The world’s biggest automaker announced this week that it plans to sell affordable plug-in hybrid vehicles in the not so distant future, a move that should make the gradually ever-greening public happy. Although a significant number of American consumers are interested in purchasing a hybrid vehicle, the average consumer is unwilling or unable to afford the current sticker prices. The availability of an affordable plug-in hybrid vehicle will allow more consumers to jump on the hybrid bandwagon, and Toyota hopes to capitalize on this beginning in 2011.

As for the price tag, what is “affordable” is yet to be formally defined by Toyota Motor Corporation. Executive Vice President Takeshi Uchiyamada, head of Toyota’s research and development department and instrumental in the creation of the original Prius, would not comment on specifics as far as pricing but did indicate that it would “likely be far cheaper than 3 million yen (or $33,770).

Will Toyota’s mass-produced plug-in vehicle simply be a version of the Prius? Uchiyamada was somewhat noncomittal on that front as well, indicating it may not take the shape of the Prius. Toyota’s initial plug-in model, the Prius Plug-In Hybrid (PHV) has an external charging option added which alleviates some of the range-related issues with electric-only vehicles. The Prius PHV can reach a top speed of 62 mph in the electric motor mode and gets a combined EV and hybrid mileage of 134 mpg. Currently the company has plans to lease the Prius PHV starting this month in France before expanding to countries such as Japan, Europe and the U.S. by the middle of 2010.

Competition is a good thing, and U.S. based General Motors and Japan’s Nissan Motors are both in the running with new rechargeable car models scheduled for the market in the near future as well. GM’s Chevrolet Volt should be available to the public in 2010, and the auto manufacturer has indicated it plans to sell approximately 10,000 Volts in the first year of production and 60,000 in its second full year. Nissan’s all-electric Leaf car is also planned for release in 2010, with a specified range of 100 miles with a single charge.

This is good news, time and competition will ultimately bring lower prices and more choices for the global public. Whether Toyota’s vision of an “affordable” hybrid-electric car matches what the public’s idea is has yet to be determined. We will await the news with anticipation and hope – right, readers?

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What an awesome Christmas present a free Toyota Prius would be! I ran across this sweepstakes offer while doing my obligatory online shopping for the holiday season, and just could not resist adding my name to the hat. Daily, that is – all throughout the month of December!

The contest is sponsored by online retailer Overstock.com and they have appropriately named it the ”Hybrid Holiday Sweepstakes”. The company will give away four 2010 Toyota Prius cars during the first four weeks of December, with one hybrid car being awarded via a random drawing each week. Anybody (over 18, that is) is eligible to enter, and no purchase is necessary. In fact, you can enter multiple times to increase your chance of winning, up to once per day, through December 29, 2009. Additionally, the contest entry page allows participants to forward the contest information to friends and family.

If you make a purchase through Overstock.com, you are automatically entered into the sweepstakes.

Here is a summary of the Hybrid Holiday Sweepstakes Official Rules:

• Eligibility. The Sweepstakes is open to legal residents of the U.S. (not including Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and other commonwealths, territories and possessions). Entrants must be 18 years or older as of December 1, 2009.
• Promotion Period. The Sweepstakes begins at 12 a.m. Mountain Time on December 1, 2009 and ends at 12 a.m. Mountain Time on December 29, 2009.
• Sweepstakes Entry. No purchase is required; you may enter once daily by going to www.Overstock.com/hybridholiday and click on “Enter Sweepstakes”. A form will be provided for the entrant to fill out. Contestants can also enter via Twitter at www.overstock.com/29262/static.html?nocache=true or on Facebook at http://apps.facebook.com/hybridholiday/contests/11707 .
• Prize(s). Four contest entrants will win a 2010 Toyota Prius (a $25,000 value)

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Engineers at Purdue University have once again proved their talents at researching and problem solving, announcing a new discovery related to how fluid boils in the small microchannels that are inherent in hybrid and electric car design. The new research will help engineers design more efficient, effective systems for cooling the power-hungry electronic systems in hybrid and electric cars, as well as other applications such as computers and airplanes.

The new research will be documented in a white paper by Purdue University doctoral student Tannaz Harirchian and Professor Surush Garimella, and the findings presented at a scientific conference scheduled for October in Leuven, Belgium.

