Late last month, GM announced that it would introduce a
Saturn Vue Green Line hybrid with plug-in capabilities
before the end of the decade. The "plug-in" Vue Green Line will
feature a two-mode hybrid powertrain and a power cord that allows the vehicle's
batteries to recharge from a standard exterior 110-volt household outlet.
According to GM, the plug-in hybrid will achieve 70MPG -- quite
remarkable for a 3,500+ pound crossover.
With one of America's auto giants onboard with plug-in
hybrids (PHEVs), it's quite fitting that the Department of Energy (DOE) is on
the verge of releasing a study that shows that such vehicles could be of great
importance in reducing America's reliance on foreign oil – not to mention
reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, the DOE study will show that 84% of
the 220 million US vehicles in daily service could be powered using our
existing power-generation infrastructure if they were PHEVs.
That 84% figure would be achieved if PHEV batteries are
charged during off-peak hours. Many critics have claimed that our power grid
wouldn't be able to handle such a heavy load if a substantial number of
vehicles relied on electric power -- even if off-peak hours are taken into
consideration. The DOE study, however, shows that Eastern and Midwestern states
have enough surplus capacity for charging PHEV batteries, with the Pacific
Northwest region being the most limited in terms of energy surplus. The latter
region is more power constrained due to a heavy reliance on hydroelectric power
generation. The
Car Connection reports:
PHEVs
would increase typical residential power consumption by 30 to 40 percent,
according to the study, though the majority of that additional consumption
would occur during off-peak hours, with commuters charging their vehicles at
night. The researchers proposed that utilities could make the vehicles more
attractive by billing residential customers a lower rate for off-peak power, as
is common practice for industrial customers.
With PHEV vehicles being billed are giving consumers as much
as a 50 mile range on battery power alone, it would more than enough to satisfy
the average American's daily commute of 33 miles. As a result, America's
reliance on foreign oil could see a substantial drop. "Since gasoline
consumption accounts for 72 percent of imported oil, it is intriguing to think
of the trade and national security benefits if our vehicles switched from oil
to electrons," said Rob Pratt of the DOE's Pacific Northwest National
Laboratory.