The future of alternative fuel is here NOW! With gas prices skyrocketing, how much longer can we depend solely on oil? The Plug- in Hybrid offers two worlds, electricity and gasoline, but does that electricity help or hurt the consumer and the environment? MPG?! Or NO H 2 O!? You make the call! Brian Mills Mercer University School of Engineering

How do hybrids work? Hybrid cars have a gasoline engine that is assisted by an electric motor. A standard hybrid vehicle conserves fuel in a variety of ways: it recaptures energy lost through braking and decelerating, and/or periodically shuts down the engine when stopped. This recaptured energy is stored in a battery pack as electricity. The stored electricity is used to power the electric motor that helps the vehicle's gasoline engine for driving power.

The Plug-in Hybrid A plug-in hybrid car is much like the normal hybrid, but it has the capability of being-plugged in to recharge the battery. Plug-in hybrids are designed to travel long distances with little or no help from the gasoline engine. Even before the charge is completely used up, the gasoline engine may provide additional power for recharging the battery, accelerating, or in order to climb a hill. The main difference between the plug-in hybrid and conventional hybrid is that the plug-in uses the electric motor as the primary power source, and uses the gasoline engine to provide additional/needed power. See how it works conceptually, here.here

Can we really rely on electricity to power our own vehicle? For how many years? A plug-in hybrid can be plugged into any electrical outlet, but there is a big question connected to this feature concerning the environment. How much water does it cost the environment? It is estimated that a 30 mile commute of a gas powered car requires the withdrawal of 18.9 gallons of water. The estimate for a plug-in hybrid is a staggering 318 gallons of water. The Water Works?

Electrical Production Electrical production, the same electricity that would be used to power the plug-in hybrid, requires 136 million gallons of freshwater per day. Many coal fired and nuclear power plants use steam to drive the turbines that essentially produce electricity. The water used to create steam is also used to cool and condense the steam at the exhaust.

Coal Fired Power Plant

The Glory of the Plug-in Hybrid Americans drive less than 30 miles per day. With the plug-in hybrid, people will have the ability to get 20 to 60 MPG under electrical power alone, which could have Americans going “…months without filling up…”. One conventional tank: 300 miles One hybrid tank: 400 miles All electric: miles Plug-in lithium-ion battery: miles

What is the price you will pay? The U.S government is offering tax breaks and rebates to hybrid buyers, because “…if all cars were hybrids, one-half plug-ins, U.S. oil imports drop 8 million barrels per day.” Plug-ins will cost $2000-$5000 more than their conventional counterparts. The plug-in battery would add thousands of dollars to the already heightened price of the automobile

Are they all that they’re hyped up to be? Yes Cost of recharging is cheaper than gas, and emissions from electricity are significantly less. There are 70% less moving parts than a gas powered vehicle, hardly any breaks or service need. Plug-ins will get at least a 50% mileage boost over conventional cars. No Auto companies must have vehicles with an estimated 35 MPG by 2020 and 45 MPG by Durability and safety are an ongoing issue with the batteries. Parking garages and street parking lack electrical outlets. (Think about parking at Wal- Mart or large corporate outdoor lot.)

It’s all here The groundwork has been laid, and society is adapting to it. There seems to be no end in sight for the ever growing gas prices. How far will you go to cut costs? Are you willing to purchase a plug-in hybrid with the possibility of losing your drinking water? Choices, choices…….

References Appel, Tom. How Plug-In Cars Work. Retrieved March 26, 2008, from hybrid-car.htm. hybrid-car.htm Bogo, Jennifer. (March 7, 2008). Plug-in Cars Could Drain U.S. Water Supply, Researcher Says. Retrieved March 17, 2008, from Carey, John. (April 11, 2005). Giving Hybrids a Real Jolt: A plug-in gas-electric vehicle may be key in saving fuel and cutting pollution. Retrieved March 17, 2008, from CarJunky.com.(July 5, 2006). Alternative Fuel Vehicles. Retrieved March 26, 2008, from Center for American Progress. (February 1, 2008) Plug-in Hybrids: The Future of Cars. Retrieved March 17, 2008, from Sweere, Bob. (March 17, 2008). Plug-in hybrid vehicles could help environment, maximize power. Retrieved March 17, 2008, from Weeks, Jennifer. (February 29, 2008). Buying Green : Does it really help the environment?. The CQ Researcher Online, 18, Retrieved March 17, 2008, from

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