The researchers have determined precisely how fluid boils in tiny “microchannels,” creating formulas and models that will help engineers design systems to cool high-power electronics in electric and hybrid cars, aircraft, computers, and other applications. Specifically, the new information will help engineers to design more efficient cooling systems to prevent overheating of high-power devices used in hybrid and electric vehicles, namely insulated gate bipolar transistors. These high powered switching transistors are required to drive electric motors, their function to switch the large quantity of power from the battery pack to the electric coils, which is key to the acceleration performance of the vehicle (zero to 60 mph in 10 seconds or less). Additionally, these devices play a large role in the function of regenerative braking, which is the process where the electric motors provide generation of power to brake the vehicle, while also recharging the battery. In turn, the regenerated power is used to convert electrical current to run the vehicles accessories as well as converting alternating to to direct current to charge the battery pack from a plug in connection.

The research effort has been funded by Indiana’s 21st Century Research and Technology fund, who has given Purdue University and Delphi Corporation $1.9 million in funds to pursue commercialization of the improved cooling system technology for hybrid and electric cars. Additional funding partners include a consortium of corporations and various government and academic laboratories, as well as the National Science Foundation Cooling Technologies Research Center located at Purdue University.

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Toyota Prius

Toyota Motor Corporation recently announced that after testing lithium ion battery packs “secretly” in Prius vehicles for a three year period, it will remain with the existing nickel metal hydride battery technology in its hybrid fleet.

Testing apparently began in 2006, where 126 Prius Hatchbacks located in the United States, Europe and Japan were retrofitted with lithium ion battery packs in place of  the currently used nickel metal hydride batteries. Details of the study were not available according to a company spokesperson, but the president of California-based Advanced Automotive Batteries consulting firm indicates that the tests appear to be among the most thorough done by companies planning to potentially introduce the batteries.

Both nickel metal hydride and lithium-ion batteries have their pros and cons, but the bottom line seems to be the cost versus duration and durability issue. Lithium-ion battery packs generally can hold twice the amount of energy that a nickel battery pack can maintain, yet costs significantly more. While Toyota’s lithium version performed well and gave “small” fuel-economy gains because of lighter weight, nickel is favored for conventional, mass-market hybrids for its cost, according to Toyota’s senior staff engineer for batteries.

Toyota is the top seller of hybrid vehicles in the world, and has sold more than 2 million hybrid cars and light trucks worldwide since introducing the Prius in Japan in 1997, with almost exclusive use of nickel metal hydride battery technology. Based on this latest round of tests, it sounds like this technology will continue to preside at least for the short term.

Readers, any opinions or thoughts on the choice of battery technology for hybrid vehicles going forward? Leave a comment and share if so!

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According to recent articles in The New York Times and Bloomberg, a predicted shortage of rare earth metals could soon impede production of the Toyota Prius and other hybrid cars.

As China’s industries begin to consume most of its own rare earth production, the concern is that they soon will begin limiting exports of the metals, many of which are key to the production of motor and battery parts in hybrid cars.

Hybrid vehicles utilize a number of rare metals, particularly neodymium for magnets in electric motors, and lanthanum in nickel metal hydride batteries. These metals are a little-known class of elements found in a wide range of gadgets and consumer goods, to date being supplied primarily by China. But worldwide demand for these rare elements is expected to exceed supply by up to 40,000 tons annually in several years without the identification and cultivation of alternative sources.

Besides the neodymium used to make magnets within the electric motors of the Prius, Honda Insight and Ford Focus, there are approximately 15 other rare earth elements facing potential shortages.  A single Toyota Prius requires in excess of two pounds of Neodymium for its production, while each nickel metal hydride battery utilizes approximately 30 pounds of lanthanum.

The hybrid manufacturers seem to be aware of the issues that they will be facing going forward, and are seeking alternate solutions to the supply issues. A currently inactive mineral facility owned by Molycorp Mineral in Mountain Pass, California, purportedly the richest rare earth deposit in the world. According to independent Michigan-based strategic metals expert Jack Lifton, this facility could supply all the necessary rare earth metals for hybrid and electric cars in the United States.  Production of these rare earth metals at most North American Mining companies ceased approximately ten years ago because they could not compete with China’s lower costs.  Just last year, Reuters reported that Japanese firms are showing strong interest in a Canadian rare earth site under development at Thor Lake in the Northwest Territories.

Hybrid technology is here to stay, thus these shortages will only get worse as demand for alternative fuel vehicles increases in the face of global warming and rising fuel costs and U.S. fuel economy requirements.

