Google modified some of its cars to plug into any 120-volt power outlet. The new Google-tuned Prius plug-in now gets 73.6 mpg of gasoline, while the original Prius gets 40.9!
These guys have focused on promoting plug-in hybrid electric vehicles – electric and hybrid gas cars that can be plugged into a wall socket to charge the battery.
Google's major drivers are:
- Cut oil and gasoline use
- Reduce CO2 emissions
- Gather research data to help promote this industry
- Accelerate the development and adoption of hybrid cars
Actually Google's fleet vehicles have been previously modified with additional batteries and adapters to let them charge / discharge electricity via plug-in cords. Some companies and amateurs have been able to modify existing hybrid cars to work this way, but they are few.
The major benefit for consumers of plug-in hybrid cars is the ability to run (almost) entirely on electricity with the option of extended-mode gasoline-powered ride.
These guys have focused on promoting plug-in hybrid electric vehicles – electric and hybrid gas cars that can be plugged into a wall socket to charge the battery.
Google's major drivers are:
- Cut oil and gasoline use
- Reduce CO2 emissions
- Gather research data to help promote this industry
- Accelerate the development and adoption of hybrid cars
Actually Google's fleet vehicles have been previously modified with additional batteries and adapters to let them charge / discharge electricity via plug-in cords. Some companies and amateurs have been able to modify existing hybrid cars to work this way, but they are few.
The major benefit for consumers of plug-in hybrid cars is the ability to run (almost) entirely on electricity with the option of extended-mode gasoline-powered ride.
8 comments:
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Green Wombat
How green was the production of the battery or the electricity used to charge it ?
Why dont Google forget about using electricity and start promoting Zero Point Enegry...
Hell there are enough videos about it on their own Google Video...
Come on, We know it exists...!!
Unfortunately the electricity most likely comes from the burning of coal...but it's a start I guess.
Oh boy! I get magic free electricity from this wall socket! It's completely quiet and makes no polution! Everybody should go out and buy an electric car!
Look, moron, more than 50% of all electricity produced in the US comes from burning COAL, and while that's not necessarily bad, the energy lobbies have been quite successful at removing the polution restrictions in recent years.
All you are doing by plugging an electric car into a wall socket is moving the polution problem somewhere else, and putting the cost onto another bill. It's a shame so many american's don't even look at their electric bill.
Yes, Google is putting a *huge* investment into PV solar, and with this in mind, the electric car is a good thing. But if you aren't producing your own electricity, it really doesn't help much.
"But if you aren't producing your own electricity, it really doesn't help much."
Of course it does. It's much easier to control pollution and increase efficiency from a few dozen (or a few hundred) point sources, as opposed to a few million point sources.
Why any manufacturer would build a non plug-in hybrid I can't fathom. Give us the plug, man!
1) In total start to finish efficiency, the coal mine to electric car system is already better than the oil well to gas car system even though we've spent over 100 years optimizing the oil well to car system.
2) Oil imports account for over half of the US trade deficit directly and even more indirectly.
3) I'd rather give my money to other Americans than to people who want to kill me.
4) Plug in electric cars are flexible, we can use wind, solar and fusion in the future.
5) Plug in electric cars reduce smog in cities.
6) Electric motors require less maintenance and last much longer than gas engines. It's not uncommon for an industrial electric motor to last decades under heavy use with no maintenance while gas engines are lucky to last 10 years with significant maintenance. This is easier on your wallet and the environment as typically half of the total lifecycle energy use of a car comes from it's manufacture and maintenance.
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