Jerry passes along word that a number of states are creating incentives for plug-in hybrids and asks if Oregon should do the same.
Minnesota and South Carolina Promote Plug-in Hybrids, Alt Fuels
Plug-in hybrid vehicles have received a lot of attention in recent months, and now two states are prepared to pursue the vehicles, once they become readily available. Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty signed a law on May 31st that requires the state to buy plug-in hybrids on a preferred basis when they become available. The law, House File 3718, also encourages Minnesota State University – Mankato to develop flex-fuel plug-in hybrid vehicles, and creates a task force consisting of business, government, and utility representatives to develop a strategy for using and producing such vehicles in Minnesota. As the name implies, plug-in hybrids feature an external power plug and a battery pack large enough to allow the vehicle to travel 20 to 60 miles on battery charge alone. Such vehicles could eliminate the use of gasoline for many commuters, while still allowing the use of fuel on longer trips. See the text of the bill and the press release from the Institute on Local Self-Reliance, a nonprofit organization that promotes sustainable communities.
South Carolina is even more optimistic about the vehicles, as the latest budget includes a $300 sales tax rebate for the purchase of plug-in hybrid vehicles. Since the vehicles won’t be commercially available for some time, a more realistic rebate goes to the mechanically inclined, who can earn a $500 sales tax rebate for the purchase of equipment to convert a standard hybrid to a plug-in hybrid. The budget also includes a $300 sales tax rebate for buyers of fuel cell vehicles and an equal, but more pragmatic, sales tax rebate for buyers of flexible-fuel vehicles, which are readily available today. To encourage alternative fuels, the budget also includes incentives of 5 cents per gallon for the sale of E85 (a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline) and B20 (a diesel blend containing 20 percent biodiesel). Finally, individuals and businesses producing biodiesel for their own use can earn tax credits of 20 cents per gallon if they produce it from soybeans and tax credits of 30 cents per gallon if they produce it from feedstocks other than soybeans. To see the budget item, scroll down to section 72.113 in the South Carolina general appropriations bill.
South Carolina also passed a bill last week that includes tax credits for new ethanol or biodiesel production facilities. Facilities placed in service between 2007 and 2009 will earn a tax credit of 20 cents per gallon for the first 5 years of fuel production. In 2014, the tax credit drops to 7.5 cents per gallon. In addition, the legislation includes a tax credit of 25 percent of the cost of equipment for production, distribution, or dispensing of ethanol or biodiesel. Also included in the legislation are tax credits for solar heating and cooling systems and landfill gas systems. See sections 36, 37, and 38 of the bill, S. 1245.
11 responses to “Pushing for Plug-in Hybrids”
For anyone interested in lively discussions about hybrids and plug-in hybrids, primarily centered around the Toyota Prius, please check out: http://www.priuschat.com/
As a Prius owner and hybrid enthusiast, I would be happy to answer any specific questions about plug-ins or hybrids in general if people post them in the comments in this thread.
– Bob R.
1. What range do you get without running the gas engine at all? Do you add batteries.
2. How is battery life affected? (battery wear out)
3. What about the electricity grid cpacity if this becomes widespread.
Thanks
JK
(who very seriously considered converting my gas car to electric)
(The following answers apply to conversions of current Prius models into plug-in hybrids. I believe conversion attempts have been done with other models, such as the Ford Escape, but I am unfamiliar with those.)
1. What range do you get without running the gas engine at all? Do you add batteries.
First, a bit about the Prius system… the Prius can run in all-electric, gas/electric mixed, or gas only modes and switches smoothly and continuously (sometimes several times a second) as driving conditions merit.
An unmodified Prius can glide along in all-electric at low speeds for up to 1 mile. I’ve noticed, for example, when I visit Hayden Island, I can make it all the way from the I-5 NB off ramp into the Comp USA parking lot without the gas engine kicking in.
Furthermore, in order to take advantage of various environmental laws in various countries, some versions of the Prius are shipped from the factory with an “EV” mode button. Press this button, and it guarantees that the gas engine won’t kick in until the batteries run down, giving you the ability to sneak away without waking the spouse, frighten people in parking lots, and generally terrify unsuspecting valets.
In the USA, the “EV” button is omitted, but if you wire one up yourself (warranty status unclear), the feature works. I haven’t done this myself yet, but you can obtain kits with all the wires you need and the factory button for under $100 online.
Early “plug-in” hybrid experiments have mostly centered on the Prius because the control system is already capable of running in “EV” only, and even without the button the car will run in electric-only mode as much as it can at low speeds. These conversions have added to or completely replaced the original battery, taking advantage of “hidden” compartments in the hatchback area to store additional batteries (bye bye spare tire).
With the additional batteries, the all-electric range is said to be 40-50 miles (NiMH) or 50-60 miles (Lithium-ion). These may still be theoretical numbers… according to CalCars.org, one 1st generation NiMH prototype achieved 20-30 miles.
