Is
the Chevy Volt the wrong kind of plug-in hybrid?
Friday, February 27, 2009
Too
much EV range?
Carnegie Mellon University has finished carrying out an
interesting study on the "impact of plug-in hybrid
electric vehicle (PHEV) battery pack size on fuel
consumption, cost and greenhouse gas emissions over a
range of charging frequencies (distance traveled between
charges)," according to GreenCarCongress.
In many driving scenarios, the study finds that
conventional hybrid
cars make more sense than any kind of plug-in hybrid.
However, if a plug-in can be recharged every 20 miles or
less, then a small-battery plug-in hybrid can be more
cost-effective than a conventional hybrid. However, large
battery plug-in hybrids, such as the Chevy
Volt, were never found to be cost-effective.
Higher gas prices, and a number of other issues,
significantly affect these results. Still, the study would
seem to suggest that a plug-in Prius,
for instance, is a more cost-effective approach to plug-in
viability than is a vehicle like the Volt.
If true - and this study certainly doesn't establish truth
- it would suggest that the government's plug-in tax
credits are barking up the wrong tree by focusing on
battery size.
Labels: Hybrid
Vehicles, plug-in
hybrid vehicles
posted by Dahcredyns at
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