The Hybrid Car

Transportation Monday, July 31st 2006 Mark O’Connor Lisa Merrill Jessica Swendiman The Hybrid Vehicle Technological Advantages and Difficulties • The Hybrid's battery pack never needs to be charged from an external source – it’s charged during regenerative braking and by the gasoline engine • Hybrids have a more complex powertrain, which means more chances for failure and fewer fixes that your typical mechanic could do • Hybrids can run on alternative fuels • Hybrids have substantially greater torque at low speeds compared with internal-combustion engines • Parts may cost a bit more and are not yet readily available • High-performance electric motors are not yet available in Hybrid vehicles, whose emphasis is on economy, not speed Hybrid Pros and Incentives • Purchase incentives for Hybrid vehicle owners (varies by state). • There's a federal tax deduction for Hybrid buyers ($1500 in 2004 in CA) • Hybrids emit up to 97% less toxic emissions and ½ as much CO2 as the average car • Mileage is noticeably higher • You could experience faster commute times due to the ability to drive Hybrids in HOV lanes in some states • Drivers don't need to change their habits at all USA Hybrid Registrations • Most Hybrids have special warranty provisions that cover costly add-ons like the battery pack and electric motor. • Hybrid lifespan and resale values are generally good Hybrid Cons • They cost more anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 more than nonHybrid version of the same vehicle • There are added registration fees in some states • Maintenance might be more costly • Most Hybrids cannot pull trailers or tow other vehicles • Hybrids are not readily available everywhere • Choices are somewhat limited—not every car has a Hybrid option Hybrid Availability Can I Become a Hybrid Owner? • Ford, Honda, GM, Lexus, Mazda, Renault & Toyota each carry at least 2 types of Hybrids • In 2005, NYC added 6 Ford Escape Hybrids to their taxi fleet and city officials said the entire fleet of 13,000 vehicles could be converted within 5 years (CNN) • Hybrids are not readily available in most developing countries or countries with low GDPs • All vehicles are available online and most are sold in car lots in developed countries The Electric Vehicle Pros and Cons • Electric motors often achieve 90% conversion efficiency • Electric motors are finely controlled, efficient, & mechanically very simple • Electric motors can convert movement energy back into electricity through regenerative braking • Due to the lack of infrastructure and difficulty in handling arbitrary travel, personal EVs require a lot of investment at the time being • EVs require frequent recharging for long trips The Dynasty EV Sedan How Obtainable are EVs? • There are two commonly available electric vehicle designs for automobiles: Battery Electric Vehicles, or BEVs, which convert chemical energy to electrical energy in batteries; and Hybrids • Not readily available in a non-Hybrid design • However, Personal highway-capable EVs are driven by tens of thousands of ordinary people worldwide The GM EV1, discontinued in 2003 The Key to Going Electric: The Lithium Battery • Improved long term energy storage: advances in lithium battery technology, driven by the consumer electronics industry, allow full-sized, highway-capable EVs to be propelled as far on a single charge as conventional cars go on a single tank of gasoline • Lithium batteries can be recharged in minutes instead of hours Permanent Capacity Loss versus Storage Conditions: Lithium Battery Storage Temperature 0 °C (32 °F) 25 °C (77 °F) 40% Charge 2% loss after 1 year 4% loss after 1 year 15% loss after 1 year 25% loss after 1 year 100% Charge 6% loss after 1 year 20% loss after 1 year 35% loss after 1 year 40% loss after 3 months • The production cost of these new lithium batteries is gradually decreasing as the technology matures and production volumes increase 40 °C (104 °F) 60 °C (140 °F) Ethanol Grain Base “Conventional” Ethanol derived from grains such as corn, wheat, sugar cane or soybeans Pros • -26% of the energy content is renewable • -production of grains to ethanol can be done in many countries around the world, keeping money in • -not expensive to manufacture new car, costing less than $200 per vehicle • -20-30% reduction in GHG compared to gasoline (Michael Wang of Argonne National Laboratories) Cons • -has on 66% of the energy content of gasoline • -effects such as soil erosion and the conversion of forest to agriculture • -may be corrosive to the engine • -possible increase of price in grain products www.physorg.com/news71833070.html Cellulosic Ethanol “produce cellulosic ethanol at an estimated price of $1.30/gallon” - (U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) • Produced from a variety of cellulosic biomass feedstocks, including: agricultural plant wastes (corn stover, cereal straws, sugarcane bagasse), plant wastes from industrial processes (sawdust, paper pulp) and energy crops grown specifically for fuel production, such as switchgrass • Two productions that do not generate toxic emissions