I’ve been test driving a Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle (PHV) slated for release in early 2012…I’ve been mostly driving around town (75% local roads, 25% highway) using EV mode for~50% of the driving and hybrid mode for the other half. I have been averaging 97 miles per gallon. Note: I received complimentary use of this Toyota 2010 Plug in Prius and all comments posted here are my own opinion.

My initial observations:

Battery Charging:

I have solar panels installed on my roof.  Despite not having a time of use plan or smart meter installed yet, I know that my electricity rates are in Tier 1 (13.4 cents per kilowatt-hour, or kWh) so I have been liberally re-charging the battery from home during the day in between trips.

It is easy to plug in the car into a standard 120 volt/3 prong home outlet.  The dash has an indicator light to let you know charging is taking place and the light goes out when fully charged. I recommend you have  a dedicated circuit since it draws a lot of electricity.  My electricity would go out if I was re-charging the car and running the vacuum on the same circuit for instance.

While I am excited to get 97 mpg over the past two weeks, I still have to add in the electricity costs to achieve these fuel savings. If you aren’t on a time of use metering system, you will have a hard time knowing your battery charging costs in real time. You’ll have to wait for your electricity bill at the end of the month.

It takes about 3 hours to fully charge the battery, which has 5.2 kWh of total capacity, and about 4 kWh of useable capacity.

If your electricity rates are really high (meaning your household uses a lot of electricity and you are charged at up to  to 32 cents per kWh) and if you don’t have a time of use system which will allow you to charge your vehicle cheaply at certain times of the day, I’m not sure what the real costs would be or if a consumer would want to pay more for a Plug-in Hybrid.

Range:

The PlugIn Prius Battery as a range of 14 miles which initially seems low to me. However, with mostly driving short distances and making use of the eco driving mode and the “B” option you can add a more more miles onto the battery life through re-charging while driving.

General Driving:

The Prius feels solid and handles well. I like the Power Mode for faster acceleration. The dashboard display takes some getting used to coming from a conventional car dashboard but the driver feedback is great and if you want to maximize your fuel economy, it is easy to do because of the real-time info while driving. It’s too bad all cars don’t provide real time fuel economy info–it was sobering to see just how much fuel you use driving uphill for example.

I generally drove the car in Eco Mode which makes it slightly harder to accelerate quickly when you are stopped but it allowed me to use the battery more effectively.

The visibility out the rear window is limited because of the hatchback design. There is a split screen effect, you can see the road a bit from the window under the rear door but I found myself less confident about what I was viewing out the rear window and relied on the side mirrors a lot more than I normally do. A family member’s Prius I drove briefly two years ago had a rear view camera on the GPA screen on the dash which showed me exactly was what behind me. I don’t know why this feature has been removed. I would recommend adding it back.

Test Driving the Prius Plug-In Hybrid is a post from: San Diego Clean Fuels Coalition

From Edison2.com Press Release. Photos courtesy Edison2.com.

Washington DC – September, 16, 2010: Edison2, a Lynchburg, Virginia, automotive innovation company led by Charlottesville developer and racing entrepreneur Oliver Kuttner, was presented a $5 million prize at the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE awards ceremony today at the Historical Society of Washington, DC. Edison2’s Very Light Cars – unprecedented combinations of light weight and low aerodynamic drag – were the only vehicles to survive the grueling Mainstream Class of the X PRIZE, in which cars were required to seat 4 passengers, go at least 200 miles on a tank or charge, and meet stringent performance, handling and emissions standards, all while achieving over 100 MPGe.

“The X Prize has shown that business as usual will not solve our dependence on foreign oil. All of the teams here today – the X Prize finalists – are departures from the ordinary”.

“Facts are stubborn things” continued Kuttner. “We named our company Edison2 because we accepted the conventional wisdom, that an electric or hybrid drive is the key to efficiency. But our analysis showed that the only two absolute virtues in auto efficiency are light weight and low aerodynamic drag. So we avoided the hundreds and hundreds of pounds of batteries needed for an electric and chose a conventional internal combustion engine running on E85”.

For the competition Kuttner assembled a top‐tier team of racing and aerospace engineers, designers and mechanics, including Chief of Design Ron Mathis, Aerodynamicist Barnaby Wainfan and Crew Chief Peter Kaczmar.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkAQkV16CXI

Mathis, who came to Edison2 from Audi Sport North America, was responsible for the groundup design of the Very Light Car. “Almost all components of the Very Light Car were re‐designed with an eye toward function, strength and light weight” said Mathis. He credited racing experience and knowledge for enhancing safety in a low‐mass car: “The same design principles that allow a driver to walk away from a high‐speed crash can make a light car a safe car.”