But here’s the thing: The Prius doesn’t really operate for very long as a “pure” EV… many things cause the gas engine to come on, such as:
1. Hard acceleration or steep grades
2. Accelerating beyond 35mph
3. Emissions system needs warming
4. If climate controls need to pipe a lot of heat into the cabin (when it’s very cold outside)
However, even above 35mph, the electric motor assists the gas engine for cruising and acceleration, so having the extra batteries means that the engine will come on less often, and when it does come on, it will consume less fuel because less of a load is placed upon it.
2. How is battery life affected? (battery wear out)
This remains to be seen. The original Prius batteries are treated very tenderly by the car… they are never fully discharged and never fully charged, so as to extend battery life. Depending on where you live, the factory battery warranty is between 100,000 and 150,000 miles. Toyota claims that they have not had a Prius battery pack fail in the field from normal wear and tear.
As for the added plug-in batteries, they are presumably treated more harshly as extended range is the priority of these conversions. There aren’t enough long-term examples out there to tell for sure how the batteries hold up.
It should be noted that Toyota used to make an all-electric Rav 4 SUV. According to the CalCars FAQ: “We can also extrapolate some data from experience with the RAV4EV all-electric vehicles. Though the Ni-MH batteries were originally warrantied for 75,000 miles, these cars have routinely exceed 120,000 miles and are still going strong.”
It has been claimed by the builders of the early plug-in prototypes that electricity costs are the equivalent of about 2 cents per mile. Given that a typical Prius in mixed driving gets about 45MPG, the gas cost for a Prius is 6.6 cents per mile at $3/gallon. Let’s say 6 to make the math easy.
If the add-on batteries last for say 100,000 miles, and the cost savings per mile is 4 cents, $4,000 could be saved over the life of the batteries vs. running on gasoline. However, the current conversions cost over $10,000 plus labor, etc. However, these conversions are not yet mass produced.
If automakers begin producing plug-ins from the factory (therefore no labor waste in conversion) and can get the cost premium down to around $3,000, plug-ins would be readily practical. It will take a lot of R&D and improvements in battery technology to get there (basically a 75% reduction from current costs), but this is actually closer to being achieved than other technologies such as Hydrogen fuel cell cars.
3. What about the electricity grid capacity if this becomes widespread.
Most charging would presumably be done at night. Power plants that would normally go offline at night would remain online, and the grid would be delivering what it would normally deliver during the day. (However, here in the Pacific northwest, we have a lot of electric heat running at night in the winter, so our grid might not be as free at night as California’s.)
Here’s a link to a study (I haven’t read the whole thing) that concludes 5 million or more plug-in hybrids charging at night in California would not put undue strain on the current grid.
http://www.calcars.org/epri-driving-solution-1012885_PHEV.pdf
Also, regarding grid capacity, a number of people who own pure EVs charge them at home with solar arrays on top of their carport. When solar arrays can be large (such as on a rooftop) and uncomplicated, the price is cost-effective compared to daytime grid electricity.
One can imagine a world of plug-in hybrids and EVs where you arrive at your workplace, there are solar panels on the roof of the building, and you plug-in while at work… swipe your debit card when you get out of the car, plug in, and when you are ready to leave work, your car is fully charged. The employer makes enough to pay for the infrastructure, and there is no impact on the grid whatsoever, and the entire commute becomes near-zero emissions and near-zero carbon footprint.
– Bob R.
Thanks for a lot of good info. Just a couple of comments/questions:
Bob R.: But here’s the thing: The Prius doesn’t really operate for very long as a “pure” EV… many things cause the gas engine to come on, such as:
….
2. Accelerating beyond 35mph
JK: I assume this means that the gas comes on when you accelerate then off again for steady 35. At what speed will the gas always run? (Or did I misunderstand this?)
Bob R.: If automakers begin producing plug-ins from the factory (therefore no labor waste in conversion) and can get the cost premium down to around $3,000, plug-ins would be readily practical.
JK: If the small shop is doing it for $10K, it is very believable that it could be even less that $3k from the factory.
BTW do you know how the auxiliary batter is hooked up? Simply in parallel or switched to isolate if from the factory pack?
Bob R.: One can imagine a world of plug-in hybrids and EVs where you arrive at your workplace, there are solar panels on the roof of the building, and you plug-in while at work… swipe your debit card when you get out of the car, plug in, and when you are ready to leave work, your car is fully charged. The employer makes enough to pay for the infrastructure, and there is no impact on the grid whatsoever, and the entire commute becomes near-zero emissions and near-zero carbon footprint.
JK: The chicken little types and other assorted car haters must really dislike this scenario – it just totally screws up their “were gonna have to quit driving” drivel. Imagine being able to drive after oil runs out!!! (But I do disagree on the cost of solar electric panel installations. Currently wind is far more cost effective.)
Another point is the chart of night time energy consumption on page 16 of your referenced document shows a 4GW increase for 5 million cars. This is about 10% of the peak on that curve. For 50 million cars (how many cars are in CA?), there will be little/no nighttime drop in power usage. (Assuming all charging is at night, which it won’t be.)
