A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle ( PHEV) is a hybrid vehicle with batteries that can be recharged by connecting a plug to an external electric power source. It shares the characteristics of both traditional hybrid electric vehicles (also called charge-maintaining hybrid electric vehicles), having an electric motor and an internal combustion engine; and of battery electric vehicles, also having a plug to connect to the electrical grid (it is a plug-in vehicle). Most PHEVs on the road today are passenger cars, but there are also PHEV versions of commercial vehicles and vans, utility trucks, buses, trains, motorcycles, scooters, and military vehicles. They are sometimes called grid-connected hybrids, gas-optional hybrids, or GO-HEVs.
The cost for electricity to power plug-in hybrids for all-electric operation has been estimated at less than one quarter of the cost of gasoline. Compared to conventional vehicles, PHEVs can reduce air pollution, dependence on petroleum and fossil fuels, and greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. Plug-in hybrids use no fossil fuel during their all-electric range if their batteries are charged from nuclear or renewable electricity. Other benefits include improved national energy security, fewer fill-ups at the filling station, the convenience of home recharging, opportunities to provide emergency backup power in the home, and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) applications.
What's new?
As of 2009, most PHEVs on the road in the US are conversions of 2004 or later Toyota Prius and Ford Escape models, which have had plug-in charging and more batteries added and their electric-only range extended. Several countries, including the United States and several European countries, have enacted laws to facilitate the introduction of PHEVs through tax credits, emissions mandates, and by financing research and development of advanced batteries and other related technologies. Introduction of PHEVs also benefits from laws and regulations enacted for hybrid vehicles.
What are the incentives for electric vehicles?
Federal Tax Incentives: As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (H.R.1) a new federal tax incentive was included for BEVs. The new tax credits for plug-in vehicles will range from between $2,500 to $7,500, with factors such as battery capacity determining how much owners would receive. Cars like the Chevrolet Volt, due in late 2010, would be eligible for the maximum credit of $7,500. To meet the tax incentive's standards, a plug-in vehicle must have a battery with a minimum capacity of 4kWh, though an additional $200 of tax credit is added for every Kilowatt-hour thereafter, which is how the Volt gets to the maximum $7,500 limit with its 16kWh battery. Plug-In Hybrid Conversion Kits vehicle owners who purchase a qualified plug-in hybrid conversion kit are eligible for a 10% credit, capped at $4,000, through 2011 (source: http://www.energy.gov/taxbreaks.htm).
California Tax Incentives: On April 24, 2009, the Board adopted and approved the Air Quality Improvement Program guidelines ( AQIP Guidelines ) and funding for Fiscal Year 2009-10 (AQIP Funding Plan). The AQIP will include rebates for ZEV and Light-Duty Plug-In Hybrid Rebate Program.
Several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much fuel as a longer multi-purpose trip.