Kuttner believes the adoption of Very Light Car principles is a necessity if America is to address energy independence and climate change. “We need cars that simply take less energy to push, whether electric, hybrid, ethanol or gasoline.” But he also sees the development of a new market segment in the auto industry: lightweight, safe, aerodynamic cars, with the US as the focal point.

Currently Edison2 is actively seeking a new round of private financing as well as bolstering research and development capacity through federal and state funding opportunities. Kuttner is considering the purchase of a large facility to create a “technology cluster” surrounding the development of the next generation of the Very Light Car and serving as a launching point for manufacturing.

“The X Prize is only the beginning.” said Kuttner. “We need to demonstrate that low‐mass cars can be safe and meet FMVSS safety standards. We need to show how our Light Car principles can dramatically improve efficiency for electric, hybrid, diesel and natural gas systems. And we need to create cars to fit the wide needs of consumers: SUV’s, family sedans, sports and utility models – all light, aerodynamic, safe and incredibly efficient.”

Edison2 Wins $5 Million Mainstream Class Prize in the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE is a post from: San Diego Clean Fuels Coalition

ATLANTA GA-Governor Perdue has officially declared August 23-27, 2010 as the first-ever “Georgia Telework Week.” The event will call attention to the tremendous potential for telework in Georgia to boost economic productivity, reduce traffic, improve air quality and save money.

Georgia employers who start or expand telework programs may qualify for tax credits up to $20,000 for program design and assessment, and up to an additional $1,200 for each new teleworking employee. This is the fourth and possibly final year such a credit will be available. The deadline to apply is October 31st, 2010.

In many areas of Georgia, more than half of all smog-forming emissions come from the tailpipes of cars. “When stricter air quality standards for the state are announced later this month, many areas will fail to meet air quality standards,” says Erin Clark, Alternative Workplace Arrangements Specialist for The Clean Air Campaign. “Telework is a highly cost-effective pollution reduction strategy, as every mile driven adds a pound of pollutants to our air.”

Formed in 1996 by government, business, civic, health, environmental and educational organizations, The Clean Air Campaign is a not-for-profit organization that is designed to motivate Georgians to take action to improve air quality and reduce traffic congestion by encouraging commuters to use alternatives such as carpooling, transit, vanpooling, teleworking, biking and walking.

For more information about Georgia Telework Week and The Clean Air Campaign, visit http://CleanAirCampaign.org/TeleworkWeek or contact Mike Williams, Director of Programs (678.244.7708, mwilliams@cleanaircampaign.org).

Governor Declares First Ever Georgia Telework Week is a post from: San Diego Clean Fuels Coalition

The 2010 San Diego Clean Fuels Coalition Survey is currently underway, we are gathering data regarding many organization’s alternative fuel/advanced technology fleets in order to complete our 2010 annual report for the Department of Energy (DOE) Clean Cities Program. The DOE uses this data to report to Congress, as required by the Energy Policy Act, on the success and benefits of the program and to calculate the millions of gallons of gasoline and diesel displaced in the nation due to the conversion of fleets from gasoline and diesel fuels to alternative fuel/advanced technologies.  The survey will ascertain the number and types of alternative vehicles currently in use, their various fuels and the frequency of use, the fueling station availability for both public and private entities, the idle-reduction and fuel economy improvements for fleets, vehicle miles traveled reduction and incentive programs, and other general information such as operational, stakeholder, and outreach activities of the Clean Fuel Coalition.

The survey will span various city governments of San Diego County, School Districts, Transit Systems, Private Enterprises, and many other fleet types. If you are a fleet manager in San Diego County please take some time to complete the linked survey; your most accurate information is truly appreciated.

Click here to take survey

As part of this years San Diego Clean Cities Survey there will be an updated list of the contributors, collaborators, and companies that have completed the survey and would like to be noted for their efforts in reducing petroleum fuel use. Thank you to all whom have put forward your efforts in transportation sustainability:

Private:

Allied Waste Services, Cloud Nine, EDCO, Kick Gas Co-op , TerraMoto Transportation , Port of San Diego, San Diego Zoo,

Public:

City & County:

Carlsbad , Chula vista , Coronado , Del Mar ,  El Cajon , Encinitas , Escondido , Imperial Beach , La Mesa , Lemon Grove , National City , Oceanside , Poway , San Diego , San Marcos , Santee , Solana Beach , Vista

State & Federal:

