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Hybrid Vehicles Hybrids - News, Reviews and Views in the Press
567 messages, Last post on Oct 30, 2009 at 9:21 PM
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Replying to: moparbad (Aug 01, 2007 2:44 pm)  . I do have one beef with the writer. While I agree that GM's "mild" hybrid really should not be called "hybrid", I disagree that we can suddenly jump to plug-in EV's. The path to plug-in EV's require political will at the state level and CA is leading the way with prodding by many environmental groups. First, there needs to be infrastructure support. Either hotels need to provide some sort of charging stations or we will need EV Stations where cars can charge overnight. Problem is, where do they all park over night? Do we use coal power from Nevada? midwest? or do we use solar power plants in souther CA? Until plug-in batteries can handle a fast charge in 1 hour, drivers have to stop, park, go sleep somewhere while their cars charge up. So to claim that gas-electric hybrid is "too late" is really naive at best and ignorant at worst. Gas-electric or diesel-eletric hybrids are necessary stepping stones. Even when EV, as we know it today, is fully available, I still see a high-efficiecncy fuel engine (H? gas? diesel?) that charges the battery to extend the range.
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Replying to: kdhspyder (Aug 01, 2007 4:43 pm) At this rate, $5/gal in 5 years is a definite possibility. |
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Replying to: cdptrap (Aug 01, 2007 5:57 pm) With that said there is one thing that infuriates me about some people that have gone this route. It doesn't apply to you since you already have a PV system but I suspect that you've heard this rational before. Some people justify the cost of a PV systems by comparing it to the price of the gasoline that will be saved. You have to compare the cost of PV electricity with the cost of grid electricity. After all, grid electricity could have just as easily been used to charge your EV or PHEV so any cost analysis has to include this option. It's not like EVs and PHEVs can only be charged off solar electricity.
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Replying to: hiwayman (Aug 01, 2007 3:29 pm)
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Replying to: tpe (Aug 01, 2007 6:46 pm) Now if someone decides not to convert to solar power based on some flawed or narrow reasoning, then I think we need to do our best to overcome whatever flawed reasoning they may have used.
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Replying to: michael2003 (Aug 02, 2007 1:46 am) Here's an example. Someone says they are going to install a $8k PV system that will be used for charging an EV. They currently spend around $1,600/year on gas and they will now spend $0. Therefore the PV system will save them $1,600/year and pay for itself in 5 years. Almost sounds reasonable. However this EV could have been charged off the grid for about $300/year, saving you $1,300/year simply by transitioning to an EV and having nothing to do with installing the PV system. The correct way to break down this $1,600/year savings is to assign $300 to the PV system and $1300 to the EV. A lot of people would have said that they are saving $1,600/year by driving an EV and also say they are saving $1,600 by using a PV system to charge this EV which comes out to a total savings of $3,200/year. Obviously something is wrong there.
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Replying to: tpe (Aug 02, 2007 5:45 am) I have personally considered trying solar again. Many neighbors near my new home have large arrays in their yards. One neighbor about a mile from me has at least 100x100 array. He must be selling back to the utility.
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Replying to: gagrice (Aug 02, 2007 6:12 am) That's a huge PV system that should produce over 1,000 kWh per day. Since the average family doesn't use more than 50 kWh/day in electricity that leaves a lot to sell back. Unfortunately a system that size would cost at least $500k probably closer to a million. The solar panels today are much better than 10 years ago. Not only has the efficiency gone up but they now have warranties of 20+ years and are expected to last considerably longer than that. The downside is that because there is so much worldwide demand for these PV panels the price hasn't been dropping much in the last couple years despite huge increases in manufacturing capacity. Did CA's one million roof initiative get passed? If so there are probably some pretty good tax breaks going on for installing one of these systems. I don't think it makes all that much sense to try and charge an EV directly from a PV system. Simply send this electricity to the grid during the day and reclaim it at night.
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Hybrid sales on pace for record-setting year quote- An estimated 187,000 hybrids were sold in the first six months of 2007, accounting for 2.3 percent of all new vehicle sales, according to J.D. Power and Associates. Although a sales slowdown is expected in the second half of the year, J.D. Power is forecasting total sales of 345,000 hybrids for the year, a 35 percent increase from 2006. -end |
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Replying to: tpe (Aug 01, 2007 6:46 pm) We did look at household energy bill savings when planning the PV just like we looked at gas-pump savings when buying our hybrid but money savings were not the only factors. We got the hybrid mainly for its emission. I almost went for a Prius except it could not meet our needs. The PV was for independence from PG&E, for doing our part as long time Sierra Club members , and it is also part of our "emergency" planning in earthquake country. Whenever a plug-in appears for a reasonable price, we are ready .
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