A concern has recently been raised that too many hybrid vehicles plugged in and charging at the same time will crash the grid. Duke Energy and the smart grid company, GridPoint both reported in statements issued today that they have found a way for people to both charge their hybrid vehicles without diminishing the power output from the grid.

Both Duke Energy and Gridpoint said they have been testing GridPoint's SmartGrid Platform device to charge up cars after 10 p.m. with positive results. And yes, timing is everything when you're talking about charging up your hybrid.

If the demand for hybrids is at the peak (which is a worst case scenario energy consumption-wise) the United States would need to construct roughly 160 new power plants to handle the usage of hybrid vehicles. And that's if people charged their hybrids up at 5 p.m., which is the time of peak daily power demand on the electricity grid.

Waiting until five hours later at 10 p.m. or later, the hybrids would be charged using smart grid technologies and would mean the United States would only need to add between one and eight additional power plants to handle the demand for power.

"Smart charging is an essential capability for Duke and all electric utilities as PHEVs (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles) enter the market. Through this capability, we're able to reduce stress on the grid during peak periods and keep rates low," said David Mohler, chief technology officer of Duke Energy, in a statement. Mohler joined the board of GridPoint last October.

Previously, in an interview with CNET News.com, GridPoint's Chief Operating Officer Karl Lewis stated that U.S. utilities are not prepared for the stress that the anticipated growth of plug-in hybrids will put on the grid. Lewis said, "If suddenly you have 20,000 or 30,000 rechargeable cars--with maybe 50,000 in a few years--plugging into the grid at night, utilities have to react to that or you'll have serious problems," Lewis said in an October interview. "You see plug-in hybrids becoming a big issue; it's a tidal wave coming at utilities."

Hybrids are a great step forward for clean energy, however our utilities need to catch up and catch up fast or we're all going to be left in the dark.

Labels: buy a hybrid, hybrid, hybrid vehicles, hybrids, hydrogen, hydrogen hybrid

I don't know about you, but when someone says "Hydrogen Hybrid" I immediately get this image of the Hindenburg and someone screaming, "Oh the humanity!". A little dramatic, maybe - but seriously how safe is hydrogen technology? I decided to find out what people far more scientific than me thought.

The Mazda Corporation has announced plans to increase domestic production of hydrogen-electric hybrids by a full 15%. Mazda hasn't released full plans but intends to increase production and focus on green vehicles as a major product beginning in March 2008.

The Army is even going green. MSNBC reported that the U.S. Army's vehicle research center is partnering with a private company to fuse technologies, converting a Ford Escape Hybrid to run on hydrogen instead of gasoline. The idea is to start using hydrogen with internal combustion engines because the alternative, the hydrogen fuel cells - is still cost prohibitive.

So how safe is this technology? I decided to dig around and see what testing has been done and what I could find out.

The U.S. Department of Energy actually had my initial Hindenburg question on their website. And here is their answer. "In general, hydrogen is neither more nor less inherently hazardous than gasoline, propane, or methane. As for the Hindenburg, a recent study found the paint used on the blimp's skin was to blame since it contained the same component as rocket fuel. An electrical discharge ignited the skin. While the hydrogen gas used to float the blimp did ignite, it burned upward and away from the people on board and actually provided a slow, safe descent for those who stayed on board."

And I found some interesting data that Honda had conducted crash tests on hybrids with hydrogen fuel cells at varying speeds and impact angles. The hydrogen fuel cells are hydrogen packed under pressure - however the there was no fire or explosion in a single incident in these test impacts. Nissan has done similar testing with the same results.

Okay another scenario, someone is at the pump filling up their vehicle and they forget to put the hose back up and drive off with it still attached to their vehicle. According to the development team at Honda, human capacity for making mistakes has been factored into the design of the commercial pumps already. The filling hose is designed to detach and seal in the event that the driver speeds away while still attached to the station. and extra electrical grounding will prevent static discharges and there will also be hydrogen leak detectors installed with an automatic venting system to prevent potentially explosive build ups of the gas.

I'm definitely feeling better about hydrogen hybrids by a long shot - but I think the technology is still clearly in its infancy. Getting away from our dependence on oil is a big push forward. Do you think hydrogen is the right direction to go for automobiles? Leave a comment!

Labels: buy a hybrid, hybrid, hybrid vehicles, hybrids, hydrogen, hydrogen hybrid

Have you been on the fence about buying a hybrid? When you get into the research you'll find that the benefits to the consumer are huge.

So now you're thinking, "If the benefits are so huge, why aren't hybrids a major player in the automobile industry?" There are many theories why this is so. Some people blame the oil industry for keeping the hybrids under wraps, others blame the pricing of hybrids. However, the main reason seems to be that people remember the early electric cars that went about 15 to 25 mph and that was if you floored it. Also, they got roughly 2 hours of battery life per charge. This wasn't economical or convenient for anyone.

