Full Title: Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles Exhaust Emissions and User Barriers for a Plug-in Toyota Prius
Author(s): Rolf Hagman and Terje Assum
Publisher(s): Institute of Transportation Economics
Publication Date: September 1, 2012
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) are vehicles that have both an internal combustion engine, electric propulsion and batteries, which can be charged from the electricity grid. Plug-in Hybrid vehicles are the possible next step in the evolution of Hybrid Vehicles (HEVs). Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles being available as prototype and demonstration vehicles, a few production models are now entering the market. Plug-in hybrid vehicles come in many different designs with quite different technical concepts and characteristics. PHEVs can be used for longer trips without charging, meaning that there will be no “range anxiety”. The same car can be used for both short and longer trips and still save fossil fuel and CO2 emissions.
The commercial PHEV version of Prius, a medium sized family car with the possibility of driving about 25 km in the pure Electric Vehicle (EV) mode, will be marketed in all of Europe in 2012. Key questions in plug-in hybrid vehicle design and marketing are what will be the optimal battery size and the optimal range for a PHEV in EV mode. The parameters involved to answer this question are convenience of battery charging, vehicle purchase price, fuel savings, CO2 reductions and the customers’ willingness to pay for a greener image.