TIE-IN to the earlier post on user innovation - first, check out this NYT piece on homebrewed plug-in hybrids (as noted in last month's energy news thing)
Ron Gremban and Felix Kramer have modified a Toyota Prius so it can be plugged into a wall outlet.
This does not make Toyota happy. The company has spent millions of dollars persuading people that hybrid electric cars like the Prius never need to be plugged in and work just like normal cars. So has Honda, which even ran a commercial that showed a guy wandering around his Civic hybrid fruitlessly searching for a plug.
But the idea of making hybrid cars that have the option of being plugged in is supported by a diverse group of interests, from neoconservatives who support greater fuel efficiency to utilities salivating at the chance to supplant oil with electricity. If you were able to plug a hybrid in overnight, you could potentially use a lot less gas by cruising for long stretches on battery power only. But unlike purely electric cars, which take hours to charge and need frequent recharging, you would not have to plug in if you did not want to...
Then, check out news of the first commercial development of this hack - the EDrive (as noted in this month's energy news thing):
EDrive Systems, a joint venture between EnergyCS and Clean-Tech, has introduced a commercial retrofit system that converts a Prius into a plug-in hybrid—“Gas-Optional” hybrid (GO-HEV) using the new term of favor.
The company estimates that an EDrive-equipped vehicle can average 100 to 150 mpg for roughly the first 60 miles of the day, compared to 45-55 mpg for a conventional Prius. The vehicle also has the capacity to run in "electric-only" mode at neighborhood speeds, resulting in zero operational emissions.
Current conversions are done on a demonstration basis at the EDrive facility. EDrive is seeking funding to establish a production facility, and then will set pricing. The company plans to have a retail option available to consumers by 2006.
The potential impact of this technology is huge and obvious - by moving our transportation energy burden from gasoline to electricity, we can effectively substitute more plentiful and cleaner alternatives like clean coal, wind, nuclear, and - some day - solar. It'll be interesting to see whether these hybrid hacks speed the development of commercial, OEM GO-HEVs by auto manufacturers - I am guessing that they totally will.