All Electric Vehicles

Plug-In Hybrids:

Which Plug-In Hybrid Car is Best?




"Plug-in Hybrids are Electric Cars with an Insurance Policy".


When it comes to Plug-in Hybrids - the idea is simple: A combination of a battery-powered motor that can be recharged at home and an internal combustion engine. The first for short - and sweet-smelling trips, the other for longer mess-up-the-planet trips!




The idea of Plug-in Hybrids as the "stepping stone" between today's gas-guzzlers and All-Electric Plug in and Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars seems to have gripped the imagination of major Car manufacturers.



You'd get the impression from the latest Detroit motor show that:
  • By 2010 - we'll have Plug-in Hybrids EVERYWHERE - an mere option on LOTS of todays vehicles.
  • They'll kickstart the car industry all over - and help save the planet too!




So - how do they work anyway???




Right - simply put, they have a normal (but often rediced-size) internal combustion engine - with electric bits added. I have put more about How Electric Vehicles Work here which give more on just the electric side of things.



They certainly sound promising - especially when you look at Which All-Electric Cars are available now - and as I search for the right Electric Transport for my family.



So - I think I can take it for granted that there isn't much out there at the moment. However, it looks like the future is CHOC-A-BLOC with promise when it comes to a Plug-In Hybrid.



To put it in perspective - Toyota's goal is to sell one million gas-electric hybrids a year in the early 2010s.



With that in mind - what plug-in Hybrids should we expect to see on the roads between 2010 and 2012??



Let's start with Toyota. It looks like Toyota is FINALLY going to put the Plug-in Prius into production. Hoping to have it sometime before 2010. The big challenge there seems to be switching from Nickel-Metal Hydride to Lithium Ion Batteries. They'll also be launching a plug-in Lexus around the same time.




One of the most non-descript plug-ins is the BYD F3DM (now there's a sexy name!) - which is ALREADY FOR SALE IN CHINA for about 20000 USD. Seems like it'll be exported sometime in 2010.





I think we need a LITTLE BIT OF SPICE after that! In early 2009, Henrik Fisker, the ex BMW and Aston Martin designer and CEO of Fisker Coachbuild introduced his production-ready Fisker Karma plug-in series hybrid luxury car at a price of $87,900 USD.




Finally - the last in a short extract from a long list of promised plug-ins is the Chevy Volt. Feels like it's being put forward as the Saviour of Detroit - and it'll be available in the US in 2011. Now for an 18 year old, like me, that feels like an AWFUL long time away!




OK - so what are the downsides of plug-in hybrids (apart from not really being around yet)? There's a few that I can see:
  • They seem to be competing head to head with Gas Guzzlers. Will they be watered-down engines to accommodate all the Electrics?
  • Lots of unproven technology with Lithium Ion batteries - at least in mass production. A big recall could do lots of bad PR.
  • Could be a problem finding a place to chargeup - which means you take the "lazy" option of petrol power most of the time.
  • Price! Price! - are they going to be way more expensive than just the one type of motor. This was a problem with the Prius for many years.
  • Are they too little, too late - when it comes to really reducing emissions?



In conclusion: It seems to me that out of all the options for Electric Car Transport for me and my family - the Plug-in Hybrid is probably the best way to go - especially compared with All Electric Cars. But we'll be waiting a couple of years. In the meantime, I must get my hands on those Electric Scooters and Electric Bicycles on the market at the moment!



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