TECHNOLOGY FOR CHANGE

Plug Pulled on Six Myths About Hybrid Electric Vehicles

R. Colin Johnson | Date: 12-04-09 | Comments

The Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory dispels myths about plug-in hybrids' availability, fuel economy, pricing and batteries.

Weaning the United States off foreign oil motivated the Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory to research the remaining engineering hurtles to the commercialization of plug-in hybrid vehicles. As a result of that research, Argonne's Center for Transportation Research recently pulled the plug on six myths about hybrid electric vehicles.

Myth 1: Plug-in hybrids are currently for sale

The Toyota Prius and other hybrids currently being sold nationwide are not plug-in hybrids because their batteries are charged by the wheels and regenerative brakes. The first true plug-in hybrid that charges off the power grid will probably be the Chevrolet Volt, according to Argonne Labs engineer Forrest Jehlik. When released about a year from now, the Volt will break the 300-range rule that production cars follow today by only traveling 40 miles on a charge. Toyota, Ford, Volkswagen and Volvo are all planning to release plug-in hybrids too.

Myth 2: Fuel economy for a plug-in hybrid is easily measured

Fuel economy calculations can get complicated quickly, since they depend on the range of the vehicle, the number of miles driven in a day and the amount of charge stored in the battery. For instance, if you start a Chevy Volt with a full charge and just drive to work and back 20 miles away every day, then you could make the whole 40-mile trip without using any gasoline�40 miles per 0 gallons. If your trip was 5 miles per day longer, then at 35 miles per gallon when running the engine for the last 5 miles, it would take all week to burn a gallon�250 miles per gallon. But if you take a 250-mile trip in one day, then you'll burn 6 gallons of gas on the last 210 miles�or 42 miles per gallon.

Myth 3: Prices for plug-in hybrid vehicles are inflated

The components in a plug-in hybrid are truly expensive, with the batteries being the single largest cost at about $10,000.

Myth 4: Plug-in hybrid batteries require frequent replacement, are unreliable and are potentially unsafe

Lithium-ion batteries have safety systems to prevent potential hazards and will last 150,000 miles, according to Argonne Lab, which does accelerated lifecycle testing.

"When these cars become available for sale, the batteries are going to last as long as any part of them will," said Jehlik.

Myth 5: Lithium-ion batteries are the only viable battery technology

Argonne and other labs around the world are currently investigating several alternatives to lithium-ion batteries to bring down the cost of plug-in hybrids.

Myth 6: America's electric grid can't handle the increased load caused by the charging of millions of electric vehicles

Not true, because most people won't switch immediately.

"Given the pace that they are likely to enter the market, we won't face a systemwide failure," said Jehlik.

The U.S. electric grid, however, does need to be modernized.