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1.) 2012 Third Generation Toyota Prius

2.) Better than a hybrid car? A plug-in hybrid!

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Hybrid cars, trucks, SUVs: All vehicles hybrid

Tesla Motors' Elon Musk doesn't believe in plug-in hybrid vehicles, instead pure electric vehicles powered by the sun are the future.

Tesla's Musk: Plug-in hybrid vehicles suck and why he's wrong

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Tesla founder rips PHEVs

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Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla Motors, was recently asked by Newsweek why he didn't consider plug-in hybrid vehicles in addition to pure electric vehicles. He replied, "We spent a lot of time last year looking at plug-in hybrids and ultimately concluded that it would not be a very good car. You're forced to compromise. Because you need both a gasoline-powered engine and a big battery, neither can be very good, and the engine will be a weak engine. It's just not where the future lies. We'll be able to offer a car with a 305-mile range roughly three years from now."

Ultimately, Musk believes that within 30 years America's transportation system could be 100 percent solar-powered pure electric vehicles.

As a fan and advocate for the electrification of the automobile, I think Musk is selling his book - his investments in solar power and EVs - in preparation for a Tesla IPO.

Today, and for the next five to ten years, conventional hybrid vehicles make the most sense as they most cost-effectively enable the mass production of many of the components required for electrification. In about 5 years plug-in hybrid vehicles will begin to have an impact, but serious mass-production of PHEVs is still almost certainly closer to 10 years away.

EVs that meet consumer expectations can and should be concurrently developed, but they will still be more expensive than Musk seems to assume and there will be infrastructure limitations for many consumers. For instance, Musk believes auto consumers won't mind waiting around for an hour using high powered chargers on longer trips, versus a 5 minute fill-up with gas in 150 mile per gallon, cheaper upfront, PHEVs.

In my opinion, Musk is making a lot of technological assumptions and assumptions have a bad way of making asses of assumers - Tesla's Roadster has been a perfect example.

The future will hold plenty of room for both PHEVs and EVs in the next few decades and each will find consumers that prefer one technology over the other for various reasons - some of which probably aren't even comprehensible today.

Just as important, the future of the auto industry and the key to ever-critical mass-production will be driven by India and China - not America. Judging the future of the auto industry, which is driven almost exclusively by mass-production, through an American lense makes far less sense today than it did just five years ago and it will make even less sense five years from now. Twenty years from now, America's automobile culture will mean little to the rest of the world. Yet, the automobile culture of India and China will mean much to America.

Nonetheless, I find much common ground with Musk's long term vision and I hope he can prove my timeline incorrect.

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Hybrid Cars Buying Guide: Which hybrid vehicle is best for you?
If you are not sure which hybrid vehicle best meets your needs, use our Buyer's Guide (more)

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If the Volt plug-in hybrid vehicle is produced, it will create a signficant competitor for Toyota's hybrid vehicles. In fact, GM's hybrid cars might just become the industries best hybrids.

Chevy Volt Plug-in Hybrid Concept
Could GM's Volt make GM the leader in hybrid vehicle and electric vehicle technology?. (more)

Chevy Volt: The Synchronicity of Energy and Design

Chevy Volt: Hype whore or resource hog?

The Toyota FT-HS hybrid vehicle sports car might only be concept vehicle, but the FT-HS demonstrates that hybrid technology is only just emerging. When a hybrid sports car can go from 0 to 60 in 4 seconds with v4 fuel economy, then you know that the potential of hybrid vehicles has barely been taped. Plus, add this technology to more fuel efficient hybrid cars and all you can say is WOW!

Toyota FT-HS hybrid concept
0-60 in 4 seconds with 4 cylinder fuel economy? The best of hybrid technology is yet to come. (more)
100 mpg plug-in hybrid vehicles are a reality with today's technology. The technology behind hybrid cars has barely been tapped. Plug-in hybrid vehicles will easily go more than 100 mpg in less than 5 years and if you drive less than 40 miles per day, you won't need anything but electricity to power your vehicle. The power of hybrid cars is just emerging. Go hybrid. Buy a hybrid vehicle today. Buying today's hybrids is an investment in tomorrow's plug-in hybrids.
100 MPG Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles
The technology exists today and it is cleaner than gasoline, let's make it happen.

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Wondering what kind of gas mileage hybrid cars achieve in the real world. Well, read about the experiences of the owners of hybrid vehicles who drive hybrids, such as the Ford Escape hybrid, Honda Accord hybrid, Honda Civic hybrid, Honda Insight hybrid, Lexus RX400h hybrid, the Toyota Prius hybrid and the Toyota Highlander hybrid.
Testimonials
See what real hybrid drivers have to say, or add your hybrid vehicle testimonial.

- Ford Escape hybrid
- Honda Accord hybrid
- Honda Civic hybrid
- Honda Insight
- Lexus RX400h
- Toyota Camry hybrid
- Toyota Prius
- Toyota Highlander hybrid 

Buyer's Guide
Use our guide to figure out which hybrid is best for you.

tax credits
Guide
to which hybrid cars qualify for Clean Vehicle Tax Credits, including 2006 credits.

Hybrid Cars & EPA Fuel Efficiency Estimates
Don't buy into the negative press.

Shopping for a hybrid
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hould you buy your hybrid car online or from a dealer? If you are interested in buying a hybrid start here.


> Hybrid cars head into carpool lane


 

Plug-in Hybrids offer the answer to foreign oil dependency

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Future Hybrid Cars

2007 Model Hybrids
Cadillac Escalade
Chevrolet Tahoe
GMC Yukon
Lexus GS 450h
Lexus LS 600h L

Mazda Tribute
Nissan Altima
Saturn Aura
Saturn Vue
Toyota Camry

And Beyond
BMW ActiveHybrid
BMW X5 Mild Hybrid
Chevrolet Malibu 

Chevy Silverado
Chevy Volt
Chrysler Aspen
Chrysler ecoVoyager Citreon C5 Airscape UrbanHybrid
Dodge Durango
Dodge ZEO 
Ford Five Hundred
Ford Freestyle
Ford Fusion
GM Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell Vehicle
GMC Sierra
GMC Denali XT hybrid truck
Hyundai Accent
Honda CR-Z Hybrid
Honda FCX Clarity Fuel Cell Vehicle
Jeep Renegade
Kia Rio
Mercury Milano
Mercedes S400
Mercedes ML450
Mercedes E300 BlueTec
Opel Flextreme
Peugeot 308 HDI
Porsche Cayenne
Porsche Panamera
Saab 9-X BioHybrid
Saturn Flextreme
Toyota FCHV
Toyota FT-HS
Toyota Sequoia

Toyota Tundra
Volvo Recharge
VW Touareg


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