Cars - Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle

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	Cars - Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle

A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) or gas-electric hybrid fueled vehicle is a hybrid which has additional battery capacity and the ability to be recharged from an external electrical outlet. In addition, modifications are made to the vehicle's control software. The vehicle can be used for short trips of moderate speed without needing the internal combustion engine (ICE) component of the vehicle, thereby saving fuel costs. In this mode of operation the vehicle operates as a pure electric vehicle with a weight penalty (the ICE). The long range and additional power of the ICE power train is available when needed.

PHEVs are commonly called "grid-connected hybrids," "gas-optional hybrids" (GO-HEVs), "full hybrids," and are sometimes called HEV-30 (for instance, to denote a hybrid with a 30-mile (50 km) electric range, compared to a HEV-0 (a non-plug-in hybrid). However, Ford, GM, and Toyota have all used the term "Full Hybrid Technology" to describe configurations that allow electric-only operation at low speeds (yet not PHEVs). Two other PHEV names used by a major U.S. automotive supplier and in a 1999 SAE paper are "energy hybrids" and "true hybrids." PHEVs can also operate in a mixed-mode where both gas and external electricity are used simultaneously to increase gas mileage for a particular range, usually double that of its electric-only range.

Types

Some early non-production plug-in hybrid electric vehicle conversions have been based on the version of Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) found in the 2004+ model year Toyota Prius. Early Pba conversions by have demonstrated 10 miles (15 km) of EV-only and 20 miles (30 km) of double mileage mixed-mode range. A company planning to offer conversions to consumers named will be using Li-ion batteries and have 35 miles (55 km) of electric range. Another company offering a plug-in module for the Toyota Prius is . All of these systems leave the existing HSD system mostly unchanged and would be fairly simple to apply to other hybrid configurations. A conversion to plug-in mode involves replacing the stock NiMH battery with a higher capacity battery pack and a higher power charger to recharge the larger pack.

The cost of electricity for for a PHEV is about $0.03/mi ($0.019/km) from standard household outlets. Though the Honda Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system does not have low-speed electric-only cability, mixed-mode mileage could be greatly enhanced while displacing some of their gasoline consumption with electricity from external sources. The Advanced Hybrid System 2 (AHS2) could be offered with additional battery capacity and charging capabilities as an option, costing about $3000 if offered by the manufacturer. Although the possibility is fairly remote, General Motors or DaimlerChrysler could potentially effect a marketing coup by producing a markedly more versatile and fuel-efficient hybrid, a PHEV.

Current PHEV conversions install a higher capacity battery than common hybrids like the Toyota Prius in order to extend the range. This additional cost is offset by fuel operating cost savings because just $1.00 worth of electricity from the wall (at $0.09/kW·h) will drive you the same distance as a gallon of gasoline. During the year 2006, many government and industry researchers will focus on determining what level of all-electric range is economically optimum for the design.

While PHEV concepts and research have been neglected for many years by industry and government, strong interest is budding in 2006 to such a level that the architecture has even been included as an area of research in President George W. Bush's Advanced Energy Initiative. The "addiction to oil" mentioned in his 2006 State of the Union Address could be largely eliminated by PHEVs and this fact is the most dramatic advantage of the architecture.

Advantages

A 70-mile range HEV-70 will annually require only about 25% as much gasoline as a similarly designed HEV-0. A further advantage of PHEVs is that they have potential to be even more efficient than their HEV-0 cousins because the operation envelope of their IC engine is far more simple. While a Prius is likely to convert fuel to motive energy on average at about 30% efficiency (well below the engine's 38% peak efficiency) the engine of a PHEV-70 would likely operate far more often near its peak efficiency because it is not needed during transient operation conditions. These architectures would be highly likely to employ a parallel hybrid configuration whereby mechanical engine power is allowed to transfer most efficiently directly to the wheels (when the engine is activated).

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