Airport Authority, Air Pollution Control District, Camp Pendleton,  California Highway Patrol, CalTrans, Olivehein Water District, Valley Center Water District, US Navy, US Postal Service,

Educational:

Transit Systems:

Chula Vista Transit, MTS, North County Lifeline Transit, North County Transit, SD Transit Authority

Non-Fleet Contributors:

NewLeaf BioFuels

2010 San Diego Clean Cities Progress Report is a post from: San Diego Clean Fuels Coalition

The San Diego Clean Fuel Coalition will be assisting Argonne National Labs in the EcoCAR Challenge – the 2010 EcoCAR Challenge Competition is May 17-27, 2010 in Yuma, Arizona and San Diego, CA. The Outreach event will be held May 24-25 in San Diego at the Westin Gaslamp. For more information please visit the EcoCAR Challenge website or GreenGarageBlog website.

ABOUT EcoCAR (From EcoCarChallenge.Org):

EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge is a three-year collegiate advanced vehicle technology engineering competition established by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and General Motors (GM), and is being managed by Argonne National Laboratory.

The competition challenges 16 universities across North America to reduce the environmental impact of vehicles by minimizing the vehicle’s fuel consumption and reducing its emissions while retaining the vehicle’s performance, safety and consumer appeal. Students use a real-world engineering process to design and integrate their advanced technology solutions into a GM-donated vehicle.

Students are designing and building advanced propulsion solutions that are based on vehicle categories from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) zero emissions vehicle (ZEV) regulations. They explore a variety of cutting-edge clean vehicle solutions, including full-function electric, range-extended electric, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell technologies. In addition, students will incorporate lightweight materials into the vehicles, improve aerodynamics and utilize alternative fuels such as ethanol, biodiesel and hydrogen.

Teams are following a real-world approach modeled after GM’s global vehicle development process (GVDP), giving students valuable experience in real-world engineering practices, resource allocation and meeting deliverables. While previous student engineering competitions focused primarily on hardware modifications, EcoCAR includes a unique focus on modeling and simulation, as well as subsystem development and testing.

During the three-year program, General Motors will provide vehicles, vehicle components, seed money, technical mentoring and operational support. The U.S. Department of Energy and its research and development facility, Argonne National Laboratory, will provide competition management, team evaluation and technical and logistical support. Through sponsoring such advanced vehicle engineering competitions, GM and the U.S. Department of Energy are helping to develop the next generation of scientists and engineers.

Year One

In the first year of EcoCAR, participating teams will use math-based design tools—such as Argonne’s Powertrain Systems Analysis toolkit (PSAT) or similar vehicle models research—to compare and select an advanced vehicle powertrain that meets the goals of the competition. Teams also use software to ensure that their chosen components fit into their vehicle and that the electrical, mechanical and software systems function properly. Teams also use software-in-the-loop (SIL) and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) to better develop controls and subsystems.

Years Two and Three

In Years Two and Three, students translate their design into reality and develop a working vehicle that meets the competition’s goals. The teams come together at the end of each academic year to compete against the other university teams in more than a dozen static and dynamic events.

During the weeklong competition, student teams will demonstrate the vehicles so when compared to stock production vehicles they meet or exceed the following goals:

• Incorporate technologies that reduce petroleum energy consumption on the basis of a total fuel cycle
well-to-wheel (WTW) analysis;
• Increase vehicle energy efficiency;
• Reduce criteria and WTW greenhouse gas (GHG) and criteria emissions; and
• Maintain consumer acceptability in the areas of performance, utility and safety.

EcoCAR Challenge is a post from: San Diego Clean Fuels Coalition

El tránsito no va en dirección de su camino? – nadie con quien hacer carpool o viaje combinado? No deje que eso lo detenga!! De hecho le gustaría darse a usted misma de $25 a $50 o más en un certificado de regalo a cualquier lugar que escoja o el comprar cualquier cosa que quiera cada seis meses? Usted lo podrá hacer si sigue la mayoría de las acciones a continuación- acciones de las cuales esta usted a cargo y es capaz de hacerlas!!

