Circular Firing Squad

As I was parking my Leaf today at a charging station, a plug-in Prius (PiP) pulled in next to me. The owner and I started chatting. He loved his PiP. He plugged in at home, at work, and many other places in the greater Portland area. This meant that more than half of his driving was on electricity. One tank of gas had lasted him more than 2500 miles and it would have lasted longer if he didn't drive to Salem.

The PiP only has 11 to 15 miles of electric range. Yet even this short distance can move one-third or more of a typical driver's miles to be electrically powered when it is plugged in regularly. 

I am a plug-in vehicle advocate. One thing I have noticed is that many advocates are passionate about their preferred solution. If they drive a pure electric, then PHEVs or EREVs are horrible, and vice-versa.

I'm far from the first to notice this, Plug-in advocate Chelsea Sexton refers to this as the circular firing squad and I have seen it in action more than once and even between people that own the same vehicle types but from different companies.

I've tried to embrace anything with a plug by using the "any electric mile is a good mile" motto. I admit that I have had my own negative moments e.g., when I see a company's marketing department use these same "we're better than them" tactics, it puts them in a bad light to me. I try to reach out to them and let them know they are damaging the entire sector, rather than helping their vehicle.

So maybe a low-speed vehicle or a PHEV with a short electric range would not work well for you, that does not mean there is no one that could use this vehicle. The more options there are in the market, the more people can get behind the wheel of a plug-in vehicle. 

So next time you are tempted to attack this or that type of plug-in vehicle, stop and ask yourself, is it better than an internal combustion vehicle. The circular firing squad needs to turn around and know that the other plug-in drivers have their back. There are plenty of other targets for your rage. When all cars on the road plug in, then you can start worrying about which ones use too much gasoline. Until that time, let's try to get more cars to plug in. The perfect should not be the enemy of the good. 

As much as I'd like to claim I am completely above this fray, I have serious issues with hydrogen vehicles, but that is a post for another day. 

National Panel on Electric Cars

UM professor appointed to national panel on electric car use: "“It’s not just the cars or the batteries – it’s the things around them from a consumer adoption standpoint,” Mohr said. “It’s looking at the oil and gas companies, the dealer repair companies, the mom-and-pop shops and the power companies. Until you get all those perspectives on the table, you don’t understand what all the barriers might be.”"

Electric Fuel Campaign

Freedom and personal control are deeply ingrained in the American DNA, yet when it comes to powering cars – we primarily depend on a single fuel. Transportation is the last bastion of our society left to embrace electricity. 

This campaign is the electric utility industry’s commitment to the growing number of people who have embraced electricity as a transportation fuel. This campaign will amplify the voices of plug-in drivers and help spread their excitement with their friends, neighbors, and beyond. 

The message is simple. Electricity makes driving better: powerful acceleration and torque, a smooth, quiet ride, low lifetime maintenance and predictable, low fuel costs, all from a convenient, guilt-free, low CO2, domestic energy source. Most importantly, electricity injects fun and freedom back into driving. The sense of adventure and lure of the open road is back, and it’s fueled by electricity.

Add your voice to the campaign: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/electricfuel

2014 Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid

2014 Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid - Autoblog Review | Honda and Acura Fans: "MPG:100+ MPGe (est.)

After 30 years, Honda is trying to teach the old Accord new tricks, and they're of the plug-in variety.

We've been teased by various prototypes at auto shows and in spy shots, but Honda will finally start selling the 2014 Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid in January 2013."

Volt and Leaf comparison questions

Volt and Leaf comparison questions:
1. Which one is more fun to drive?
Fun is very subjective. The Leaf is a little faster off the line and gets my vote. 

2. Which one has a better value/price ratio ?
This depends on your needs. I still have a gas SUV for camping and skiing, so this works for me whenever the Leaf's range won't cut it. The Volt costs more than the Leaf and in my case, the range extender would not do much for me, so is not worth the extra cost. 

3. For those that own both cars , If you had to give up one, which would it be ?
I don't own both, but if I were forced to own only one vehicle, I would want a plug-in hybrid SUV with 4WD and towing capability, which does not exist (yet). 

4. Which car needs the most improvement ? 
They are both 1st gen (in 2011) and improvements are trickling in.

More thoughts on value/price ratio: I think the real question is which one fits your needs best. Up leveling from the Volt and the Leaf specifically, I think it is really about what drivetrain (plug-in hybrid or BEV) fits your personal needs best. 

If you have a reliable, consistent commute/driving schedule that is within a BEVs range AND access to a gas powered vehicle when you need it (friends/car sharing/rent/own/taxi…), then a BEV can be a fit for you. However, if you have unpredictable driving needs, or no access to a backup, then a plug-in hybrid is likely a better fit.

Given the specs of most BEVs today, I think more people fall into the plug-in hybrid bucket. As BEVs improve (range, charge time…), this line will slowly shift. To be clear, I drive a Nissan Leaf and I love it, but if you have doubts or concerns about a BEV, then I think a PHV is the way to go. It allows you to move some (possibly a large majority) of your driving to be grid powered, while still giving you the safety net of the gas station infrastructure that already exists. 
There have been many Volt vs Leaf articles, threads, discussions… To me they are very different cars, with very different capabilities. Just as there is no “moving trucks vs sports cars” debate there should not be a PHV vs BEV debate. You pick the one that meets your needs. If you are trying to move furniture with a sports car, you will be disappointed. If you are trying to use that moving van at the track, you will again be disappointed. The Volt and the Leaf were the first high volume plug-in cars of this generation, so there is a natural tendency to compare them. I find them to be serving different market needs, so the comparison seems overblown to me."

Advanced Vehicle Technologies | Union of Concerned Scientists

Advanced Vehicle Technologies | Union of Concerned Scientists: "Electric Cars: The Future Starts Now
"The future is starting now for electric vehicles, with advanced electrified drivetrain technology entering the market. These electric-drive vehicles—battery, fuel cell, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid electric cars—could be the start of a revolution that will change the face of transportation in the years to come. UCS has demonstrated the potential of this technology with its Model E electric vehicle plans, which utilize existing technology to show the feasibility of a low-carbon vehicle future."

History is bunk

History is bunk: "Henry Ford (1863 - 1947) was the founder of the Ford Motor Company, the father of the assembly line and of mass-production, and one of the wealthiest and most famous people who ever lived. However, history is bunk is probably one of the two things that most of us can recall that he ever said. The other being "People can have the Model T in any colour - so long as it's black".

What he actually said about history was:

"History is more or less bunk. It's tradition. We don't want tradition. We want to live in the present, and the only history that is worth a tinker's damn is the history that we make today." (Chicago Tribune, 1916)."

Automobile drag coefficient - Wikipedia

Automobile drag coefficient - Wikipedia:

Key-words: CdA, Aerodynamics, car drag list,

EV Card | Plug In America

EV Card | Plug In America: "EV Card

The EV Card is an easy way for EV drivers to share charging stations."

Protocol Card, EV sharing, Courtesy Card,

Electric car-charging stations: Will market forces cut prices? - CSMonitor.com

Electric car-charging stations: Will market forces cut prices? - CSMonitor.com: