Traditional vs. Plug-in Hybrid Cars: Which is Better and What's the Difference?
Tuesday February 19, 2008
It seems that everyone from movie stars to middle-class families are buying, driving and talking about hybrid cars these days as a key strategy in the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. Meanwhile, the new plug-in hybrid cars being developed promise exceptional gas mileage with far fewer emissions than standard gasoline-powered automobiles or even traditional hybrid cars, but will the driving public accept some of the limitations they represent? Learn more about the different types of hybrid cars, and the pros and cons of each.
Comments
The article doesn’t paint the true picture. (a)for hybrids that generate electricity to charge the batteries, it’s ultimately the gas that is providing the energy. There are no perpetual motion machines. (b) for “plug ins”, at $0.10/kW-hr, a better estimate of cost is more like $5/gal, not the $1/gal quoted. To travel 60 miles at 60mph requires an energy expenditure of about 150kW per hr (cf. website for Zap electric autos), a cost of about $15, compared to a gas engine getting 20mpg, a cost of about $9. And we won’t get into the environmental problem of heavy metal batteries and safety concerns of rescuing trapped passengers from a wrecked vehicle with a potentailly electrified frame.