A
hybrid plug-in hybrid vehicle
Friday, December 06, 2007
A
conventional hybrid vehicle or a plug-in hybrid vehicle
I just finished reading an inspiring MotorTrend
article about the Challenge X - a competition to find
the next generation of hybrid
vehicles. Of course diesel hybrids and other biofueled
hybrids, in addition to fuel cell hybrids, were developed
by various universities to compete in this competition.
However, one of the most interesting hybrids came from UC-Davis.
The UC-Davis entry is a hybrid vehicle that can act much
like any of the conventional hybrid cars on the road
today, such as the Toyota
Prius, but it can also act like a plug-in hybrid
vehicle.
To me, it just seems blatantly obvious that the best
hybrid vehicle would be a hybrid that offers plug-in
capabilities, but that does not require owners to plug-in.
I've been arguing over the last few days that it is
possible, that in many driving situations, lithium powered
hybrids with capacitors might be more efficient and green
than plug-in
hybrids obtaining their electricity from coal-powered
utilities.
Besides, while an electric vehicle might seem a perfect
fit for the congestion of a city of Los Angeles, most
Angelenos do not own homes. Plugging in at work - during
peak electricity use - is not an option. So, will these
hybrid drivers plug-in their hybrid with an extension cord
hanging out their apartment windows, stretched across the
sidewalk and road to their car?
Even though I own a home, my car is always parked at the
curb. Plugging my car in at night is, literally, almost
impossible, as it is for a significant percent of Los
Angeles commuters, and I imagine many other urban
commuters face this same situation.
The beauty of hybrids is their ability to use different
power sources and their adaptability - let's keep it that
way. Kudos UC-Davis!
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