Hybrid News

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Legislation and Policy, Green Daily, USA

When the U.S. Congress passed H.R. 1424 and President Bush signed it into law today, not everyone was paying attention to the part about plug-in vehicles. Sure, this got a little play - and green car sites like ours were on it - but what’s a few $7,500 tax credits in a $700 billion bill? Still, there are a lot of parts to the bill (read one take here) to digest and we’re happy to explore the green car-related details a bit.

If you want to read the language in the bill yourself, you can find the full text here (do a text search for “plug” to find the applicable PHEV part of the law, Section 205). As meme noted earlier today, the language now refers to “plug-in electric drive motor vehicle” instead of the “passenger automobiles,” which might help companies like Aptera. We know that Chrysler yesterday gave its support for the legislation and today the Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA) gave strong vocal support to the bill’s passage. You can read both of the official statements after the jump.

When you read the bill, don’t miss Section 306 (regarding smart meters) and Section 103 (extension of solar and fuel cell tax credits). I’m quite interested in how the AutoblogGreen community feels about this bill.

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[Source: EDTA, Chrysler, Govtrack]

Continue reading Auto industry responses to the bailout bill; what do you think?

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Original post by Sebastian Blanco

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Volkswagen

Volkswagen is currently running a twenty strong test fleet of Twin-Drive Golfs in and around Berlin Germany and the results of this work are expected to hit the retail market around 2011. The current test models are using diesel engines but the production versions are likely to switch to gasoline when their 30-mile electric range has been expended. With coming EURO VI emissions standards that approach the U.S. Tier 2 Bin 5 standards, a diesel hybrid would simply be too expensive to be commercially viable. The drivetrain layout of the Twin-Drive is different from the approach being used by current parallel hybrids or extended range EVs like the Volt. While the Volt ER-EV is a series hybrid setup where only the electric motor is mechanically coupled to the wheels, the Golf is a parallel system but without a transmission. The single reduction gear ratio is comparable to a normal high gear and the torque of the electric motor is used to provide the equivalent of the torque multiplication that is normally achieved with a lower gears. The absence of a conventional gearbox compensates for some of the added weight of the battery and motor. A 12 kWh Sanyo lithium ion battery pack provides 30 miles of driving range and energy storage from the regenerative braking.

[Source: Motor Trend]

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Original post by Sam Abuelsamid

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Chevrolet, GM, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, Green Daily

Over at the RenCen yesterday, AutoblogGreen sat down with Britta Gross, GM’s manager of Hydrogen and Electrical Infrastructure Development and Strategic Commercialization, and Mark Duvall, program manager at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), to talk about how the Volt - actually, how millions of Volts and other plug-in vehicles - could change the way electricity is thought of in the U.S., and what the automaker and utilities are doing today to get ready for the day when it’s normal to plug in your car.

Gross said that GM is working with dozens of utilities to figure out how to best sell the public on plugging in a car. AutoblogGreen readers might be anxiously counting down the days until their garage becomes a fueling center, but there are a lot of people who just don’t get what plugging a car in might mean, and we could all use a bit more information, no? The major automakers have a long way to go before everyone knows what PHEVs are and how to best use them. Duvall said that it’s not just the batteries in the Volt, but also what might happen to li-ion automotive batteries after they’re used in cars that presents a real opportunity for consumers and utilities for energy storage from wind, solar or just nighttime power. It was an interesting talk, and you can listen in here (21 min):

For more from Duvall, click here.

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Original post by Sebastian Blanco

The plug-in Prius tests that started yesterday in London were not without a bit of hoopla, and our friend Adam V. from Smartplanet was on hand to video a bit of the introduction. We, sadly, don’t get to see the PHEV on the road - but I guess we’ve all seen Priuses driving by now and you can’t really tell the PHEV version from the outside except for the stickers anyway - but Adam does get a few minutes of Q&A with Toyota’s Colin Hensley and EDF Energy’s Peter Hofman. Hofman says that even with today’s coal-fired dirty electricity, driving a plug-in hybrid can reduce your CO₂ emissions by 40 percent compared to driving a standard, gas-powered vehicle. Hensley talks a little bit about the upcoming revamp of the test PHEV Prius that will feature li-ion batteries for increased power and range. Watch the video at Smartplanet. Thanks to Adam for the tip.

