A Breakdown of OEM Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV's)

Moving on from the all-electrics, let's focus our attention on what is described as plug-in hybrid technology. Felix Kramer, of California Cars Initiative, gets most of the credit for advancing the concept of the PHEV. Felix and his technical assistant, Ron Gremban, converted a Toyota Prius several years ago so that it would have extra batteries, could run on electricity alone and could be plugged into a standard 120 volt outlet to recharge. Their efforts were successful and now we have a cottage industry growing up that offers to convert the Prius's for current owners.

This movement towards PHEV's is gaining momentum and now we see most major auto makers with at least one model in the works. The beauty of PHEV's is that they alleviate the "range anxiety" of pure electric vehicles. With a gasoline engine on board and gas stations located at every corner, there is little fear of running out of fuel. The PHEV will operate in EV mode until the batteries are depleted and then the gasoline generator kicks on to provide current for the motor and charge the battery pack.

GM EV1 Series Hybrid

I would like to start the lineup by looking backwards 10 years to the GM EV1. When General Motors was creating the wonderful EV1, a concept that emerged was a serial hybrid model that used less batteries than the all-electric model and also had an on-board generator. Unfortunately, the car never made it to production but if it had, it would have been a hit. This early PHEV had everything the EV1 had with the added bonus of a longer range due to the gas generator.





Chevrolet Volt

Introduced to the world at the Detroit / North American Auto Show in January of 2007, the Chevy Volt is quite possibly the most hyped and anticipated vehicle in history. This car has been trumpeted as the savior of GM and the vehicle that will change the automotive industry forever. Not sure the Volt will live up to either of those expectations, but I am sure this is a very well thought out design and will prove to be a great car. This vehicle is greatly anticipated and there are thousands of individuals who have committed to purchase it when it rolls off the line.

Here are some specs for the Volt:

- 16 kWh lithium ion battery pack.
- 40 mile all-electric range (AER).
- Series hybrid design - the gas generator does not turn the wheels. Its function is to provide current for the electric motor and to recharge the battery.
- Four doors and seats four, due to large battery pack running along the center line.
- Regenerative braking.
- High tech interior with "iPod" touch and feel.
- MSRP will be close to $40,000 but the Volt qualifies for the $7,500 federal tax credit.

Fisker Karma

Here is another beautiful, sexy, powerful alt energy sports car. Fisker's Karma looks like it was intended for the race course and not for daily driving and it is easy to envision the car in attorney's and doctor's garages. You're going to need a hefty wallet to afford this mid-life crisis car though, as its estimated MSRP is $80,000. Of course, this price is still a bargain compared to the Tesla Roadster.

Powered by the Q-DRIVE plug-in hybrid system, the fully charged Karma travels up to 50 miles solely on electric power. Once the 50 miles have been exceeded, the car will operate in hybrid mode with the gas engine kicking in. The Karma is a series hybrid design utilizing lithium ion batteries and a gasoline generator that provides current to the motor and battery pack.

Here are a few more specifics:

• 0-60 in less than 6 seconds (0-100 km/h 6 seconds)
• Top speed 125 mph (200 km/h)
• Two Driving Modes: The driver will be able to select between two modes of driving. The first mode is Stealth Drive, which is the quiet economy mode for optimal relaxed and efficient driving. By flipping the second paddle behind the steering wheel, the car will switch to Sport Drive, which will access the full power of the vehicle.
• Regenerative brakes featured to recapture braking energy
• Low center of gravity provides optimal sport vehicle driving dynamics

Look for the Fisker Karma in the fourth quarter of 2009.

China's BYD F3DM

Here you have the world's first production PHEV. The Chinese beat everyone by a mile and now have a massive head start over the competition. BYD's parent company is one of the world's largest supplier of lithium ion batteries and so this gives them a distinct advantage in building the PHEV battery. BYD is using a 13.2 kWh lithion-phosphate ion battery pack to provide an all-electric range of 62 miles. It is this author's opinion that a 62 mile range is the absolute sweet spot for a PHEV. 62 miles certainly covers the overwhelming majority of worker's daily commutes, which means that no gasoline would be used during the work week.

The F3DM will be introduced in Europe in 2010 and the United States in 2011. So what is the best attribute of the F3DM? It is retailing for $22,000 equivalent dollars in China as we speak. This is nearly half the price of a Volt. Imagine this car for sale in the US for less than $25,000 and with the $7,500 federal tax credit, you are looking at taking one of these home for less than $18,000. Wow. Hurry up BYD and bring this car to the States.

Jeep Patriot EV

Chrysler has very ambitious plans for electric vehicles which include the Jeep Patriot EV. This will be a range extended electric vehicle, capable of traveling 40 miles purely on electric power and then another 360 with the gasoline generator. Absolutely no range anxiety with this SUV. The Jeep Patriot EV uses an electric-drive motor, advanced lithium-ion battery system and a small gasoline engine with an integrated electric generator to produce additional energy to power the electric-drive system when needed. Chrysler has promised an EV or PHEV by 2010 and maybe this is the one we will see in showrooms.



Jeep Wrangler EV

Here is the second PHEV in Chrysler's lineup. The Wrangler EV is basically the same as the Patriot, with a 40 mile AER and a genset that extends its range to 400 miles. the Wrangler is an extended range electric vehicle utilizing lithium ion batteries and a powerful electric motor. Again, we could see this vehicle as early as next year. This Jeep should be offered before the Dodge Circuit EV debuts as the MSRP will be considerably lower. Either the Wrangler or the Patriot EV will make a wonderful daily driver that significantly impacts a users gasoline usage.





Chrysler EV

The Chrysler EV is basically an award winning mini-van with all the innards of an extended range electric vehicle. Like the Jeep products, the Chrysler will have a a 40 mile all-electric range and a total range of about 400 miles. The van seats seven and is much needed in the US. Imagine all the soccer moms in the country hauling the kids around on electric power alone!







Toyota Prius Plug-In

Actually, Toyota is contemplating spinning off the Prius as a separate line and may introduce their plug-in vehicle under a different brand. Until we hear more from Toyota, we will assume that their plug-in will be a Prius. The latest reports have them available late in 2010 in limited numbers. It is also reported that this model will only have an 8 to 10 mile electric range and will top out at 62 mph. So when driving on the freeway, the gasoline engine would always be running. It is disappointing that Toyota has decided to restrict their plug-in variant in this fashion and give it such a small range.

It is taking longer to compile the list of PHEV's than anticipated, so I will break the list in two. Look for the rest of the plug-in vehicles in the next post.