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There have been misconceptions floating about for years regarding hybrid vehicles, so we thought we’d write a blog post to put all these to rest so the entire country can go out finally feel comfortable replacing their gasoline-guzzling,  polluting machines.

Well, that likely will not happen immediately, but hybrid cars have become the trend in the past several years, in large part due to the spike in oil prices we faced in the summer of 2008.  The recent cash-for-clunkers program which successfully removed a significant number of polluting vehicles from American roadways likely matched up some hybrids with new owners, as well. But there is still some misinformation and misconceptions out there regarding hybrid cars, myths to be dispelled. Read on:

They require a wall outlet to plug in to. Although this is one method to recharge the gas-electric vehicle’s battery, this is also accomplished through a process called “regenerative braking”, where energy lost when slowing or stopping is reclaimed by the battery pack.

They are expensive to maintain. With the exception of the hybrid’s battery system, there is some crossover in parts between hybrids and gas-powered vehicles. Although there are some unique and expensive parts associated with some hybrid vehicles, routine repairs and maintenance for a hybrid do not always have to cost more.

Hybrids are small and underpowered. This may have been the situation with early hybrid models, but it is now far from the truth. They do tend to have a little less horsepower than their gasoline counterparts, but unless you require exceptional acceleration and speed should be completely acceptable for the typical consumer.

Hybrid batteries have shortened lifespans. A typical hybrid battery warranty will cover an eight-year period or longer. The replacement cost for new nickel-metal hydride Prius batteries keeps dropping, but a new battery pack still costs around $2,000.

The only reason to buy a hybrid is to save money on gas. Although saving money on fuel costs is certainly a significant advantage, equally important reasons include to minimize the impact on the environment and to help reduce the world’s addiction to oil.

Many people think that the hybrid car craze is a fad that will just pass. Others wonder if the cost savings afforded over the life of the vehicle will justify the initial investment.  But whatever you do believe, the reduction of the pollutants that are released in to our air from traditional gasoline engines is a benefit that cannot be disputed.  For the future of children, and our planet, the acceptance of alternative fuel vehicles is critical — don’t you agree, readers?

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Australia is joining the hybrid vehicle movement this month, as the pilot production of the first Australian-built hybrid car has been officially launched in Melbourne.  The country’s first hybrid car will be produced by Toyota Australia, and the design is  based on the popular mid-sized Camry model. The Camry will utilize a four-cylinder petrol engine as well as an electric engine which the car reverts to when it is traveling slowly or is stationary.

Last year, the Australian government awarded Toyota Motor Corporation $35 million of “taxpayer funds” to help support its plans to make 10,000 Camry hybrids each year at the Altona assembly plant, beginning in 2010. The plan is for Toyota to initially build a small batch of pre-production vehicles at the Altona plant,  and then proceed to full-scale production in December. By February 2010 the vehicles should be ready to hit the marketplace.

Toyota Australia employs 3,200 people at its Altona plant, which produced 141,000 vehicles in 2008. Approximately 101,000 of these were for export markets, and resulted in revenue of $1.5 billion for the Australian economy. With only five total Toyota plants in the world manufacturing hybrid vehicles to date, this is a prestigious achievement for Toyota Australia. 

Federal Industry Minister Kim Carr and Victorian premier John Brumby are avid proponents of the project, stating that the Government would continue to invest in environmentally friendly technology. According to the Federal Industry Minister, the Government would continue to focus on supporting available conventional technology rather than concentrating on electric and hydrogen vehicles that were years off from being commercially viable. “We are ready to consider any innovation that produces better fuel consumption and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions,” he said.

We at altfuelsnow.com are pleased to see more countries jumping on the hybrid bandwagon, so keep them coming. Good job, Australia!

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Bloomberg News reported over the weekend that a patent infringement case is looming against Toyota Motor Corporation, the world’s largest automaker. The possible outcome could be a ban on the U.S. import of vehicles including the Camry Hybrid, the highly popular third-generation Prius, the Lexus RX450h and the Lexus 250h.

The patent infringement claim was filed by by Paice LLC of Bonita Springs LLC with the International Trade Commission (ITC). Paice is seeking a ban on all imports of vehicles that use components that it claims were its inventions, and this isn’t the first time they’ve gone down this road.

