Study Concludes the Obvious: Smaller PHEVs Minimize Fuel Consumption, Emissions | Zoomi Life

Study Concludes the Obvious: Smaller PHEVs Minimize Fuel Consumption, Emissions | Zoomi Life: "A team from Carnegie Mellon University has analyzed plug-in hybrid (PHEV) fuel consumption, cost, and emissions over a range of charging frequencies (distance between charges). The study will be fully published in an upcoming issue of Energy Policy.

Basically, what they figured out is that frequent charging means less expensive operation of the PHEVs as well as lower greenhouse emissions. This compared to hybrids and conventional vehicles.

Uhh…DUHH

What was interesting was the other finding of the study: the one that doesn’t make headlines since it’s not as “green” sounding.

Apparently, regular hybrids like the (pre-2010) Prius are actually better for longer distances when it comes to cost-effectiveness. Larger PHEVs (meaning in size of battery capacity, not size of vehicle) are not cost-effective at all, due to the weight of the vehicle thanks to those batteries. They minimize emissions, of course, but only by shifting them from one location (city) to another (power plant).

Here’s an example of how Asst. Prof Jeremy Michalek breaks it down: a PHEV that is charged every 7 miles versus a PHEV charged every 60 has a measurable economic and emissions difference. The additional weight of the 60-mi"