Pick me! Pick me!

100 households to test out plug-in hybrid Pruises in California

Posted by Adam Browning (Guest Contributor) at 11:57 PM on 06 Nov 2007

UC Davis's Institute of Transportation Studies and AAA are looking for 100 households willing to drive their plug-in hybrids. I nominate myself for the sacrifice.

The more batteries we have plugged into the grid, the more renewable energy we'll get on the grid.

I would say I can't wait to buy one of these commercially, but if you read the sad details from Felix at CalCars, you'll see that's exactly what I am going to have to do. It appears Honda is out, Toyota is retreating, and Nissan is talking EVs.

If you think this is most disappointing, then tell them so here. Or here.

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3 Comments | Post a Comment

Storage Is Critical

As a small 600 MW operator of the grid I must say that storage is vital to operation of the grid. We, the people, need storage so that we can take in more renewables than something on the order of 33 percent. Having simply EV, only electric vehicles, will not provide the storage that is needed.

This is why a smart grid is so necessary. We must coordinate the delivery capability and need for electricity. Storage helps us align that delivery capabilty with the need.

I suspect that there are some economic inefficiencies here. In other words, I think that utility that serves the hybrid plug in vehicle during the peak periods can contribute a positive cash flow to the owner in terms of energy or cash, only problem is I am not sure of the value of such flow. I suspect it is significant.

by ffletcher at 12:31 AM on 07 Nov 2007

Yes but NOT looking for volunteers

The worthy new UC Davis program will give 100 families over two years the opportunity to drive Priuses converted to PHEV for 6-8 weeks -- but you can't volunteer. It's an academic research project whose subjects will be selected from AAA's 4.5 million Northern California households.

Davis and AAA have already received hundreds of inquiries from potential drivers, which shows how strong the interest is. And the CalCars.org page "How to Get a Plug-In Hybrid (which mostly answers "you can't" unless you're in a fleet or a very dedicated Do-It-Yourselfer, gets very high traffic. Stay tuned. (We'll have a longer report and explanation about the Davis program soon at the CalCars-News Archive.

Felix Kramer, Founder, CalCars.org

Felix Kramer Founder, California Cars Initiative (CalCars.org)

by felixkramer at 7:43 AM on 07 Nov 2007

I understand the engineering hurdles

much better now that I have spent so much time studying my plug-in hybrid bike. Using many (hundreds) of battery cells in series has a fundamental flaw. One bad cell can cause a cascade of failures. Rube Goldberg software is being used to hold this problem in check but in the end it is an inherent weak link.

One idea I have to solve this problem would be standardized power storage modules that can be easily removed from any car and replaced with a rebuilt or new unit while the removed unit is diagnosed, repaired and put back into service like pop bottles. This would take government regulation.

Another idea is to produce a simpler car than that presently being envisioned by manufacturers. They envision a Prius type car, which is already complex and expensive, coupled with a huge battery to give an all electric range. They should consider sticking an electric motor in the trunk of an economy car that can be used for ten mile, 30 MPH errands in cities. These cars would have a conventional engine in front. The driver would have the option of using the electric motor. The batteries could be partially charged by regenerative braking using the kinetic energy imparted to the car by the internal combustion engine.

You would turn on the regular engine when your battery gets discharged. Later in the trip the battery will become partially charged again thanks to regenerative braking and you can opt to turn the regular engine off again. It would not be any more complicated to drive than a car with a five speed manual.

In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world

by biodiversivist at 8:51 AM on 07 Nov 2007

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