Bringing Plug-In Hybrid Cars to the Midwest
What are PHEVs?
A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is a type of car that has both an internal combustion engine and batteries that can be recharged by
connecting a plug to an external electric power source. Unlike their hybrid counterparts, PHEVs are able to drive in an electric-only mode. After the PHEV reaches the end of its all-electric range (AER), the gasoline engine provides power to the wheels.
Why PHEVs?
Fuel Savings: Because the cost for electricity to power plug-in hybrids is much lower than the cost of gasoline, PHEV owners could save over $1,200 per year in gasoline costs. Financial incentives for charging during off-peak times could lower costs even more.
Location Matters: Compared to conventional vehicles, PHEVs can reduce air pollution, dependence on petroleum and fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. The benefits of plug-in electric vehicles vary according to when and how the electricity is generated.
The environmental benefits of PHEVs are smaller if the electricity used to charge vehicles is generated with fossil fuels, and larger if generated with no or low-carbon fuel sources like solar & nuclear power and particularly wind energy.
In areas with substantial wind and nuclear power, surplus energy may be available at night to charge plug-in vehicles. Overall demand is lowest at night, and many nuclear plants that currently “run negative” at night, meaning that the cost of generating the power exceeds the selling price. Strong winds are common at night, when electric demand is lowest.
PHEVs will support a clean and efficient electrical grid
An off-peak vehicle charging rate would offer consumers a monetary incentive to charge up while electricity demand is low and coal-fired power plants are in the “off” position. On-site solar power could be used to power public vehicle charging stations, ensuring that additional daytime demand from PHEVs is served by the sun, rather than old, inefficient coal plants.
As smart grid communication systems evolve, plug-in vehicle batteries will have a two-way charging relationship with the power grid. Battery storage for wind and solar power, zero-carbon back-up power, and fast-response grid regulation services of “vehicle to grid” technology can reduce the need for construction of new coal-fired power plants while offering financial benefits for both consumers and utilities.
ELPC’s Advocacy
ELPC is working to promote policies that will create a smart and strategic integration of plug-in vehicles, focusing on areas where low-cost, low-carbon electricity is available to make PHEVs part of the solution to global warming.
The first area we are focusing on is Northern Illinois. Illinois is home to the third largest metropolitan area in the nation and among the top ten states for new registrations of gasoline hybrid-electric vehicles.
With several nuclear plants and growing wind power resources available, especially at night, the charging scenario in Northern Illinois is optimal. ELPC is working to promote off-peak charging, solar public charging stations and other programs that will maximize the benefits of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
Learn More
Watch ELPC’s Webinar on Plug-in Hybrid Strategies for Reducing Pollution
