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A PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) has the following characteristics: - It is propelled by both a gasoline engine and an electric motor - Has batteries that can store enough electric energy to go at least a few miles - Has a charger for those batteries that can be plugged into an outlet HEVs All HEVs (Hybrid Electric Vehicles) presently produced are ultimately just gasoline cars. They do reduce emissions, and they may improve fuel efficiency (compared to an equivalent, non-hybrid car). However, they are fueled exclusively by gasoline. PHEVs A Plug-in Hybrid car, in contrast, can also be fueled by electricity from an electrical outlet. Initially, a PHEV uses less gas than an HEV, because it can draw energy longer, from its larger battery. For example, a Toyota Prius' 50 mpg efficiency can be improved to about 100 mpg when operated as a PHEV. Eventually, when that storage of electrical energy is depleted, a PHEV is no more efficient than an HEV. EV distance HEVs and PHEVs are rated by how far they can go just on electricity stored in their batteries. For example, a stock Toyota Prius is an HEV-2, meaning that its battery holds enough energy for about 2 miles. A Hybrids Plus Prius conversion is a PHEV-30, meaning that its battery holds enough energy for about 30 miles. Note that a Prius PHEV must still use some gasoline because, by design, its gas engine must operate when going 35 mph or more. Conversions Presently, the best way to get a PHEV is to convert a production HEV. This entails: - adding a charger and a power cord - increasing the electrical storage capacity of the batteries Prius Most PHEV conversions are done on the Toyota Prius because: - it can operate purely on electricity (unlike, for example, the Honda Insight) - it is efficient, well designed and popular Resources The following companies convert HEVs to PHEVs: - EnergyCS, the grandaddy of PHEV conversion companies. - HyMotion, the fastest growing PHEV company for fleets, now well funded since its acquisition by a battery manufacturer - Hybrids Plus, that's us, the only company offering conversions to private individuals, and the conversion that is most integrated into the vehicle - EDrive, formerly partnering with EnergyCS, but now split-off and designing its own conversion This table lists all the options The following are great sources of PHEV information: - eaa-phev.org is a wiki repository of all things PHEV - eaa-phev is a Yahoo group for people interested in PHEVs - CalCars is a California organization actively involved in PHEV conversions - Austin Energy's Plug-in Partners National Campaign is lobbying car makers to produce PHEVs - hybridcars.com promotes PHEVs - California's E-Drive and Canada's HyMotion offer smaller, less expensive systems - Check-out E-Drive's excellent FAQ section - Christian Science Monitor article on PHEVs - Advanced Vehicle Initiative performs PHEV conversions using Lead Acid batteries - Hybrid Consortium is an association of manfacturers of components used in PHEVs |
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