicle technology -- including regular battery-electric hybrids, all-electric vehicles and even fuel cell vehicles (if the hydrogen is obtained from natural gas). ...

Bipolar NiMH Battery for CalCars Prius+ PHEV

Electro Energy Inc. (EEI), a leading provider of advanced battery technologies , today announced it is developing a custom-designed prototype battery pack for CalCars' Toyota PRIUS+ Test Vehicle, which is the centerpiece of the California Cars Initiative (CalCars) program promoting the commercial use and mass production of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV).  Ron Gremban, the lead technologist on CalCars' PRIUS+ project, stated, "Electro Energy's prototype pack ... is expected to improve average typical mixed-driving gasoline consumption and range performance to 90 mpg plus electricity for the first 40-50 miles after each charge, without compromising the Prius' original performance of 45 mpg."

Discussing the advantages and future of EEI's technology, Michael Reed, President and COO of EEI, said, "Electro Energy's bipolar design is based on flat wafer Ni-MH cells stacked together under pressure in sealed modules. This patented technique has resulted in higher power and energy densities for the Ni-MH chemistry and results in reduced weight, volume and costs, with increased performance. EEI intends to introduce this advanced technology to the automotive market for advanced hybrid and plug-in hybrid battery systems."  The attractive weight, volume, power, life, and cost of this design should make it a viable battery for many applications. EEI has supplied prototype bipolar nickel-metal hydride(BP-NiMH) batteries to various commercial and government customers. 

Plug-in Hybrids Equal Off Peak Power

Plug-in hybrids have an advantage that I hadn't thought of before. Plug-in hybrids or all electrics (perhaps to a lesser extent) are usually recharged at night and if they are adopted in a significant way they would go a long way towards balancing the load on electrical utilities.  Because of this the owners should be able to buy electricity at a lower rate during the off-peak period, much as many utilities give a lower rate for for water heater.  With the Internet, there are more alternatives available to regulate how the off peak electricity can be delivered and metered to your home.

I found this idea while I browsing through the Entropy Production Blog.  His posts go into great detail to explain potential savings of using off-peak power and the fact that if it is not used and everyone plugged there car in at 5 or 6 pm the plug-ins would cause an undesirable extra demand on the utilities.  His original post made on 8/8/05 can be found here and a follow up post made on 8/12 is here.

Technocrati tags: hybrid cars, off-peak power

About Plug-in Hybrids

Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) are similar to regular hybrids (HEVs) except that they are able to run for significant distances at cruising speed in the all-electric mode, like a battery-electric vehicle (BEV).  They can be used for daily commuting in the all electric mode not producing any emissions during the commute.  Because much of their use is in the all-electric mode their fuel (gasoline or diesel) economy is in the range of 80-120 mpg.  PHEVs are the most important near term solution for reducing dependency on our decreasing supplies of liquid fuels.  They differ from HEVs by having a larger battery pack and a built in battery charger that lets the vehicle be plugged in to an electrical outlet for charging.  They have an internal combustion engine (ICE), like a HEV and can run in the hybrid mode while their batteries are being charged by the engine.  Extended trips are made in the hybrid mode, thus not having the the limited range of a BEV.  It is usually assumed that a range of 20-30 miles in the all electric mode would be sufficient for most commuting.  The all-electric range is strictly a function of the size of the battery pack and the speed at which you are traveling.  In longer trips in a PHEV, the fuel mileage would be higher than an HEV because the larger batteries could absorb more power from regenerative braking and coasting, as well receiving a significant amount of power from their batteries.

In addition to eliminating emissions during commuting where they are of most concern, PHEVs cost less to operate because they are using electricity for power much of the time, rather than gasoline.  Electricity is less expensive because: 1) it is produced by a more efficient process than burning gasoline in an ICE and 2) its power is derived from a less expensive form of energy than gasoline, the majority from coal. 3) because the vehicles would be charged overnight they would be eligible for an off-peak rate.  This also would minimize the impact on generating capacity.

About Hybrid Cars

Hybrid cars are selling better than expected, to the dismay of American car makers.  A hybrid is similar to a conventional car except that its drive train has been modified to have both an internal combustion engine (ICE) which drives the front wheels and one or two electric motors, powered by batteries, that drive the rear wheels. 

Plug-in hybrids are hybrids that can be plugged into an electrical outlet while the batteries charged, would be even more economical and not use nearly as much liquid fuels as the hybrids that are now available.  Plug-in conversion kits are starting to become available, but at a fairly hefty cost. 

Battery technology is always of concern when powering a car that is partially powered with batteries, especially when they are constantly being charged and discharged.  Batteries on hybrid cars are usually guaranteed for 100,000 miles, although the expected life is said to be greater than 150,000 miles. Toyota, the largest producer of hybrids, has stated that they have not had a single claim on their batteries. 

The biggest disadvantage of a hybrid car is its initial cost, which is about $3000-$5000 (US) more than the conventional version of the car.

180 MPG!

A modified Prius is claimed to get 120-180 according to a report in EV World.  EnergyCS modified the Prius by installing their battery monitoring system, replacing the cars 1.3 kWh NiMH batteries with 9 kWh Valance Saphion phosphate based Lithium Ion batteries and an on-board charging system.  By plugging in and recharging the batteries overnight the car is able to to get 120-180 mpg for the first 50-60 miles of travel, until the batteries are nearly discharged. Then the average mileage drops back to about 50 mpg in the normal Prius operating mode.  The higher mileage is possible because 9kWh of electricity was taken off the grid to charge the batteries. Not really any net energy saved, but the saving in gasoline and reduced emissions along the driving route are significant.  The batteries have one-third the weight, twice the run time, faster recharge rate and higher cycle life then lead acid batteries.  According to a NY Times article the modification to the car would add $2,000 to $3,000 to the cars price.