PG&E Company organizes online petition for plug-in hybrids
The energy company of dreams? Seems like Pacific Gas & Electric Company has heard the voice in the field. If customers tell car companies that the market is out there for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), the company's logic goes, then maybe those cars will soon make it to dealer lots. Starting with customer's September bills, PG&E is organizing an online petition calling for a consumer-market release of PHEVs. Forty percent of the U.S. generating capacity sits idle or operates at a reduced load overnight (which is when most PHEVs would be charged), the company says. Even with all the ecological and fuel independence benefits, the automakers say there isn't enough demand for PHEVs.
"That's why PG&E is hoping to harness the power of its 5.1 million customers by sending an invitation in September bills encouraging our customers to simply sign the online petition asking automakers to make Plug-in Hybrids. The petition basically says, 'If you build it, we will buy it'," said Bob Howard, PG&E vice president of gas transmission and distribution.
While there aren't any PHEVs for sale (but there are after-market conversions), there are some PHEVs around. PG&E workers, for example, drive around in a fleet of prototypes.
In an unrelated story, it was revealed that a lot of these PHEVs in customers' hands would be recharged using PG&E energy, thereby raising the company's profits.
Related:
- 'Plug-In Bay Area' project aims for 100-mpg hybrids
- Plug-in hybrid conversion kits a profitable venture
UPDATAED - now includes link to online petition.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Howard Lee Harkness 9:02PM (9/02/2006)
"In an unrelated story, it was revealed that a lot of these PHEVs in customers' hands would be recharged using PG&E energy, thereby raising the company's profits."
Excuse me, but this is NOT an unrelated story. It's quite obvious what PG&E's motivation is, even without that last paragraph, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with PG&E's desire to make more money by selling more electricity. Plus, I don't think that they are making any pretentions about their motivations. That last paragraph was a completely gratutitous and undeserved swipe at PG&E.
Reply
Alternative Energy Blog 3:49AM (9/03/2006)
How about a link to the actual petition?
http://www.pluginpartners.org/whatYouCanDo/onlinePetition.cfm
Reply
Sebastian 12:15PM (9/03/2006)
Howard,
It's fair for you to say my final graph was undeserved. I was just trying to be a little bit light-hearted on the blog. Of course, PG&E has the right to foster this petition. And it's actually a good thing to do, since overall PHEVs pollute less than ICEs.
And, yeah, I should've put a link to the petition in the post body. I'll edit that now. Thanks.
Reply
Adam 11:41AM (9/05/2006)
While increased sales would mean more profit for most US utilities, not so for PG&E. In California, revenues have been decoupled from sales (in order to eliminate the disincentive to promote energy efficiency), so PG&E would not make more profit with PHEVs.
Reply
Jim Duggan 12:44PM (9/13/2006)
PHEVs pollute less then ICE but they pollute more then HEVs. Do the math. Calfornia power companies emit (check with DOE)0.61 lbs of CO2 per kilo-watt of power dekivered to their customers.
A gallon of gasoline when consumed in an ICE emits 19.4 lbs of CO2 per gallon while using the 36 kilo-watt hours of gasoline energy to move the vehicle down the highway.
The 2006 Honda Civic HEV with EPA city/hwy mpg of 50/50 emits 19.4 pounds of CO2 for 50 miles and 38.8 for 100 miles.
If it were converted to a PHEV to obtain 100 mpg, as advertised, it would emit 19.4 pounds of CO2 from the gasoline consumed for 50 miles and 22 pounds from the electric grid for re-charge (0.61 pounds co2/kwh x 36 kwh = 22 for 50 miles) for a total of of 41.4 pounds.
The milage was doubled but the greenhouse gasses increased. The promoters of PHEVs gain revenue while they pollute the planet. It gets much worse in other regions of the United States where the burning of coal or natural gas is the only source of energy for power generation.
I doesn't make sense to spend more than $5,000 to convert your HEV while polluting more. Compared to the 2006 Honda HEV in 5 years you would save $1,800 at $3/gallon.
Reply
Chris M 8:52PM (2/08/2007)
Mr. Duggan, your calculations are way off, you assume a 36 kwh battery pack and going from full charge to total discharge. Most of the "pluggable" designs are using smaller battery packs, and none of them fully discharge the battery - that would damage the battery. Hybrids use 25% the battery capacity, some pluggables use almost 50%.
So assuming an extra-large 36 kwh battery drained 50% in a mere 50 miles (very poor EV range BTW) that would mean 18 Kwh x 0.61 lb CO2 = 10.98 lb CO2 for 50 miles EV range, plus 19.4 lb CO2 from 50 miles gas range, total 30.38 lb CO2 per 100 miles.
Compared to the unmodified car at 38.8 lbs CO2 per 100 miles, the "Pluggable" saves 8.42 lbs CO2 every 100 miles. Moreover, real world "pluggables" use fewer watthours per mile than this hypothetical example - 12 kwh per 50 miles would be more typical.
Reply