when producing ethanol by using sulfuric acid to break down cellulose and hemicellulose into fermentable sugar: – enzymatic hydrolysis – synthesis gas fermentation (http://www.harvestcleanenergy.org/enews/enews_0505/enews_050 5_Cellulosic_Ethanol.htm) www.naftc.wvu.edu/.../altethanol.html Pros and Cons Pros • GHG reductions of about 80% over gasoline (Michael Wang of Argonne National Laboratories) • Uses Lignin, a renewable fuel with no net greenhouse gas emissions • This low cost feedstock is more abundant and contains greater potential energy than simple starches and sugars. (National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) • 40-50% of the supply can come for waste biomass streams • Higher profits for farmers • In the US: Sufficient switchgrass could be grown on this acreage to produce 165 billion gallons of ethanol by 2050, which is equivalent to 108 billion gallons of gasoline Cons • Switchgrass is a perennial that takes several years to mature. This will make the farmers question it for financial reasons • As of now it is more costly to convert to ethanol because of extensive processing 27 JANUARY 2006 VOL 311 SCIENCE www.sciencemag.org Butanol Fuel • More like gasoline than ethanol b/c it is produced from biomass as well as fossil fuels • Difference is in the fermentation and distillation of the feedstock (corn, sugar cane, wheat) • Provides 42% more energy than conventional ethanol for a given amount of feedstock • Less corrosive – suitable for distribution through existing pipelines • Blends with diesel or gasoline, and less likely to separate • Flex Fuel Vehicles (FFV) have the option to use Butanol or gasoline and costs no less than a non FFV (v8) Pros: • Cleaner burning fuel, better tailpipe emissions than gas • Reduces overall oil consumption • Same sticker price as a non-flexfuel vehicles • Slight improvement in performance vs. gasoline • Runs on either gas or E85 Cons: • E85 ends up costing more than gas per mile of driving • Lack of fuel stations carrying E85 fuel • Poor fuel-efficiency • Still requires significant petroleum to produce • Mostly only trucks and SUVs available as flex-fuel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butanol_fuel), http://www.autosite.com/content/shared/articles/templates/index.cfm/article_page_order_int/4/article_id_int/1478 Oxydiesel a Small Step Forward Pros Cons • Can be used in operating • In temperatures 10 diesel vehicles without degrees Celsius and modification!!! below an additive is needed to prevent • Cost of ethanol is separation comparable to diesel • Water contamination will • Slightly less CO2 separate fuels emissions • Small reduction in aerosol • Small change in environmental pollutants contaminants • Many better technologies Advantages of Fuel Cell Technology • 100% renewable energy • Fuel cells convert chemical energy directly into electricity without the combustion process -Zero aerosol pollutants -Zero CO2 emissions • Fuel cell vehicles are extremely quiet • Fuel cells have a higher efficiency than diesel or gas engines • More practical then batteryelectric vehicles • Maintenance is expected to be cheaper • The technology is developing and becoming increasingly efficient Problems with Fuel Cell Technology • Production is more costly per energy equivalent than fossil fuels. • Storage problems -insolating tanks -1/2 capacity of gasoline • It emits and costs more when using fossil fuel power plants in hydrogen production. • The limited supplies of platinum • Emits water vapor…GHG • Can not be used to fuel non-fuel cell vehicles • Requires a costly transition • Refueling and starting time of fuel cell vehicles is longer • Driving range is shorter • The technology has yet to mature Quantum Technologies http://en.wikipedia.org/wik i/Fuel_cell Hydrogen Production • • • • For electrolysis, the major cost component is electricity The most cost-effective route for producing hydrogen is expected to be natural gas steam reforming followed by biomass gasification and pyrolysis. Efficiency developments are needed in solar, wind, hydro and other clean renewable energy sources Nuclear power may be the most viable option in the near future http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_cell Platinum • Fuel cell technology will increase the price of platinum • An economic boost for some countries • Platinum recycling methods will be needed -platinum fuel cell components found to be 94% recyclable • Platinum uses will change -jewelry -dental -electronics Platinum Supply Region South Africa Russia North America Zimbabwe and others Total '000 oz 4,100 1,300 350 110 5,860 http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_roads/documents/page/dft_roads_024056-03.hcsp#TopOfPage Rails…The BEST Option Pros Cons • Operates without fossil • Harder to incorporate into fuels existing regions that have poor urban planning • Zero CO2 emission and pollutants • Initial expenses are costly • Relatively low operational • Can you think of any? costs • Extremely energy efficient • A matured technology that is only getting better • Leads development away from sprawling