Fast forward to today and you have hybrids made by Lexus, Nissan and Honda to name a few. More companies have concept cars in progress and they are nothing like the boxy little electric cars that were little more than glorified golf carts.

One hybrid that has been making a splash is the Honda Civic Hybrid. It looks great, drives great and has utilized the technology advancements making it one of the most fuel efficient vehicles on the road today. The Partial Zero-Emission (AT-PZEV) is the magic that gives the Honda Civic Hybrid it's fuel economy as well as making it very "green".

Currently, the Honda Civic Hybrid comes with an 8-year/80,000 mile warranty as well as an extended warranty on all emissions related features on this vehicle. This means not only are you driving a car that will save you a ton of money on fuel, it will also give you peace of mind that if it breaks - it will be fixed and not on your dime either.

The 2007 Civic Hybrid received major kudos from Kelly Blue Book as well as Edmunds and Consumer Review Magazine. The 2008 models are even sharper looking with more fuel efficiency utilizing the hydrogen cell method of energy transference.

One way to find out if a hybrid is the right choice for you is to lease one. Drive it for a while and put it through the paces and once you see the difference and the money you save at the fuel pumps, you might find yourself recommending hybrids to everyone you know.

Labels: buy a hybrid, hybrid, hybrid vehicles, hybrids

One of the major drawbacks many people feel about hybrid cars is the lack of good looks. For many people, if it doesn't look like a Camaro or other muscle car, well it's not a car worth driving, no matter how "green" or earth friendly it is.

The sole driving force in performance hybrids at the moment goes to Lexus and the company has done a truly excellent job promoting both the full capabilities of their hybrid vehicles standard fuel performance along with the touting the electrical side and showing you really can have power in a great looking car.

The success of this hybrid line hasn't gone unnoticed by another auto maker and according to a small mention in an article of "The Car Connection"; there is a grand possibility that the dual mode hybrid style (fuel/electric) is being considered for a high end Camaro design. If this is indeed the case, this would mean you get the classic style of a Camaro along with the high performance of a new generation hybrid.

With ever rising fuel prices, economy in a vehicle's design is a bigger deal than ever and the creating a V8 hybrid vehicle such as a Pontiac G8 and the Camaro may result in a hybrid that costs a little more but for anyone that considers a muscle car just slightly better than any other kind, the auto makers may finally have a hybrid that breaks the market wide open.

Which is another point, right now hybrids aren't the cheapest vehicles to purchase outright. However a lease is a very smart economical option for most people . You can find out for free if a lease for a hybrid is the way for you to go and get a hybrid of your own.

The rumor is that the new hybrid Camaro will make its debut in 2009; but one thing is certain, with the fuel pricing skyrocketing with no signs of slowing down - consumers will be hammering the auto makers for fuel efficient vehicles that look good. Honda and Toyota already have good hybrids on the market and other auto makers are jumping on board with their own designs which will create a healthy competition. This will enable the hybrid market to really become mainstream and everyone to reap the benefits of owning a hybrid vehicle.

Labels: buy a hybrid, hybrid, hybrid vehicles, hybrids

As recently as 2004, you could only find three models of hybrid vehicles on the available market and all three were from Japanese auto makers. As of 2007, there a total of eight US made hybrid vehicle models and with the advances in technology, that number isn't showing any signs of slowing down over a predicted increase in availability of hybrids over the next ten years.

Should you get a hybrid? The latest statistics for sales of hybrid vehicles show that you wouldn't be alone in your choice. In 2006 (2007 stats haven't been released yet) over 200,000 hybrid vehicles were sold. Granted this isn't a huge market share of the automobile industry, however it's a nice slice of the pie for something that is still considered in many fronts to be "new" technology.

To make hybrid vehicles even more attractive, there are tax incentives for owning a hybrid. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 offers tax incentives for owners of hybrids and it's not a tax deduction, it's a tax credit. As of last year, the credit amount can be as much as $3,400 per hybrid vehicle. There are some requirements the vehicle must meet so be sure to run this past your accountant - but in most cases, you'll find it is a happy tax credit to make tax time a little less painful.

One thing that keeps many people from purchasing hybrid vehicles is that misconception that they only go approximately 30MPH - a hybrid will go just as fast as your regular work car. It's safe to drive on the streets as well as the expressway - the hybrids of today may not be ready for the Autobahn just yet - but technology to make hybrid engines faster and more powerful is currently underway and energy efficient, clean running, ultra-horsepower vehicles may be available in the near future. If you don't want to make the commitment of a hybrid vehicle purchase, consider a lease for your next vehicle and make it a hybrid - you can do so for as little as $499 a month for a 2008 model.

If you haven't done so already, check it out for yourself and take a test drive, most people are shocked there is no difference in the way a hybrid and regular designed vehicle handle - see for yourself.

Labels: buy a hybrid, hybrid, hybrid vehicles, hybrids