1. Evite transportar peso excesivo. Limite el número de veces que lleve usted cosas pesadas. No use su cajuela como contenedor de almacén. Las cargas pesadas fuerzan el motor a usar más combustible al acelerar. 100 libras extras en la cajuela reduce la economía de la gasolina de su carro normal por 1.2%. Cada 200 libras de peso innecesario reduce una milla menos de la eficiencia del combustible del vehículo.
2. Use inteligentemente el aire acondicionado. El aire condicionado es una de las grandes pérdidas de gastos en el poder del motor y la economía del combustible. Al usar su sistema de aire acondicionado incrementa la carga en el motor, por lo que disminuye la economía del combustible de su vehículo. Cuando maneje por las calle use las ventanas y ventilación siempre que sea posible y evite el uso del aire acondicionado para incrementar el millaje del gas.Sin embargo, si tiene que usar el aire acondicionado, será de mayor eficiencia en gasolina el operar el aire acondicionado de el vehículo cuando maneje en carretera que el bajar la ventada (el tener las ventanas abajo en carretera, la velocidad causa que el aire corra y baje la eficiencia operativa).
3. Sensibilidad al Manejar. El acelerar rápido su vehículo consumirá combustible extra – una presión ligera pero firme en el pedal de la gasolina minimiza el uso del combustible. El manejar agresivamente (acelerar y frenar rápidamente) desperdicia gasolina. Puede bajar el millaje de su gasolina en un 33% en velocidades de carretera y un 5% alrededor de la ciudad.Podrá usted viajar la misma distancia con menos combustible si acelera gradualmente. Frenar y acelerar repetitivamente en el tráfico consumirá más la economía de su gasolina y desgastara el sistema de frenos. Sí el tráfico se mueve lentamente, mantenga su paso en el cual se pueda mover confortablemente atrás del carro que está enfrente de usted sin tener que parar y re-acelerar.
4. Evite Acelerar. El millaje de la gasolina disminuye rápidamente a velocidades arriba de 60 millas por hora. (mph) Cada 5 millas por hora que usted maneja a más de 60 mph. Es como pagar $0.10 adicional por cada galón de gas. El beneficio en la economía de gas es de 7-23% dependiendo del vehículo que usted maneje.
5. Evite dejar el carro funcionando parado más de 30 segundos. Al dejarlo funcionando parado se obtienen 0 millas por galón (mpg). Una hora de dejarlo funcionando parado el motor es igual a 33 millas de viaje por el camino – el volver a encender el motor solamente consume el mismo combustible que 30 minutos de tiempo de dejarlo funcionando. Si es posible, durante las largas esperas apague su motor para ahorrar gas (no apague el motor durante el camino o durante el tráfico). Tome la opción de caminar al restaurante en lugar de usar la ventanilla rápida en el carro lo más posible. El esperar en línea por la ventanilla consumirá una cantidad de combustible innecesaria. Si tiene el tiempo medido y tiene que usar la ventanilla rápida, ponga su vehículo en “Parking=Estacionamiento” (transmisión automática) o “Neutral” (Transmisión estándar.) para bajar la velocidad del motor y consumir menos gas.
6. Infle y alinear sus llantas. Puede usted mejorar el millaje de su gasolina casi 3.3% al mantener sus llantas infladas con la presión debida. Una llanta baja puede economizar al ahorrar gasolina en un 2% por libra de presión menos del propio nivel de inflación. Llantas bajas pueden bajar el millaje de gas en un 0.4 por ciento por cada 1 libra por pulgada cuadrada en la presión de todas las cuatro llantas. Si usted infla sus llantas con nitrógeno de gas, sus llantas durarán más! Nitrógeno es más seguro que el aire porque es inherente, no es combustible y no es corrosivo. DE otra forma cuando las llantas están expuestas al aire, empieza una continua deterioración. El inflar sus llantas con nitrógeno es mejor para el millaje de su gasolina y al manejar en el camino. Pregúntele a su tienda de accesorios para carro si ellos pueden inflar sus llantas con nitrógeno en lugar de aire si les es posible.
7. Use aceite para el motor que le sea recomendado. Puede usted mejorar el millaje de su gasolina por 1-2% al usar el grado de aceite para su motor recomendado por el fabricante. Por ejemplo, usar el 10W-30 en un motor designado para 5W-30 podrá bajar el millaje de gasolina por 1-2%. (También busque el aceite de motor que diga “Conservador de Energía” en el símbolo de uso API.
8. Combine viajes cortos y viajes. El combinar viajes cortos y viajes le ahorra tiempo y dinero. Varios viajes cortos hechos desde un encendido de carro frío, usa el doble de combustible que un viaje largo con varios motivos cubriendo la misma distancia cuando el motor está caliente. La planeación de viajes no solamente incrementa la eficiencia de combustible sino que también incrementa la eficiencia del tiempo.

Para más información en ideas y acciones para ahorrar-gasolina, visite los siguientes sitios:
www.fueleconomy.gov
www.fypower.org

Consejos para el Consumidor para Ahorrar Gasolina is a post from: San Diego Clean Fuels Coalition

Here are some useful and easy to follow fuel economy tips. Haga clic aquí para español.