In an earlier claim in 2005, Paice was awarded $4.3 million for a similar claim involving the Toyota Highlander Hybrid, Prius and RX400h. The jury verdict was upheld thus far (pending appeal), but the request to stop sales of Toyota vehicles was not granted. Instead, the judge ordered Toyota to pay royalties based on wholesale prices equal to 0.48 percent for a Prius II, 0.32 percent for each Highlander and 0.26 percent for the Lexus RX400h.

The third-generation Prius, which went on sale in May, gets an average of 50 miles per gallon in combined city and highway driving, making it the most fuel-efficient gasoline-engine vehicle sold in the U.S., according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Will they be successful with a full-on ban? Unlikely, and the legal system will no doubt drag on indefinitely perhaps until an entire new technology is created, and the lawsuit obsolete. The commission in Washington is set up to protect U.S. market from unfair trade practices, including patent- infringement. The commission first must agree to investigate Paice’s claims, and any subsequent investigation may be completed in about 15 months. The commission does have the power to order U.S. customs to block infringing products from entering the country, and this would be a worst case scenario for Toyota Motor Corp.

Do they have a case? Precedent seems to be established via the 2005 case, as well as another case that is scheduled to begin on October 1 that contains similar allegations, thus it is likely to be a drawn out legal event at minimum.

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It seems as though the achievements obtained (and expected) from students at colleges and universities are at a whole different level than when I was in engineering school. Should I disclose when that was? OK, the early 1980′s, if you must know. But when I saw the newspaper article in the “Sun Newspapers” recently that alerted me to these student’s project results, I was definitely duly impressed, and wanted to know more.

The story is, that grants from the  Department of Commerce’s Office of Energy Security were awarded to six schools across Minnesota. The goal outlined in the grant was for the students and instructors to achieve a minimum of 70 mpg using different plug-in technologies. The schools involved in the grant program included Hennepin Technical College in Eden Prairie, Dakota County Technical College in Rosemount, Lake Superior College in Duluth, Minnesota State Community and Technical College in Moorhead, Northwest Technical College in Bemidji and St. Cloud Technical College.

But it was the Automotive Service Educational Program at Dakota County Technical College (DCTC)  that really scored big in the mpg result, by converting a 2005 Prius hyrid vehicle to plug-in hybrid technology. With the help of automotive class  instructors (who, by the way, may have been in college the same time as I)  Mark Hickman and Tim McCluskey, the students created their plug-in hybrids through the addition of a lithium-ion battery pack.

According to the Sun article,

“But I think the primary focus of these grants is to get this technology into the colleges so the instructors and students can learn how to work on it,” said Hickman. “These cars are going to be commercially available in year or year and a half. They’re going to break.”

The  current Prius models are outfitted with a 1.3-kilowatt nickel metal hydride battery and achieve a typical 50 mpg. With the modification of the 330-volt li-ion battery (at a cost of $11,000), DCTC’s plug-in hybrid averaged 95 mpg when driven under typical commuting conditions.

The differences between the standard Prius and the plug-in, according to Hickman, include the fact that the smaller battery is capable of recharging without pulling energy out during the braking process. Recharging is achieved through the process of simply plugging into a standard 110 Volt outlet. Additionally, the more powerful battery can operate at speeds up to 30 mph, while the existing battery design only can accomodate speeds up to 8 mph before utilizing the gasoline powered engine.

Clearly, providing opportunities such as these grants to technical schools can accomplish multiple objectives, including the advancement of technology while providing excellent learning opportunities for the young people that will be shaping the future of this country. Getting them excited, and involved in projects such as this is beneficial to the all of us, don’t you agree, readers? 

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The more alternative fuel vehicles there are to choose from, the better, we say here at altfuelsnow.com! Let the increased competition keep quality up and prices down!

Japanese automaker Suzuki Motor Corporation is apparently poised to enter the hybrid market in the United States in 2011, according to a report in the Nikkei newspaper this past week.  Suzuki has been well behind the competition as far as alternative fuel vehicles to date, with Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. leading the pack. Although Suzuki can boast itself as  Japan’s second-largest minicar maker, they have seen their sales in the United States fall to record lows year to date, with numbers indicating a 60% reduction in total sales the first half of this year.

Suzuki is planning to add a hybrid system to the Kizashi sedan, which is developed in a partnership with General Motors Corporation. The two companies have a long history together, as GM initially invested in the Japanese automaker back in 1981. Once holding as much as 20% of the company’s shares, GM liquidated its final shares of the company last year to raise funds for the joint venture.

