Introduction to Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles (PHEVs)

What are PHEVs?

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are passenger vehicles that combine both an internal combustion engine (ICE) and a battery-powered electric motor of an electric vehicle (EV).

 

 

• PHEVs operate at the outset of any trip on the electric power stored in their battery. When this power is exhausted, they convert to their ICE mode for the balance of the trip.
• PHEVs are commonly classified by the distance of the maximum battery-powered trip, and denoted PHEV-X (i.e. where X is the distance of battery-power travel in miles). For example, a PHEV-40 vehicle can travel 40 miles on its battery charge before converting to ICE propulsion.
• The primary applications for the PHEVs are the light duty vehicles (LDV’s) such as passenger cars and light trucks.

What Do PHEVs offer?

• Lower fuel costs to consumers.At 10 cents per kWh, PHEVs operate at the equivalent of 105 mpg[1]. Current CAFÉ[2] standards should drive fleet fuel economy averages to 35 mpg, thus making PHEV an attractive alternative based on variable fuel costs.
• Lower emissions from transportation energy uses than is otherwise available from liquid fossil fuels.
  • PHEVs offer the opportunity to reduce emissions to the degree that the source of electricity has lower unit of emissions relative to the fossil fuel liquids that would otherwise be emitted during the electrically power portion of any trip.
  • The degree of renewable energy (e.g. solar and wind) in the electricity supply portfolio is an essential factor in the potential environmental benefit of PHEVs. If the electricity supplied to the PHEV is from a fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas, etc.) the environmental benefits are diminished or eliminated.
• Improved energy security by increasing the use of domestically produced electricity and reducing foreign petroleum imports.

Customer adoption of PHEVs will follow rational, economic decision-making patterns. Consumers will embrace them when their benefits (cost savings, net of incremental costs) are positive. Battery cost is a critical variable in the economic attractiveness of PHEV’s.

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[1] Energy Information Agency / Annual Energy Outlook 2009, pg. 32-33.

[2] Corporate Average Fuel Economy