Is America really ready for plug-ins?
Is it as simple as just building the cars?"Plug-in vehicles are a revolution for the consumer and will transform the way we move from place to place, and the way we think about using energy. But each community is unique—they have different commuting patterns, parking concerns, demographics, local businesses, and cultures."
Thus, the Rocky Mountain Institute has launched Project Get Ready to help communities prepare for the challenges and opportunities that plug-in hybrid vehicles will bring communities.
Do you think such a venture is just a green money grab now that Obama is in the White House, or are the conditions for plug-in adoption far more complicated than just building the vehicles?
Labels: plug-in hybrid vehicles
posted by Dahcredyns at
8:50 AM
5 Comments:
I was thinking about this issue the other day, in my community of Los Angeles, an ideal market for plug-in vehicles. Or is it?
The far majority of LA residents are renters, many of whom park on the street. Likewise, many homeowners live far outside of the central city, and many city workers live far in the suburbs - not ideal conditions for maximizing the efficiency of plug-in hybrids, such as the Chevy Volt.
For many of these commutes, it seems conventional hybrids are a far more cost-effective option, at least at today's energy prices.
Inevitably, mass plug-in adoption is going to take a cultural revolution in the way people think about automobiles. Likewise, plug-ins are not going to be the solution for many consumer segments for a long time.
Yet, understanding these dynamics will be key to cost-effectively maximizing fuel economy in the US, so it's great that an organization like RMI is getting involved - even if it is just a money grab.
Yep - gotta start somewhere. Its not as if all cars are going to be plugins overnight. There will be a long period of the american auto fleet being "hybrid" (sorry) if you will. Charging plugs in apartment building carports won't happen until there is a critical mass and high enough demand. And in some applications the plug might not ever make sense. But worrying too much about these problems before there is even a plugin EV or REEV from a major manufacturer is putting the cart before the horse.
I think this is a good thing. Yes there are millions of apartment dwellers and town-house residents that park on the street. And yes it is going to take time to get the infrastructure in place for these folks.
But there are also millions and millions just like me who live in a house with a garage right now, and commute well less than 40 miles a day to and from work.
We all know it will take time to put the infrastructure in place. Therefore folks like me who will have the easiest time do so, will do so. I suspect the other major issues like ramping up for large-scale battery production will be a bigger throttling issue than whether or not everyone that wants one can plug in right now.
One final note - from the performance projections I am reading, series plug-in hybrids like the Volt are going to enter the market at the top of the fuel efficiency list. That means whether you plug them in regularly or not you are going to see fuel savings on par with today's "old school" hybrids.
EI-
Yeah, I now GM is projecting about 50 mpg for the Volt when being powered purely by gasoline-created electricity.
Of course, all of this is based upon EPA methodology, which isn't all that accurate.
For instance, what is Volt fuel economy if you drive 40 miles of city traffic, then hit the highway for 50 miles, than drive 40 miles through heavy LA's 5:00 commute?
EV range is going to be a very dynamic, fluid number based on conditions. EPA testing is horrible at testing these kinds of every day realities.
Even the first 40 miles of Volt EV range might only be 20 miles under real world conditions, and I got a confirmation on that reality from GM.
I'd imagine that real world Volt fuel economy, after plug-in power is utilized, is going to be extremely dynamic, but I'd bet in most conditions it will be a good bit lower than today's Prius.
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