Encouraging automakers around the world to bring gasoline-electric hybrid cars in North America  to meet growing demand for fuel-efficient vehicles is important for the future of our planet, so this is good news for all of us.

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Now I’ve heard everything, the latest buzz being that the silence of  hybrid vehicles makes them unsafe in certain situations. Wait, isn’t a quieter automobile an advantage? Hasn’t much of the engineering of vehicles for years had “noise reduction” as one of their key design parameters? Although the answer is likely “yes” to all of the questions, it is still an interesting topic to consider and discuss.

Particular concern over the noise factor (or lack thereof) is being addressed by the Japanese government, who is apparently considering requiring certain cars that are too quiet with mandatory noise-making devices. The most popular vehicles in Japan are predominately hybrid vehicles, namely the Toyota Prius and the Honda Insight. When these vehicles operate at low speeds, they normally operate exclusively on electricity, therefore the traditional rumbling that a gasoline-combustion engine makes is absent from the ears of pedestrians and onlooker. The concern is that in situations such as entering and exiting driveways, the silence may result in negative consequences with unsuspecting pedestrians, particular to the visually-impaired.

So the Japanese have created a panel to study the need to implement such a device on hybrid vehicles, comprised of  scholars, consumers and visually impaired people. The panel is expected to have a report finished by the end of the year, and its recommendations could have an effect in the U.S., where hybrids are gaining popularity for their fuel-efficiency. In fact, this country may have their own study in place concurrent to the Japanese one, given that U.S. senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Arlen Specter (R-PA) introduced a bill called the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 earlier this year which would require the U.S. government to conduct a similar study on how to protect visually impaired people from such cars.

What do you think, readers — is this a waste of taxpayer’s money, or a valid safety issue? Let us know your view by leaving a comment!

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The world’s top automaker, Toyota Motor Corporation, announced last week that it plans to lease 500 plug-in hybrid vehicles later this year. The leased automobiles will be available predominately through special government and corporate fleet customers, as opposed to private consumers. The PHEV will be based on the third generation Prius, and will use lithium-ion battery technology, a first for the automaker, which currently utilizes nickel-metal hydride batteries in their hybrids. The new 2010 Prius, which went on sale earlier this year in Japan and the United States, uses less efficient nickel-metal hydride batteries.

The 500 hybrid PHEVs available for the leasing program will consist of 200 in Japan, 150 in Europe  and 150 in the United States. The European program is centered in France, and 100 vehicles are expected to be leased in this country. It is also considering the U.K., Germany and the Netherlands as potential markets for the Prius PHEV.

Toyota leads the world in cumulative hybrid sales because of the popularity of the Prius, now in its third generation. The first-generation Prius was released to the market in 1997, and has been one of the biggest sellers for the automaker. However, like many automakers, they have been ravaged by the global recession, having recorded their worst loss in a  seven-decade history for the fiscal year ending in March.

In Japan, Toyota said its dealers have received 110,000 orders for the new Prius, and the waiting list is now five to six months. With the price of fuel rising again, the orders will likely keep coming – good news for the automaker, economy, and environment.

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A number of  pretty encouraging “firsts” emerged at the 2009 National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA) Work Truck Show in Chicago earlier this month. Kraft Foods  announced the acquisition of a new refrigerated diesel-electric hybrid truck from Navistar which will be used to economically transport frozen food. American Honda Motor Company Inc. will begin utilizing a hybrid truck to haul service parts in Georgia, and Electric Vehicles International USA is introducing an all- electric work truck to the American market.

The keys were presented to Kraft Foods executives by Steve Guillame, Navistar’s general manager of vocational trucks, during the NTEA Work Truck Show. The director of North American Transportation for Kraft Foods, Mike Cole, said “This truck is one more step forward in our transportation sustainability initiatives. As part of our commitment to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, we are applying new technologies like this one, cutting down on the distances our fleet travels, and partnering with governmental agencies,”.

Navistar has demonstrated their commitment to clean technologies and the environment for years, as they were the first engine manufacturer to gain 2007 EPA certification for meeting particulate and hydrocarbon emissions standards, a full six years ahead of schedule. That same year, Navistar was also honored with the 2007 Blue Sky Award from WestStart-CALSTART for its contributions to the commercial development of diesel-hybrid technology. Navistar has the additional distinction of being was the first Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to manufacture the smokeless diesel engine, and to establish  line production of diesel-hybrid commercial trucks and school buses in North America.