[Source: Smartplanet]

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Original post by Sebastian Blanco

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, GM, Saturn

During the recent Plug-in conference in San Jose CA, Matt Kelly of GMNext talked with Larry Nitz about the new PHEV version of the Saturn Vue. The PHEV Vue is still at least a year away and is based on the Two-Mode Vue that comes out late this year. The nickel metal hydride battery is replaced with a lithium ion unit and a plug-in charger is added. According to Nitz, who is the executive director of hybrid powertrain engineering at GM, the PHEV Vue will average about the twice the fuel efficiency of the regular two-mode Vue for the first 20 miles. GM isn’t talking about the electric only range, because the ability to actually operate on electricity alone is limited by the motor power. As what’s called a conversion PHEV, the motor is not sized for a significant electric only operational window. The Vue will go up to about 35 mph at light acceleration on electricity. Beyond that the engine starts. Even in around town driving the engine will start with anything other a very light throttle foot. Nonetheless, the plug-in Vue will likely achieve somewhere between 50-60 mpg for the first 20 miles. If you can drive lightly enough to keep the engine off, you should be able to get around 10 miles on the battery. Check out the video after the jump.

[Source: GMNext]

Continue reading VIDEO: Larry Nitz talks about the plug-in Saturn Vue hybrid

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Original post by Sam Abuelsamid

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Toyota

Toyota President, Katsuaki Watanabe this week announced that the start of fleet testing for plug-in capable Priuses had been moved up by a year. At this year’s Detroit Auto Show, Watanabe announced that several hundred Priuses with the ability to be plugged in would be delivered to government and commercial fleets in 2010 for field testing. That schedule has been adjusted so that the PHEVs would now be introduced in early 2009 with several hundred on the road by the end of the year. Over on the Toyota Open Road Blog, communications VP Irv Miller makes it clear though that no timetable has been set for retail sales of these cars and that it won’t happen until Toyota is well and truly confident that the lithium ion batteries are safe, reliable and affordable. He also calls out a Palo Alto, CA Toyota dealer for beginning to take deposits on the cars. While applauding the dealership’s initiative he stresses that no one knows when a PHEV Prius will actually be available to the public, including Toyota’s dealer network.

[Source: Toyota]

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Original post by Sam Abuelsamid

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Fisker

Click above for more shots of the Fisker Karma

While you could certainly argue that developing just one single new plug-in hybrid vehicle is about as difficult a task as a small automaker could handle, Fisker Automotive is rumored to be working on four such models. Of course, that task should be just a little bit easier thanks to the help of Quantum Technologies, the company that has been tasked with providing the automaker with the hybrid drivetrain for its sedan. As it is, Fisker has pretty ambitious plans for its sedan, the Karma, with the goal of selling 15,000 units per year by 2011. The four new shapes would include a coupe, a convertible and, oddly enough, an SUV and all would use the same basic underpinnings. Expect all of these models to carry a pretty high price - though an additional piece of good news from the rumormill indicates that the automaker is also planning a new lower-cost PHEV as well. We look forward to seeing how this all pans out.

[Source: Channel 4]

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Toyota

Speaking at this week’s Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City, MI, Toyota advanced powertrain program manager Justin Ward reiterated the company’s plans to offer hybrid drive systems in every one of its model lines by the end of the next decade. Toyota already has more vehicles with hybrid systems than anyone else, but will need next-generation systems to support larger vehicles like the Tundra pickup, assuming it is still building full-size trucks in 2020. On the subject of fuel cell systems, Ward described the progress the company has made on efficiency (and hence range) as well as performance and durability. However, cost and durability issues still have a way to go and there is the whole issue of hydrogen production and distribution.

