Plug-in hybrid vehicles: An overview and performance analysis

Energy consumption is becoming a more important issue in the United States. High oil prices, volatile political climates, and greater environmental concerns, and awareness to the costs of energy usage have led to an emphasis on conservation. One area where there is increasing research is in increased fuel economy. An area where there are many commercial solutions is hybrid vehicles. As of the end of 2007, over a million hybrid vehicles have been sold worldwide. This widespread adoption has led some to find ways in which to increase hybrid fuel economy. One such means is to augment hybrid vehicles with plug-in technology. Such solutions currently involve people converting commercial hybrid vehicles using inverters, batteries, and reprogrammed computers. These solutions can often increase gas mileage by over 20%. However, it is less clear as to the savings one would achieve economically and environmentally. Here we perform an analysis using the Toyota Prius as a platform.