“Navistar’s line of hybrid vehicles meets the needs of our customers by reducing a fleet’s overall fuel consumption and carbon footprint,” said Steve Guillaume, Navistar general manager, vocational trucks. “We’re proud of our leadership in the development and production of diesel-electric hybrid commercial trucks and we continue to pursue energy-efficient, environmentally friendly solutions for our customers.”

The International DuraStar Hybrid truck with RouteMax refrigerated body is a pilot unit and is the first of its kind on the road, according to Navistar. The truck uses a hybrid-electric system along with a regenerative braking system to recover energy normally lost during braking.  Energy is then stored in batteries and power is added back into the driveline as necessary during starts and acceleration. The energy-saving system in this delivery truck is expected to result in fuel savings of up to 30% over a conventional diesel-powered truck of comparable size.

In addition to the hybrid system, the truck also features RouteMax, a self-powered, extended-route cold plate refrigeration system offered exclusively through Navistar in cooperation with Johnson Truck Bodies. Onboard power from the hybrid system provides power for the refrigeration solution to accelerate body temperature recovery during the truck’s daily operation, nearly doubling the length of time its cold plates provide cooling for cargo and protecting assets. Compared with a traditional diesel-powered refrigerated blower unit, RouteMax can help fleets save as much as 1,400 gallons of fuel per year, according to Navistar.

Cindy Electric Vehicles, Hybrid Cars clean technologies, diesel-hybrid, DuraStar, hybrid trucks, Hybrid Vehicles, hybrid work trucks, Kraft foods, Navistar, RouteMax

Wouldn’t it be cool if you could buy an inexpensive electric car at Costco? Perhaps those days are coming, if a Chinese automaker has their way.

At the end of last year, BYD Auto began selling the first mass-produced plug-in hybrid car in the world.  BYD Auto (which stands for “Build Your Dreams”) is a Chinese automobile manufacturer based in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, People’s Republic of China. The firm was founded by Wang Chuanfu in 1995, initially as a manufacturer of cellphone batteries. The company only began building cars in 2003, it has become one of the major players in the Chinese auto industry at a very rapid pace.

Although Chinese cars have been displayed at the Detroit Auto Show for the past several years, many industry critics have not taken them seriously, citing design or quality flaws. This past January at at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, fellow automakers weren’t laughing anymore. The Chinese company exhibited their newly released F3 Dual Mode hybrid vehicle PHEV, which has a 100-kilometer (62 miles) all-electric range.

Unlike conventional gas-electric hybrids, the F3DM can be charged from a wall outlet. It has a range of about 60 miles on a full battery charge. Its lithium-ion batteries can be fully recharged in as little as seven hours, according to specifications provided by the company. And the batteries can be 50 percent recharged at a special station in 10 minutes. The car also reportedly has a 1-liter gas engine, which purportedly recharges the batteries to extend the range.

The F3DM automobile is retailing for a price of about $22,000. According to The Wall Street Journal, Mr. Wang told reporters that the company plans to sell approximately 350,000 automobiles in 2009, roughly twice the number sold in 2008. The company plans to introduce four new vehicles next year, including an electric car.

As for their projected entrance into the U.S. market, one clue may be the fact that last fall, Warren Buffett purchased a 9.9% stake in the company. If Warren’s actions are any indication, we will be seeing a lot more of this automaker’s wares in the not too distant future.

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In an article published this week, Time magazine discusses the impact of plug-in hybrids.  Perpetuating the myths once again about how this is unviable technology, they said that the plug-in hybrids could “overwhelm” the electrical grid once everyone plugs in.

The first changes would have to be in pricing and delivery. Most of the U.S. utility system is extraordinarily dumb — using 19th-century technology to run 21st-century applications. In real-time, utilities rarely know how much electricity any given customer is using, or when. Even though electric cars use relatively little power — the average car recharging draws about as much juice as a widescreen TV — they could still potentially overwhelm the electrical system. If plug-ins suddenly became popular, before the grid had a chance to get smarter, it could lead to a real power predicament. “You can imagine what would happen if five drivers on the block got home at 5 p.m. and all decided to recharge their cars at the same time,” says Charles Griffith, auto project director at the Ecology Center in Ann Arbor, Mich.

So are they saying that if everyone buys a new widescreen TV that the electrical grid will also be overwhelmed? No, people don’t all turn on their TVs at night at the same time.  Let’s regulate Circuit City and Best Buy now to prevent this catastrophe!

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