On the topic of plug-in vehicles, Ward showed a healthy dose of skepticism. According to Ward, in spite of studies showing that 70 percent of commutes are less than 40 miles per day, having plug-ins with a range of only 40 miles would only cover about 35 percent of total miles traveled. The energy required to charge plug-in vehicles also poses problems. Plug-in proponents point to most vehicles being plugged in at night and taking advantage of off-peak generation and lower costs. Ward told his audience that a study of night time generation indicates that the vast majority of it comes from coal fired power plants. Until carbon sequestration becomes mainstream at power plants the use of coal generated electricity, regardless of time of day won’t have as much impact on CO₂ as plug-in advocates would like.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. req’d]

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Original post by Sam Abuelsamid

Filed under: Biodiesel, Ethanol, EV/Plug-in, Flex-Fuel, Hybrid, MPG, Legislation and Policy, USA

Democratic Presidential hopeful Barack Obama has proposed a new ten-year $150 billion energy plan today in Michigan. A large part of the plan centers around transportation — both the use of petroleum and the types of cars we are to drive in the future. For automakers, $4 billion in loans and loan guarantees would be made available for PHEV development, with one-million of the vehicles to be ready for sale by 2015. For consumers, a $7,000 tax credit would be offered for their purchase of said vehicle. Also, in a more short-term effort, Obama proposes that the U.S. sells some seventy-million barrels of oil from America’s strategic petroleum reserve.

While those PHEVs are being developed, Obama’s plan would increase fuel economy standards 4-percent per year. What’s more, Obama would mandate at least 60 billion gallons of advanced biofuels by 2030 while requiring that fuel producers reduce their fuel’s carbon emissions by 5 percent within 5 years and 10 percent within 10 years. To make those biofuels have as large an impact as possible, all new vehicles would be required to have flex-fuel capability within four years.

Lastly, the entire White House fleet will be converted to plug‐ins within one year (does this include the new presidential limo that will debut in January?) and half of all cars purchased by the federal government will be plug‐in hybrids or all‐electric by 2012. See the entire plan in .pdf form at this link.

[Source: Barack Obama - .pdf]

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Toyota, USA

Plug-In Supply has just released its new $4995 kit which converts your 2004-2008 Prius into a Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle (PHEV). Because the system is based on the Cal Cars reference design and uses lead-acid batteries as opposed to the more expensive lithium or nickel-based batteries, this new kit is cheaper than many other PHEV conversion options. According to Plug-In Supply, the kit will allow your Prius to operate in electric-only mode for up to fifteen miles and at speeds of up to fifty-two miles per hour. Getting 15 miles out of a lead acid pack will be a real stretch given that Toyota is only getting eight with a NiMH pack in its prototype PHEV Priuses. Getting a Prius up to 52 mph on batteries will also take a long time with the size of the electric motor used and all of this will absolutely, possitively void any warranty you may have left. The lead-acid batteries which help make this new kit relatively affordable aren’t likely to last the life of the vehicle. Therefore, the pack has been designed to be upgradeable to lithium batteries in the future. Due to the 360-pound weight of the included battery pack, heavy-duty springs have also been made available for the rear of the Prius.

While it still may not make sound economic sense, this kit proves that the costs associated with creating PHEVs is going down. Those living in California, though, might be hard-pressed to purchase a kit such as this if CARB passes its new regulations, as kits using lead-acid batteries may find it rather difficult to meet some of the proposed requirements.

[Source: Plug-In Supply]

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Legislation and Policy, USA

If the California Air Resources Board (CARB) passes the legislation that it is currently considering, getting your hands on a PHEV conversion, like the one recently created by Hymotion, might be a bit more difficult. Whether or not this is a bad thing depends on your point of view. Those looking to add a plug-in module to their Prius in order to use as little gas as possible might be paying a few more bucks for the conversion, as the pending legislation would force the manufacturer to go through the same rigorous certification process that new cars must pass. Of course, this could be an expensive proposition and could keep some contenders completely out of the market. The benefit, as some see it, would be that owners would be sure that their newly-converted plug-ins would meet all current emissions standards, something which may not necessarily be the case otherwise. Added peace-of-mind would come from forcing the manufacturers to offer a standard , something the legislation would also require. Another requirement which has seen some opposition is the mandate of a maximum four-hour charge time and a specific branded charger.

