After 1 million miles, interesting plug-in hybrid results
A Prius being converted into a plug-in hybridThe Department of Energy has now logged more than 1 million testing miles with their fleet of plug-in hybrids, and they've collected some interesting data.
First, driver behavior, charging frequency and environmental conditions have significant impact on plug-in hybrid efficiency. Second, driving patterns suggest per day driving range is much less than expected. Third, forgetting to plug-in is common and should be expected. And finally, non-charging energy use could be significant.
In Best plug-in vehicles: EVs, Range Extended EVs, or Plug-in Hybrids? I suggested that no one plug-in vehicle is a game changer, and this data doesn't change my mind.
Nonetheless, this data does seem to show that consumers might not be ready to to fully utilize plug-in vehicles, especially plug-in hybrid or range extended electric vehicles. For instance, if consumers do not piously plug-in, the cost-effectiveness of plug-ins can decrease significantly, especially as the battery size increases. Considering that plug-ins aren't very cost-effective to start, this could be a serious issue.
Labels: electric cars, plug-in hybrid vehicles
posted by Dahcredyns at
9:14 AM
5 Comments:
I looked into the results. Hymotion package allows < 16 miles of electric drive. Yet, the average between charges was 40 miles. And the average charge is 2kwh, which allows for approximately 8 miles. No wonder, it gives only a very small economy boost. The current technology is not for everyone, it is only for folks in the cities, where you drive 10-20 miles every day.
Indigo incarnates
I'm still not sold on PHEVs. I think the better bet is to continue to improve the efficiency of conventional hybrids.
I can't help but get infuriated when I read about hybrids or plug-in hybrods that get 40 miles per charge. We had EVs TWELVE years ago that were getting up to 200 miles a charge. Unfortunately, Chevron Oil mothballed the technology behind the NiMH battery that got such good results. We need to get the rights back to this battery technology and stop horsing around with inferior technologies at the expense of tax payers.
joel-
it's 40 miles and then the Volt can go several hundred miles without recharging.
do the research. consumer studies are very clear on this issue. range anxiety is a real phenomenon.
moreover, nimh is not a mass-producible solution for phevs. nimh is barely cost-effective for hybrids, and we're still at less than 3 percent marketshare, despite consumer polls that show as many as 80 percent of new car consumers are interested i such vehicles. cost is everything for most consumers.
for EVs the case is far worse, especially on nimH.
it's not just about the technology, its just as much about supply chains.
for more than a decade toyota has had a hard time with the supplies that make a nimh battery. look at the commodities charts in the last few years, for instance.
nimh could only have worked on a very small scale, but it would never have resulted in economies of scale needed to make EVs a mass-marketable solution.
Joel,
It is a matter of price and size. EV1 was experimental it was never on the market. Now automakers do want to sell them. That makes a huge difference, because in EV battery makes half of the vehicle price.
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