How's The Google Plug-In Hybrid Fleet Doing?
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 02.11.08
As we've mentioned before, Google is quite interested in plug-in hybrids. For those not familiar with the technology, a plug-in hybrid is just like a regular hybrid - it can be powered by either a gasoline engine or electrical motor, or both at the same time - except that you can also plug it in the grid to recharge the batteries, allowing a longer all-electric range. As they've said in Davos, Google's founders thinks that plug-in hybrids are an important stepping stone towards all electric transportation. That's why they built a small demonstration fleet.
Right now, Google has 2 regular Toyota Prius hybrids and 4 modified Priuses that have extra batteries and can be plugged-in. The cars have been rigged so that real-world performance data can automatically be downloaded. Lets have a look at how they're doing.
Here's the breakdown:
Hybrids:
-Garamba: 43.9 MPG
-Kilimanjaro: 45.4 MPG
Plug-in hybrids:
-Comoe: 69.9 MPG & 123.8 Wh/mile
-Galapagos: 65.1 MPG & 98.9 Wh/mile
-Great Barrier Reef: 68.3 MPG & 136.2 Wh/mile
-Machu Picchu: 54.4 MPG & 117.6 Wh/mile (really bringing down the average)
Considering that according to the 2005 Highway Statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation (Federal Highway Division), the average combined MPG for all US cars and light trucks on the road today is 19.8 MPG, Google's fleet has been doing pretty well.
Just the regular hybrids have been emitting 56% less greenhouse gases than that baseline. The plug-ins have been doing 65% better, or 20% better than the regular hybrids, and Google has been recharging their batteries with their solar installations.
We don't know exactly what kind of driving these cars have been doing (what ratio of city/highway, how fast, etc), but if we keep in mind that the Toyota Prius was not designed as a plug-in and that a third-party hack was required to turn it into one, that's a decent improvement.
It's good to see Google getting some real-world experience with plug-ins and sharing their data. One thing this highlights, though, is that we need much better plug-in hybrid fuel economy than what modified Priuses can offer. We suspect that the heavy extra battery pack used here is part of the problem. Series plug-in hybrids like the GM Volt might perform better by saving weight on the gas engine and transmission, allowing more efficient all-electric operation and higher mileage overall. Maybe hypercapacitors are part of the solution. We'll have to wait and see. ::RechargeIT
See also: ::Google Sets Ambitious Goals For Renewable Energy, ::Google to Tackle Global Warming, ::Google Ends Search For Corporate Alternative Energy Source, ::Google's Solar Trees Due To Bloom This Spring, ::An Ethanol-Powered Plug-In Hybrid? Leave it to Google
Too bad Toyota is half-assing their plug in hybrids. Hopefully GM will leapfrog Toyota with the Volt like Toyota did with the Prius. PHEV's are the next big step, as people don't want to have a highly restricted range with pure EV's and hydrogen--well, don't really seem any better than PHEV and will require a whole rewiring of our economy and hundreds of billions of dollars more than PHEV's.
Volvo V 70 2.5 audi diesel, normal use including towing for 1st 3 years.
45= mpg over last 90,000 miles.
Audi A2 diesel 67 mpg over about 75,000 miles.
In UK can do 85 mph on motorways if you keep your eyes open.
Why do I need a hybrid ? It would help if some actual comparison vehicles were cited
#1 reason I bought a Prius nearly two years ago.
Knowing the plug-in kit will be available commercially, Toyota or other, with warranty.
#2 reason is price. You just can't get a full sized sedan that can be cheaply upgraded to EV.
Most EV cars are over 50k$ and only seat two.
Or don't have heating systems.
I've paid less than 40k$ taxes included. For a car that will last decades.
#3 can work in Canadian climate (heat and A/C)
#4 can seat four adults while driving highway speeds uphill and still have power to pass a truck.
#5 Roomy. You have to try one, it's an optical illusion when viewed from the outside. Much like the Yaris, small car yet lots of room inside.
Compared to my wife's Yaris, the Prius is a good 3 feet longer, all cargo space.
I really wanted the Honda Civic hybrid, but the rear seats don't fold for cargo space. So not being a hatchback, the Civic is real lousy for transporting things other than people.
BTW - plenty of stuff I hate about the car too. It's far from perfect. Just head on over to PriusChat.com, and read up on the thread, " What I hate about my Prius".
We're quite sure Toyota reads this, since many of the 2008 Prius has the fixes compared to the 2006 model.
hedley, look at the numbers. US fleet average is 19 mpg. Pretty far from Europe..
The Prius is a pretty good car. PZEV emissions are quite good to fight smog and air quality problems.
I only wish Toyota made a li-ion version with the EV-mode button enabled.
I agree with hedley. Why not compare some high mileage non-hybrid vehicles. They are simpler. I think this year it's again possible to get good diesels in the US. Unfortunately our image of diesels relates to smoky vehicles of the past or the urban assault vehicles that are made to intimidate.
Volvo V 70 2.5 audi diesel, normal use including towing for 1st 3 years.
45= mpg over last 90,000 miles.
...
Why do I need a hybrid ? ...
------------
You don't but in the US high MPG diesels are non-existent. They haven't been able to meet the pollution requirements in California at least. They also have a bad reputation because of some really awful diesel cars in the 80's.
The US was slow to require low-sulfur diesel fuel. Now that it has, high MPG diesels are expected to appear. I can't wait to see the new Hondas for example.
I do not know if burning a gallon of diesel produces more CO2 than burning a gallon of gasoline. I suspect so.
Honda sold a car called the CRX HF that got 51mpg.
This was back in the late 1980's.
Obviously what happened is the consumer is at fault. They obsess with horsepower numbers and the manufacturers know that if they don't continue to bump horsepower up, consumers won't buy. This is why we have 500hp monstrosities nowadays.
I live in the US and love my Diesel Jetta. I'm averaging 39MPG ever since I started working from home and my driving habits switched to mostly city driving.
I'm hopeful that when my lease is done I'll have even more diesel choices like Europeans and even Canadians have...
Hedley said: "Why do I need a hybrid ? It would help if some actual comparison vehicles were cited"
Because if you care about the environment you should already know that MPG is not directly linked to pollution. Let's take a look between Jetta TDI @ 45 mpg vs a 2004+ Prius @ 45 mpg
CO2 (55% higher -TDI) Greenhouse/Global Warming Gas
CO (10% higher -TDI) Poison / Toxic
NOx (5400% or 55X higher -TDI) Smog / Acid Rain
NMOG (37% higher -TDI) Formaldehyde & other VOCs, irritant, cancer
HC-NM+NOX-COMP (2647% or 27.5X higher -TDI) composite of main smog ingredients
PM (g/mi)(inf higher -TDI) asthma, lung development problems in children
It is unfortunate that the new CAFE standards were based on MPG rather than CO2. I think the new clean diesels may have their place in the mix, but the standard will skew things to diesels in a way that will increase the overall CO2 because of the difference in CO2 per gallon.
hedley-
A UK gallon is 20% bigger than a US gallon, so your MPG numbers are 20% higher than the US figures you're comparing them to. Also, diesel in general, and European diesel in particular, is not a very clean burning fuel.
The Toyota Prius and the modified Google versions are nice improvements over conventional automotive manufacturing, but for real improvements, nothing compares to the Aptera, a California LICENCED vehicle manufacturer that will begin production in September 2008 with a 300MPG vehicle.
aptera dot com
I tried to order one as I wanted to be the first in Canada to own one, but they wouldn't sell me one as the demand is growing rapidly and they are focusing on California.
All pretty cool stuff . . .
I wonder what they will rig up to their corporate 767 .
vsk