Demand Carmaker Innovation Starting with Plug-in Hybrids

Whittier Daily News
July 5, 2006

Drivers are feeling burned by the high cost of gas and uninspired by the current crop of cars - including hybrids - that aren't quite efficient enough to justify their price tag. The new trend in fuel-efficient cars might be more their speed: plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).

PHEVs are similar to traditional hybrid cars in that they have both a gas-burning internal combustion motor and a gas-saving electric motor. But PHEVs increase the battery capacity so that the car runs in electric mode more often than a hybrid, saving up to 75 percent of a normal gasoline bill.

They're mostly conceptual at the moment, with prototypes and concept cars being the farthest they've come so far. And that's the problem.

We applaud the continued research and development of these cars, but we want to see those who are "in the know" promoting them and manufacturing them for consumers.

Some of that has already started.

The Diamond Bar-based South Coast Air Quality Management District has made an effort to educate local businesses and government groups about the benefits of PHEVs and similar vehicles.

This advocacy is a step in the right direction, one we hope will continue exposure of alternative-fueled cars and even expand on these offerings.

It makes sense for the AQMD as a government agency charged with cleaning up Southern California's air to market PHEVs, which are capable of running without their gas engine at all, producing zero emissions.

The more pertinent fact for consumers is that gas is expensive, and many analysts say the cost will be rising in the long run. So, for the sake of consumer wallets, and the environment, we need better options than the aging status quo of low-mileage internal combustion engines.

For short trips made inside a metropolitan area, these extreme hybrids are ideal. It would take a conventional motor getting at least 100 miles per gallon to match the savings of a PHEV running on electric power.

PHEVs could be the thing that gets American car manufacturers back in the alternative-fuel car game. Ford and General Motors have been getting kicked around for the last couple of years by more efficient Asian manufacturers like Toyota and Honda.

But if GM gets to work on PHEV technology, like a recent CNN report says is possible, then the Detroit car giant could pass its competitors and solidify their position in the growing hybrid market.

The marketplace has been clear: American drivers want cars with good gas mileage. If Detroit is not clued in yet, they oughta be.

But before they do that, they are going to have to see evidence of a greater demand. We can't expect GM to spend millions of research and development dollars if it doesn't know the long-term market is definitely there. That's why it's so important advocacy groups, the AQMD, Silicon Valley start-ups and others keep the pressure on and help drum up demand.

Car buyers are an essential part of that equation. They've already shown that fuel efficiency is increasingly important to them. Manufacturers should take note. If the bottom line is what's really most important to these businesses, we should start seeing some real effort in creating viable options for consumers.