Plug-ins do they make sense?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ken1784 @ May 21 2006, 08:48 PM) [snapback]259095[/snapback]</div>

ZEV: Zero Emission Vehicle. The mandate was that 2% of cars sold in CA were to be ZEVs. And at the time, that of course meant battery electrics. The mandate was proposed in 1999, and adopted in 2001. GM filed suit against it one month after adoption, and that caused implementation to be delayed indefinitely. In July 2002 there was a court injuction prohibiting CA from enforcing the mandate. in October 2002, Bush administration filed friend of court brief supporting GM in its lawsuit against ZEV Mandate.

I'll spare you more details.... bottom line is as it stands now, the auto makers have several years to put just a few *demonstration* fuel cell vehilces on the road. None of them replace gasoline vehicles, and none of them need to be in public hands. It is about 200 vehicles TOTAL spread amongst the big auto makers. They'll be shown at parades and such, but not sold. I wonder how easy it'll be to warranty a $750,000 fuel cell stack for 150,000 miles??? Ah no worries. None of them actually have to work.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(darelldd @ May 22 2006, 12:59 PM) [snapback]259102[/snapback]</div>

Thank you for the clear explanation.
I understand Toyoda did not have to offer such ZEV any more...

Back to the topic, I believe the 250Wh/mile Prius is not a good platform for PHEV.
The PHEV is almost EV (90% of time) and it is wasteful to carry big 1.5L engine all the time.

I think an in-wheel motor is efficient and an EV (less than 200Wh/mile) will be a good candidate of the PHEV platform.
Mitsubishi is developing Colt EV and there is a space for placing a small engine (less than 1L) under the hood.
http://media.mitsubishi-motors.com/pressre...detail1269.html
I believe such configuration using series hybrid technology will be ideal.

How do you think?
If you design and build your own PHEV from scratch, what does it look like?

Ken@Japan

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ken1784 @ May 22 2006, 12:52 AM) [snapback]259122[/snapback]</div>

I absolutely agree 100%.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ken1784 @ May 22 2006, 12:52 AM) [snapback]259122[/snapback]</div>

Big battery, tiny engine. Possibly engine removable by hand (plug and play) to provide more or less luggage space.

One of these two engines would be ideal:

http://www.daihatsu.com/motorshow/tokyo05/topaz/index.html

660 cc, 43 kW, very small and light-weight.