Sep 25 2008

Plug In to Spare the Environment

Posted by: Jonathan Marshall

"Filling up" your car from an electrical outlet rather than the gas pump is a winning strategy for the environment, according to a new study by San Diego Gas & Electric.

The Southern California utility spent a year testing two plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, converted from standard hybrid models with a lithium-ion battery kit. Regular hybrids typically use a gasoline or diesel engine to recharge their relatively small batteries; plug-in hybrids recharge from a wall socket in a few hours and are designed to go much longer distances on battery power alone.

The results were impressive:

When compared with the standard hybrid, the plug-in hybrid achieved a 60-percent increase in gas mileage, a 37-percent decrease in carbon dioxide (CO2) tailpipe emissions, and an 18-percent reduction in fuel costs. When compared with conventional gasoline-fueled vehicles that average 22 miles per gallon (MPG), the fuel cost savings jump to 57 percent.

The economics of operating plug-in hybrids suggest that owners will feel as good about their pocketbooks as about the environment. At today's average gasoline prices, drivers of plug-in hybrids would save an average of about $1,500 per year in lower fuel costs, the utility reports.

Plug-in hybrids should begin hitting auto showrooms in significant numbers by 2010; the main holdup has been manufacturing high-performance batteries that are safe, reliable, and affordable.

PG&E, an early supporter of plug-in hybrids, has been testing a converted Toyota Prius hybrid with similar results.

This year, PG&E also joined a research and development initiative led by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to smooth the integration of new fleets of plug-in hybrids into the nation's electric grid.

Between 2010 and 2050, according to a study by EPRI and the Natural Resources Defense Council, such vehicles could help the United States cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 10 billion tons, an enormous contribution to fighting global warming.

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