Fuel Economy Tips On The Road

1. Transit not Going Your Way – No One to Carpool With? Do not let that stop you!! In fact how would you like to give yourself a $25 to $50 or more gift certificate to any place of your choosing or to buy anything you want every six months? You can do that by following most of the actions below – actions that you are completely in charge of and capable of doing!!
2. Avoid Transporting Excess Weight. Limit the number of times you carry heavy items – do not use your trunk as a storage container. Heavier loads force your engine to use more fuel to accelerate. An extra 100 lbs in the trunk reduces a typical car’s fuel economy by 1-2%. Every 200 pounds of unnecessary weight trims one mile off a vehicle’s fuel efficiency.
3. Use Air Conditioning Wisely. Air conditioning is one of the biggest drains on engine power and fuel economy. Using your air conditioning system increases the load on the engine, thereby decreasing your vehicle’s fuel economy. During city street driving use your windows and vents when possible and avoid the use of your air conditioning to increase your gas mileage.However if you must use your air conditioning, it is more fuel efficient to operate the vehicle’s air conditioning when driving on the freeway than to roll down the window (having windows down at freeway speeds causes wind drag and lowers operating efficiency).
4. Drive Sensibly. A vehicle rapidly accelerating consumes extra fuel – a light, steady pressure on the gas pedal minimizes fuel usage. Aggressive driving (rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33% at highway speeds and by 5% around town.You can travel the same distance with less fuel if you accelerate gradually. Braking and accelerating repeatedly in traffic will consume more fuel economy and wear out your brake system.If traffic is moving slowly, achieve a pace where you will be moving comfortably behind the car in front of you without having to stop and re-accelerate.
5. Avoid Speeding. Gas mileage decreases rapidly at speeds above 60mph. Each 5 mph you drive over 60mph is like paying an additional $0.10 per gallon for gas. The fuel economy benefit is about 7-23% depending on the vehicle you drive.
6. Avoid Idling Over 30 Seconds. Idling gets 0 miles per gallon (mpg). One hour of engine idling is equal to 33 miles of road travel – restarting an engine only consumes the same fuel as 30 seconds of idle time. If possible, during long waits turn off your engine to save gas (do not turn engine off while on the road or in traffic).Take the option of walking in to a restaurant rather than using the drive-thru when possible. Waiting in line at the drive through will consume an unnecessary amount of fuel. If you are short on time and must use the drive-thru, put your vehicle into “Park” (automatic trans.) or “Neutral” (standard trans.) to lower engine speed and consume less gas.
7. Inflate and Align Your Tires. You can improve gas mileage by around 3.3% by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. One under-inflated tire can cut fuel economy by 2% per pound of pressure below the proper inflation level. Under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.4 percent for ever 1psi drop in pressure of all four tires.If you inflate your tires with nitrogen (gas), your tires will last longer! Nitrogen is safer than air because it is inert, non combustible and non corrosive. On the other hand when tires are exposed to air, a long term and continuing deterioration begins. High purity nitrogen is dry, and will hold tire pressure 30-40% longer than air. Inflating your tires with nitrogen is better for your fuel mileage and handling on the road. Ask local auto stores if they could inflate your tires with nitrogen rather than air when possible.
8. Use Recommended Motor Oil. You can improve your gas mileage by 1-2% by using the manufacturer recommended grade of motor oil. For example, using 10W-30 in an engine designed for 5W-30 can lower your gas mileage by 1-2%. (Also look for motor oil that says “Energy Conserving” on the API performance symbol).
9. Combine Errands and Trips. Combining errands into one trip saves you time and money. Several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much fuel as a longer multipurpose trip covering the same distance when the engine is warm. Planning trips will not only improve fuel efficiency but also increases time-efficiency.For more information on gas-saving ideas and actions, see the following websites: Fueleconomy.gov and Flex your Power.

Fuel Economy At The Garage

The joint EPA and Department of Energy Fuel Economy web site offers detailed information on vehicle fuel economy, including a complete downloadable version of the Fuel Economy Guide. The Web site is located at: http://www.fueleconomy.gov

Comprehensive information about EPA’s Fuel Economy program is available at: http://www.epa.gov/fueleconomy.

The Green Vehicle Guide web site to give consumers a better picture of fuel economy and automobile emissions. Consumers can use this guide to locate the cleanest running and most fuel efficient vehicle that meets their needs.

Fuel Economy Tips is a post from: San Diego Clean Fuels Coalition