Plug-In Cars

What is a plug-in car?

A true “plug-in” car (battery electric vehicle - BEV) is an electric vehicle that operates by using chemical energy that is stored in rechargeable battery packs.

Some plug-in cars employ electric motors either on their own or in conjunction with an internal combustion engine. This type of vehicle is referred to as a “hybrid.”

Hybrid cars that operate with a rechargeable battery and can run without the internal combustion engine are called hybrid electric vehicles. When they are operated under battery power only and not via the fuel burning mechanism, they are considered true plug-ins (BEVs).


Fuel Consumption

All electric cars (true plug-ins) do not rely on fuel consumption for their power. They are battery operated and often can be recharged by using a conventional electrical power source. Unfortunately, this has been the one drawback to mass production of exclusively electric plug-in cars, as the distance a true plug-in car can travel on a fully charged battery does not make it a feasible vehicle for the average commuter.

Due to their ability to transfer power from one source (electrical) to another (fuel), hybrid cars are known to offer lower fuel consumption than conventional vehicles. Additionally, hybrid vehicles are equipped with smaller engines that provide further fuel consumption efficiency.

Technological advancements have made it possible for some hybrids to reduce and/or recover excess energy via regenerative power modules that are activated during braking which allows the plug-in to bypass the fuel consumption module and let the vehicle progress onward using battery power only.

BEVs have traditionally attained more widespread acceptance in Europe than in America, where manufacturers are hesitant to invest large sums into vehicles that have lower customer demand. However, technological advances to battery life (especially with the new, lighter lithium-ion batteries now available), and the ever-rising cost of fuel have peaked the interest of some American car manufacturers. More money is being invested into researching a viable plug-in car that will be universally accepted.

A newer strain of technologically advanced vehicles that have the potential to increase gas mileage to an estimated 100 miles per gallon are called plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).

Unlike previous models that relied on re-conversion of battery power via the on-board rechargeable energy storage system, this type of PHEV can be plugged in to recharge the batteries. The downside is that this type of vehicle requires a larger number of batteries in order to perform on electric power only, and there are currently few American car manufacturers who provide models equipped with this technology.


How are plug-in cars recharged?

Plug-in cars can be recharged via conventional electrical outlets; however, the one big detriment is the time required to fully charge the batteries. Battery manufacturers are diligently working on manufacturing batteries that will require less charging times and provide longer usage between chargings.

BEVs must also have their batteries recharged periodically. The advantage they have over all electric vehicles is that they are able to generate battery-charging energy while the vehicle is being driven via a system known as regenerative braking. This type of regeneration of the batteries is accomplished by recapturing part of the kinetic energy that normally is converted to heat while braking and feeding this power back to the battery.

Additionally, BEVs can also be recharged via a household outlet that has been adapted with conductive coupling. Ongoing technological advances lead manufacturers to anticipate that this option will take less time as newer and better methods come into being. The average time to recharge is currently around six to eight hours.

Alternatively, BEVs can be recharged via the insertion of a specially designed paddle into a slot in the car. Acting like a transformer, when the paddle is inserted into the slot, a magnetic circuit is completed which provides needed power to charge the vehicle’s battery pack.


All Electric vs. Plug-in Hybrid Cars:

Researchers are constantly striving to improve the technology of all-electric transportation; however, there still remain the long-range travel restrictions for battery-operated vehicles.

The solution would seem to lay in longer-range capability plug-in hybrids. This bridge technology appears to be extremely valuable due to its versatility. Not only will a well-designed, long range plug-in hybrid offer convenient unlimited range of travel, fuel consumption will be greatly impacted since the batteries would be recharged using conventional methods (household electrical outlets) while the vehicle is idle.

Supporters of plug-in hybrid cars estimate that such a vehicle, with a hundred mile range before the batteries had to be recharged, could conceivably cut fuel consumption to the point where it would only require fuel every few months. Others predict that when this technology is embraced on a wide spread manufacturing level, gasoline would be replaced by other fuels such as ethanol or bio-diesel, which of course would have a very positive impact on the environment. (http://www.ilea.org/articles/car.html)