FAQ

Are PHEVs available today?
There are currently no commercially produced PHEVs. However, many prototypes have proven their practicality. The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and DaimlerChrysler have built a Dodge Sprinter PHEV delivery van and plan to test 30 of the vehicles in cities across America by the end of 2006. EDrive Systems has introduced a commercial retrofit that converts a Prius into a plug-in hybrid: The first 60 miles driven each day are half gasoline and half electric.

Does the plug-in technology work?
Yes. This has been clearly demonstrated by several sedan and SUV
conversions at the Hybrid Center at the University of California at Davis.

Recent modifications of Toyota's popular Prius have attracted considerable attention to what have been called 100+ MPG hybrids, and, when the gasoline is replaced by bio-fuels, 500 MPG hybrids. A California non-profit, California Cars, modified a Prius by adding a 2.4kWh lead-acid pack to prove that it could be done.

Then, an R&D company, EnergyCS, replaced the standard 1.3 kWh battery pack with a 9 kWh battery pack. The lithium-ion batteries came from Valence Technology, an Austin-based company.

The larger battery pack was sufficient to provide half of the power needed to
drive the first 60 miles each day. The cost of the charge was about 72
cents. It's like having a second small fuel tank, only you fill this one with electricity at an equivalent cost of under $1 per gallon, depending on your car and your electric rate. You refill at home, from an ordinary 120-volt socket, with energy that's much cleaner, cheaper and not imported.

What distance must a commercially produced PHEV be able to achieve on the battery alone?
A battery pack capable of powering a PHEV 40 miles could meet the daily driving needs of the majority of drivers without requiring the use of the gasoline mode of the PHEV at all. Some 78% of Americans live within 20 miles of their jobs. In many cases, drivers of PHEVs would only need to fill up with gasoline a few times a year, versus the current 24-36 times a year on average.

Won't power plants create a great deal of additional pollution powering PHEVs?
Pollution is easier to manage at a central point such as the stacks of power plants rather than from millions of vehicle tail pipes. Many power plants today are being modified to lower emissions and a number of older plants are being retired. Wind-generated power, solar and other forms of renewable energy are pollution free and are becoming more available. The overnight charging of PHEVs matches well with wind-generated electricity (the most abundant green power), the majority of which is produced overnight due to wind patterns.

What about performance? Will PHEVs be slow?
No. A Toyota Prius, modified with a larger plug-in battery, can accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in less than 9 seconds and can sustain a top speed in the range of 97 miles per hour.

How would PHEVs impact the national economy?
A 2002 EPRI study indicated that if 25% of Americans drove PHEVs by 2025, there would be an $88 billion net annual economic benefit. This would include a $26 billion decrease in the U.S. trade deficit, $7.5 billion saved due to "oil disruptions" that lead to increased gasoline costs, plus the projected creation of over 400,000 jobs.