Thanks again
JK
I think we need to remember that in many places electricity is created by oil, coal and natural gas. There is excess capacity during parts of the day, but using that capacity means burning fuel.
If we are looking at a non-oil based electrical grid that produces enough electricity to fuel automobiles, we are probably talking about nuclear power, not solar or wind. A carport array of solar panels is not going to provide the 500 miles of driving each week for your typical suburban commuter.
In other words, we will need to modify our expectations in order to continue the use of personal vehicles. But I think Jim is right, there is no certainty that the theory of peak oil will force a dramatic change in the transportation system. At leat not from personal vehicles using lots of road space to mass transit, walking and biking.
Ross –
Studies have been done that show that even with our current mix (national average) of coal-fired power, natural gas power, transmission losses, etc., the use of electric vehicles as a significantly lower pollution/carbon impact compared to burning gasoline in a motor vehicle.
As for rooftops generating enough power for a typical commute, it is already being done! Check out this page:
http://www.darelldd.com/ev/
(Click on “Solar” on the list of items at the left).
This guy is a regular contributor at PriusChat (he calls his Prius his “Gas Guzzler”). He generates enough solar energy each day to provide more than 40mi of daily commute. According to the BTS, the US average commute is about 15 miles each way.
Now, in his configuration, he is selling energy into the grid during the day, then charging his vehicle at night. This is why I suggested the idea of workplace solar, so that true off-the-grid charging could occur.
The nice thing about the plug-in concept is that you never have to fear having a low charge… if you drive more than the battery range on one day, or need to take off to Seattle on business, gasoline makes up the difference.
– Bob R.
JK: I assume this means that the gas comes on when you accelerate then off again for steady 35. At what speed will the gas always run? (Or did I misunderstand this?)
At speeds over 35, if electric energy alone can do the job, such as maintaining even speed on level pavement, then no gasoline will be consumed. However, in the Prius design, the internal combustion engine is usually “spinning” (in motion without consuming gas) at speeds over 35mph, so that it is ready to immediately with no torque hiccups and for other reasons.
Once you get over 45 or so, usually you are consuming some amount of gas due to wind resistance unless you are decelerating/braking.
Also, another thing that can “spin” the engine is when the system needs to bleed off power. If you are going down a very long downgrade (say from SW Portland down I-5 to Tualatin, or down I-5 NB into Ashland), the batteries may reach full charge from regeneration. All the energy being generated must go somewhere, so the system will spin up the internal combustion engine to high revs using the electric motor to prevent overcharging.
Here is a link to an article and animation that shows how the power is split between gas/electric in the Prius transmission (called the PSD or “power split device” in Prius-speak):
http://www.ecrostech.com/prius/original/Understanding/PowerSplitDevice.htm (Note that this applies up to the 2003 model year. The 2004-2006 Prius is more sophisticated, but the basic principles are the same.)
– Bob R.
An update to the above, here is a an official PSD animation/info page from Toyota:
http://www.hybridsynergydrive.com/en/power_split_device.html
– Bob R.
JK: If the small shop is doing it for $10K, it is very believable that it could be even less that $3k from the factory. BTW do you know how the auxiliary batter is hooked up? Simply in parallel or switched to isolate if from the factory pack?
Some homebrew kits have either augmented or bypassed the factory battery. The first commercial kit from EDrive Systems (they are just starting to ship to government agencies) requires removal/replacement of the factory battery:
http://www.edrivesystems.com/
– Bob R.
(Sorry everyone for all the posts coming right in a row… if Chris wants to bundle these into one comment, feel free…)
JK: For 50 million cars (how many cars are in CA?), there will be little/no nighttime drop in power usage. (Assuming all charging is at night, which it won’t be.)
According to Darell’s EV page, there are 26 million internal combustion vehicles on California roads.
– Bob R.
Bob –
I appreciate the enthusiasm. But this guy says he is producing 400 KWH per month and getting 3 m/kwh. That is 1200 miles a month and I suspect that is generous. The average commute may only be 15 miles, but many suburuban commutes are far longer than that. Moreover, by necessity, suburban commuters use their car for a lot of non-commute trips.
even with our current mix (national average) of coal-fired power, natural gas power, transmission losses, etc., the use of electric vehicles as a significantly lower pollution/carbon impact compared to burning gasoline in a motor vehicle.
I am not questioning there are benefits to electric cars, but we should be clear what they are. Producing and transmitting electricity is not that efficient. So to produce the same amount of energy you have to burn a lot more carbon fuel. It may be that, despite that, there are reduced emissions, but I would want to know specifically which ones.
Siting the “current mix” ignores the question of how that mix changes when you increase the load. Many of the most polluting sources of electriciy are the ones that are the excess capacity used for peak generation. In other words, the extra electricity required for charging electric vehicles may come entirely from fossil fuels.
I think electric vehicles have a role in the transportation system (MAX and streetcar are electric). But I question whether electric vehicles can take over the role of personal gasoline powered vehicles.