Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles

Today

Current Trends and Options for Buyers

Current activities in HEV technology include the rapidly expanding models available for purchase as well as corporate and individual leaders across the globe producing the first PHEVs.

Hybrid Options. 1

Recent innovations in Plug-in Hybrid Technology. 2

Other Helpful Links. 2

Hybrid Options

The Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle options for today’s consumer are limited. Many Car companies, however, have embraced the environmental and economic advantages of Non-Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles, and the market is expanding quickly. Some of the most recent additions to the expanding fleet of marketed Hybrid Vehicles are the Lexus RX 400 hybrid, the Ford Escape Hybrid, the Honda Accord Hybrid, and the Honda Civic. The Chevrolet Silverado and the GMC Sierra are available in limited quantities in several states, and are the first hybrid electric pickup trucks. They are both estimated to get 21 mpg on the highway. Each of these vehicles are available to be ordered from the manufacturer and each offer unique advantages depending on what kind of vehicle you are pursuing. Other models have been available for quite some time and are being purchased as fast as they can be manufactured. Two of these popular, and some would call original, hybrids are the Toyota Prius and the Honda Insight.

Calcars has formed a site on Plug-In HEVs including the exchange of information on converting the Toyota Prius into a Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle—these appear to be the first American PHEVs. Their efforts offer inspiration and ideas for car companies/individuals thinking about investing in Plug-in technology. The following graph summarizes prices for some current HEV options:

Recent innovations in Plug-in Hybrid Technology

Some recent developments in the Plug-in market have come from overseas manufacturers where less petroleum dependent citizens are more open to alternative fuel technologies. Daimler-Chrysler has begun work on a Plug-in Hybrid version of its popular Sprinter Van, and the French car manufacturer Renault has begun marketing a Plug-in hybrid car called the Kangoo. You can access a French technical description of the vehicle that you can translate at Alta Vista’s Babel Fish or check out an English review of the vehicle.

It is important to recognize that PHEVs have the same range as conventional vehicles because the engine starts when battery charges are low. Further details on the anticipated evolution of PHEVS can be found at PHEV - Path to the Hydrogen Economy.