Those with an interest in following the legislation can click here. CARB is currently accepting comments from the public regarding the pending legislation. If you feel strongly about the subject, you can make your voice heard by clicking here for CARB’s contact information.

[Source: Greentech Media]

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, GM, Saturn

A row of Saturn Vue PHEVs in Milford’s building 16 garage

GM may have been late to the party when it came to hybrids, but they are now throwing resources at a bunch of different parallel paths that including electric drive. There are already cars and CUVs with mild hybrid systems and full-size SUVs with Two-Mode hybrid systems. Later this fall pickup trucks and Saturn Vues will also get the Two-Mode system. Then there is of course the E-Flex Chevy Volt. Sometime around the end of 2009 GM’s first plug-hybrid should debut also in the shape of the Vue. At the Plug-In 2008 conference Larry Nitz, the Executive Director of the hybrid powertrain engineering at GM provided an updated on the Vue PHEV program. After initiating development with nickel metal hydride batteries, the team based in Building 16 at the Milford proving ground now has 11 plug-in Vues running with lithium ion batteries. If the PHEV Vue makes it by the end of next year it will likely be the first commercially available plug-in hybrid from a major carmaker. The Vue is expected to have about 10 miles of electric driving range on a full charge.

[Source: GM Fastlane Blog]

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Original post by Sam Abuelsamid

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Solar, Tesla Motors, USA

Newsweek’s Fareed Zakaria recently got some face-to-face time with Elon Musk, who, as you surely know by now, is one of the “product architects” at Tesla Motors. There were plenty of interesting quotes to come from the interview, but a few truly stood out from the rest. For instance, Musk slams plug-in hybrids pretty mercilessly while also claiming that the “a majority of all new cars produced in the United States, perhaps worldwide, will be electric. And I don’t mean hybrid. I mean pure electric,” within just thirty years. What’s more, Musk adds that one of his other start-up companies, SolarCity, has the solution to what he refers to as the “‘long tailpipe’ criticism,” where EV opponents point to the fact that much of the electricity in the U.S. comes from dirty sources such as coal. A small solar-panel setup of about 10 by 15 feet [is enough] to generate 200 to 400 miles a week of electricity for your car,” according to Musk. We can get behind the idea of charging our own electric cars for the week with our own solar array mounted atop the roof our our garage. Maybe in thirty years that won’t sound so far-fetched.

[Source: Newsweek]

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Green Daily

Coming up in a few weeks is the Plug-in 2008 conference and expo, a three-day event (July 22-24) highlighting the benefits of cars with plugs. The official sessions will deal with related legislation, technology, the business benefits of PHEVs and BEVs. Luckily, if you can’t commit to the full conference, there is a one-night stand option.

Public Night at the conference takes place on July 22 between 6 and 9 pm at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center. For a $10 ticket, you can walk through the expo hall and then listen to a panel on “Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles: Transforming Our Transportation and Energy Futures.” This panel features three speakers who know a little something, something about plug-in cars: Chelsea Sexton of Plug In America, Dan Reicher of Google.org, and Mark Duvall of EPRI. Find our more here, or click through after the break.

[Source: Plug-In 2008]

Continue reading San Jose residents can get a PHEV and BEV fix at Plug-In 2008 Public Night

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Original post by Sebastian Blanco

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Green Daily

It’s the “(Coming!) that gets us. In a funny and disrespectful Sunday comic about the high price of gasoline, Opus creator Berkeley Breathed illustrates the feelings of a lot of people in fine color. Sometimes you just want to gloat - it’s too bad that we can’t all do so quite yet. I’ve snipped a corner of the one-panel comic for our mostly family-safe viewing here on AutoblogGreen (you never know when someone will take issue with bare comic character butts in profile), but you should really check out the whole thing over at Salon. Breathed’s fantasy PHEV doesn’t quite look like any vehicle we know will hit the road in the next few years, but the fact that a plug-in hybrid is indeed Coming! is true (see: Saturn VUE)

If you’ve got a few more minutes, check out these other related green car cartoons:

• Dilbert
• CARtoons
• Diesel Sweeties

h/t to Paul S.

[Source: Salon]

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Original post by Sebastian Blanco