CARazed

Plug-in hybrids are the best short-term solution for our oil and environmental crisis. The technology is available today, the cost is reasonable, and the infrastructure is in place. Today there are no plug-in hybrids on the market but many seem to be on the way. To speed up delivery we need to increase demand and ask or government to push auto makers for this simple solution.

RechargeIT is a project that Google’s charitable arm, Google.org, has taken on with the goals of reducing CO2 emissions, reducing our oil dependency, increasing wide spread adoption of plug-in hybrids, and vehicle-to-grid technologies. To achieve their goals RechargeIT has set-up a fleet of cars converted to plug-in hybrids to demonstrate how it works and the immediate benefits. Google is also supporting others through grants and investments to help power the plug-in hybrid revolution. The simple fact that Google is putting its money on this solution is an excellent endorsement that it’s the right solution. The reasons are simple, lets look at the options.

Hydrogen Fuel Cells

In the short term other hopeful technologies like hydrogen fuel cells are not really practical, although they have great long-term potential. These cars would require a brand new nation-wide infrastructure. Imagine the effort it would take to install liquid hydrogen storage tanks and pumps at every gas station. Another problem is that the primary source of hydrogen is natural gas, not electrolysis like you might think. In other words hydrogen fuel cell cars just switch us from one fossil fuel to another and although the emissions at the car as zero, the manufacturing of the hydrogen is not enormously better than the production of gasoline. Hydrogen fuel cell technology itself is still experimental and years away from wide spread reality.

Pure Electric Cars

Battery technology is improving quickly but is still years away from low cost mass production. Take a look at the options and you’ll see a clear division between low and high cost electric cars. The new ZENN from Canada is affordable, about the cost of an entry level economy hatchback. But it’s maximum speed is 25 MPH. The new Tesla Roadster, on the other hand, can do 0 to 60 in under 4 seconds, has a range of 230 miles per charge and a top speed of 125 MPH. This is amazing for an all electric car, the only draw back is the cost, about $100,000. Clearly electric cars are making progress but they are still years away from mass consumption.

Bio-Fuels

E85, pure ethanol, bio-diesel, and natural vegetable oils are probably the most likely alternative to fossil fuels in the future but their availability at the levels of their fossil fuel counterparts, gasoline and diesel, are years away from realization. It’s true that most of our cars can burn these fuels today with some minor modifications but it does the vast majority of people little good because these fuels are not widely available. In other words we should set our long term sights on bio-fuels but it is impractical to count on them for our immediate needs.

Compressed Air

Possibly the most novel solution to hit the road comes from a company in Spain. The AirCar actually runs on compressed air. Refueling is easy, simply recharge the on-board air tanks. Currently the cars are in prototype form and not expected to be in wide use for years if they are successful at all.

Sub-Compacts

Many people believe that smaller cars is the answer. Most auto makers build sub-compacts. These cars get great gas mileage and burn less CO2 because they have small lower power motors in tiny little frames. The smart fortwo is an excellent example of this strategy at work, but there are many examples on the road and on drawing boards.

Hybrids

Today there are thousands of hybrids on the road getting good gas mileage and proving to be remarkably reliable. They cost about what a normal gasoline powered car costs to drive and maintain. Overall it is arguable they are less costly to own. But they always burn fossil fuel to run so in a way they are not much better than a really small economy hatchback. In fact many of the European sub-compacts get as good or better gas mileage than the hybrids. The hybrid cars on the road today almost seem like a half step to the best solution.

Plug-In Hybrids

By no means are plug-in hybrids the ultimate answer to our environmental and fossil fuel woes unless you’re clever and burn ethanol in your plug-in hybrid. But they are a step that can and is happening today. At this moment no auto maker sells a plug-in hybrid in the USA. Conversion kits are available that can transform some hybrids into plug-in hybrids. This is what Google has done with their fleet of RechargeIT cars.

A plug-in hybrid is simply a car with both electric and gas propulsion. In full electric mode the gasoline engine doesn’t run. The car is effectively a zero emissions vehicle driving on electricity only, at normal speeds with normal acceleration. When the batteries run low the engine kicks in to power the car. So you can make your local errands on battery at a fraction of the cost with no CO2 emissions and still be able to drive across country if the need arises.

Simply put, plug-in hybrids are the best short term option because the infrastructure is in place and the technology is available yesterday. Some car makers are showing off these new cars at auto shows and we’re seeing them in press releases and spy photos. Some say the battery and computer technology needed to make this work wasn’t available until now. Other say there is some kind of conspiracy between auto makes and oil companies.

No matter what you believe, or your political or economic position, the same conclusion works for everyone. Plug-In hybrids are the best bridge to the best future technology. We just need to ask for it, from government and auto makers. Before you buy your next car ask the sales guy to show you their plug-in hybrid. Tell them you’ll be waiting to buy your next car until one is available because you want your next car to be a plug-in hybrid. If we put our purchasing power in the right place we can move mountains.

-Michael Janzen