The Promise of Plug-In Hybrids

Within the past year the world's largest car companies have done a complete u-turn on the concept of a plug-in hybrid, now embracing the idea and with good reason. Switching from gasoline to electric power for the majority of short driving trips could be the most significant step we could take towards sustainability in the coming decade.

After years of denying their value, GM, Ford, DaimlerChrysler, Toyota and Honda are all developing ovehicles that can run on battery power for 20 to 50 miles before switching to an internal combustion engine. Utilities and municipalities are salivating over plug-in hybrids as a way to clean the air and increase the utilization of the existing power plants during off-peak hours.

The DOE is also on board, and today they announced $6 million in research grants to improve battery technology and $8 to improve plug-in hybrid system management and electric motor technology. Power plants using coal or natural gas are much more energy efficient than a vehicle's internal combustion engine, and renewable energy (solar, wind, hydro) is even cleaner. Electric power is about 25 percent of the cost of gasoline per mile depending on where you live.

While they offer considerable promise, plug-in hybrids also face many challenges, and I'm working on getting the answers. Here's a rundown of the issues, and let me know what I've missed:

What will be the environmental impact of power plants that will run at closer to full capacity during off peak hours?

Where will charging stations be located for people who don't have garages to plug in their cars?

How do you prevent people from plugging in their cars during a peak energy crunch, such as will definitely occur in California and other states?

Who gets credit for the reduced emissions in any greenhouse gas cap system – the auto companies or the utilities?

Will the payback for plug-in hybrids be faster than today's hybrids – if at all?

So chime in now as Matter will bring you the answers to all of these questions and more soon.