The Plug-in Hybrid Story
This month I will explore plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. What are they and how good are they in the EV benefits department?
A hybrid has both a gas engine and an electric motor. There are two types of hybrid. There are the Toyota Prius you see the taxi drivers using. They have been sold since 1997 and were very efficient for the era. You can’t plug them in and they have a small (4.4 kwh) traction-assist battery. They drive sometimes on gas and sometimes on electricity generated from the battery energy stored from regenerative braking.
The second and more recent variety is a plug-in hybrid. They also have a gas engine and electric motor, but have a much larger battery, regenerative braking, and a plug-in for charging that battery. They use the battery energy first before “going gas” and go different distances on the battery, depending on the brand. And with the plug-in feature, they are categorized as an EV by the Provincial (and Federal) government so I can write about them and they are the focus of the remainder of this article.
There are many available models, but as an example, a Chevy Volt has an 18.4 kwh battery and depending on conditions, will go about 60km on battery alone. The Kia Optima and Kia Niro PHEV have a 8.9 kwh battery and will travel just over 40km. There are a variety of purchase incentives for new or used plug-in hybrids, but they can change over time. Currently there are Government rebates (The iZEV federal rebate is $2,500 and the CEVforBC rebate is $1,500) and also, if you have an ugly beater like my parked Subaru, the SCRAP-IT program may provide an additional incentive. Mighty handy those eco-incentives but check ahead to ensure your purchase is eligible.
How good are they for your pocket book and the environment ? It depends very much on our driving habits If you are doing lots of daily commute driving (shorter hops) and have a charging station at home or if necessary, at work, then they can be close to a full EV with both benefits. For example, say you drive 20 km to work every day, and don’t charge there, the gas engine will never kick in. That is eco-wonderful. And just like a fully electric EV, you get the advantage of very inexpensive electricity and no emissions come out of your tail pipe (yes, Virginia, you do have a tail pipe).
The disadvantage is that you do have a gasoline engine, so you do have to head to the dealer for maintenance like oil changes, filters and belt changes. 100% EV’s don’t have those needs. Those are very nice savings.
Here are some real examples from kind SSI folks who let me use their name. Markus Wenzel, who lives at the deep (653) South End on Isabella Point Road, only filled his Chevy Volt up twice in the first 20,000 of use. Ruth Riddell has a Volt as well and only needs gas when she commutes to her family cabin on Cortes. She also chose a pluggable level 2 charger option (it attaches to a dryer socket), so she can toss it in the trunk and use it in both locations.
The Bottom Line
Pure EV enthusiasts might disagree, but I think Plug-in Hybids are one of the unsung heroes in the transition to emission-less transportation and may be ideal for you. Depending on your needs, it may allow you to reduce almost all your transportation emissions and save considerable money using inexpensive electricity, while allowing for the occasional longer distance trip on gas.
Announcement: I will be joining Darryl Martin, Chair of the Climate Action Group and Jessica Harkema, Executive Director of our Chamber of Commerce at ASK Salt Spring Friday morning from 11-1 in the Thrifty Florist Shop (upper level) to answer questions on EV’s
This month I will explore plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. What are they and how good are they in the EV benefits department?
A hybrid has both a gas engine and an electric motor. There are two types of hybrid. There are the Toyota Prius you see the taxi drivers using. They have been sold since 1997 and were very efficient for the era. You can’t plug them in and they have a small (4.4 kwh) traction-assist battery. They drive sometimes on gas and sometimes on electricity generated from the battery energy stored from regenerative braking.
The second and more recent variety is a plug-in hybrid. They also have a gas engine and electric motor, but have a much larger battery, regenerative braking, and a plug-in for charging that battery. They use the battery energy first before “going gas” and go different distances on the battery, depending on the brand. And with the plug-in feature, they are categorized as an EV by the Provincial (and Federal) government so I can write about them and they are the focus of the remainder of this article.
There are many available models, but as an example, a Chevy Volt has an 18.4 kwh battery and depending on conditions, will go about 60km on battery alone. The Kia Optima and Kia Niro PHEV have a 8.9 kwh battery and will travel just over 40km. There are a variety of purchase incentives for new or used plug-in hybrids, but they can change over time. Currently there are Government rebates (The iZEV federal rebate is $2,500 and the CEVforBC rebate is $1,500) and also, if you have an ugly beater like my parked Subaru, the SCRAP-IT program may provide an additional incentive. Mighty handy those eco-incentives but check ahead to ensure your purchase is eligible.
How good are they for your pocket book and the environment ? It depends very much on our driving habits If you are doing lots of daily commute driving (shorter hops) and have a charging station at home or if necessary, at work, then they can be close to a full EV with both benefits. For example, say you drive 20 km to work every day, and don’t charge there, the gas engine will never kick in. That is eco-wonderful. And just like a fully electric EV, you get the advantage of very inexpensive electricity and no emissions come out of your tail pipe (yes, Virginia, you do have a tail pipe).
The disadvantage is that you do have a gasoline engine, so you do have to head to the dealer for maintenance like oil changes, filters and belt changes. 100% EV’s don’t have those needs. Those are very nice savings.
Here are some real examples from kind SSI folks who let me use their name. Markus Wenzel, who lives at the deep (653) South End on Isabella Point Road, only filled his Chevy Volt up twice in the first 20,000 of use. Ruth Riddell has a Volt as well and only needs gas when she commutes to her family cabin on Cortes. She also chose a pluggable level 2 charger option (it attaches to a dryer socket), so she can toss it in the trunk and use it in both locations.
The Bottom Line
Pure EV enthusiasts might disagree, but I think Plug-in Hybids are one of the unsung heroes in the transition to emission-less transportation and may be ideal for you. Depending on your needs, it may allow you to reduce almost all your transportation emissions and save considerable money using inexpensive electricity, while allowing for the occasional longer distance trip on gas.
Announcement: I will be joining Darryl Martin, Chair of the Climate Action Group and Jessica Harkema, Executive Director of our Chamber of Commerce at ASK Salt Spring Friday morning from 11-1 in the Thrifty Florist Shop (upper level) to answer questions on EV’s