From SanFranciscoEVA

None of the Hybrids offered by the auto manufacturers today are Plug-in Hybrids

The Hybrids on the market today can only have their battery-packs recharged by burning fuel in an internal combustion engine (ICE). They cannot be plugged in to use the much cheaper electricity available from every household electrical socket in the world. But, hybrid owners are taking the initiative to convert their cars to plug-ins so they can be used in EV only mode.

Let's Change That!

Learn More about Plug-in Hybrids here:

• Plug-In Supply, Inc. http://www.pluginsupply.com markets a kit for converting a Prius to a plug-in hybrid.
• Luscious Garage http://www.lusciousgarage.com converts Priuses to plug-ins.
• Plug-in Hybrids: The Cars that Will Recharge America, a new book by SFEVA President Sherry Boschert. For info and to order a copy, see http://www.sherryboschert.com.
• The California Cars Initiative converted on of America's favorite hybrid cars into a better plug-in version, to show that if volunteers can do it, the major automakers could do it too! (CalCars is a non-profit organization and does not offer plug-in hybrids for sale) http://www.calcars.org/
• The City of Austin, Texas is leading a national campaign called Plug-in Partners to prove the market exists for plug-in hybrids. Tell the automakers you want a hybrid that can plug into cheaper, cleaner, domestic electricity by signing the petition at http://www.pluginpartners.org.

What is a Hybrid car, anyway?

A HYBRID is a vehicle which uses both the power of an electric motor and the power of a fuel-burning engine (also known as "gas engine", ICE - Internal Combustion Engine, "smoker", etc).

A "real" Hybrid (such as the Toyota Prius) can be driven in "Electric Only" mode for as long as there is power in the battery-pack. The more energy the battery-pack can hold, the longer a real Hybrid can be driven in EV mode.

A real Hybrid also allows you to switch between EV Mode and ICE Mode. For example, the Toyota Prius is built with such a switch, but - for some unexplained reason - it is not installed in the version imported into the USA (see Prius Plus project http://www.calcars.org for more info).

Other Hybrids being sold today (such as the Honda Insight) only use the electric motor to boost the performance of the ICE. These Hybrids cannot really be driven continuously in EV mode because the electric motor is built directly into the gas engine, so whenever the electric motor is turning the entire gas engine must be turning, too.

Today's advertising campaigns stress "You don't have to plug it in!", as if that was good for you. Being unable to plug-in is actually a bad thing because it is MUCH CHEAPER and MUCH CLEANER to plug-in and drive as much as you can in EV mode only!

If you could plug-in your Hybrid, you would be able to drive around town without burning a drop of expensive gasoline. You could use cheap electricity instead!

It is always CHEAPER AND CLEANER to drive a Hybrid in EV Mode than to use the gas engine.

There are three general types of Hybrids:

Series Hybrids

These are vehicles which:

• ONLY use electric motors to power the vehicle
• ONLY use on-board fuel-burning engines to generate electricity
• Have the potential to be PLUGGED-IN and have their battery packs recharged from ANY source of electricity, including Solar Panels, Wind Turbines, household wall sockets, and any other alternative source of electricity.
• Example: GM's prototype Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid.

Parallel Hybrids

These are vehicles which:

• Have such a tight interplay between the electric and gasoline drive systems that it's much more difficult to design them for plug-in capability.
• Example: Honda Insight hybrid

Series-Parallel Hybrids

These are vehicles which:

• Can be powered with either the electric motors or the fuel-burning engine, either seperately or together.
• Have the potential to be PLUGGED-IN, and have their battery-packs recharged from ANY source of electricity, including Solar Panels, Wind Turbines, household wall sockets, and any other alternative source of electricity.
• Example: Toyota Prius, which is not offered as a plug-in, but could be.

If you can't drive in EV Mode, then it's not a REAL Hybrid!

If you can't Plug It In, you can't save money!