For over a century the limited battery powered range of electric vehicles (EVs) has thwarted efforts to bring EVs to the mass-market.  100 years ago prominent inventors like Nicola Tesla, Thomas Edison and John Studebaker struggled with overcoming this issue and finally conceded the market to the gas-guzzlers we now drive. 

A Long History Comes to Fruition --- By 1912, John M. Studebaker finally conceded the future of automobiles to gasoline powered engines. This official statement announced the end of their limited production of EVs:

The production of electric automobiles at South Bend has ended. It has been conducted for nine years without much success, and ultimately the superiority of the gasoline car (is) apparent.

       The main problem with "All-Electric" cars is pretty much the same today as it was 100 years ago.  Compared to gasoline, batteries are heavy; it takes 100 to 150 lbs to store the energy equivalent of 5 lbs (one gallon) of gas.  So even a half ton of batteries doesn't guarantee that you'll get thru the day’s traveling without a lengthy recharging break or the risk of being stranded miles from an AC outlet.  But a Plug-in-rechargeable Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) with only a 150 lbs of batteries can still provide 18,000 miles per year (50 miles per day) without using a drop of gasoline, and when more miles are needed, the PHEV smoothly transitions to "fuel-assisted" power if more miles are needed to get to convenient place and time for the daily recharging break.  Because the ICE (internal combustion engine) in a series hybrid is only there to keep the batteries charged, it can be small and only needs to supply the "average" power required by the car, not the "peak" power.  So a 15 to 25 HP engine (equivalent to a riding lawn mower) is sufficient.  Better yet, this small engine can run at whatever RPM and load factor provides the best efficiency, typically providing 50 to 80 miles per gallon.

Why Is the Series Hybrid the preferred Solution??

  • Since it always drives the car using only the electric motors, the Series Hybrid provides full performance in "Electric-Only" mode, while parallel hybrids (or mild hybrids) require the combined power from the gas engine and electric motor to provide full acceleration.
  • Carries only enough batteries for an "average" day of driving, but smoothly transitions to generating power from an on-board engine if more miles are needed
  • Allows the ICE to operate in its "sweet spot", one RPM and one load for optimum efficiency
  • Simple mechanical design, no parallel engine, motor and generator inputs and output to combine, balance and manage.
  • Easy upgrade to high-tech batteries (when available at reasonable cost) for longer range, lighter weight etc

Today we have virtually no choice in how we power our vehicles.  Usually free markets offer a wide range of designs, suppliers, styles, and technologies; but try driving 20 miles to work without using any gas (or diesel) fuel.  This lack of alternatives defeats the efficiency of our free market economy, which, EVEN FOR REPUBLICANS,  is justification for government and legislative intervention. 

Possible Government Actions

  1. Guarantee EV owners a "residential"  off-peak electric utility rate.
  2. Set procurement guidelines so federal, state and local governments become “early adopters” of PHEVs technology.
  3. Phase-in new CAFÉ mileage standards (and include SUVs, and light trucks) for all vendors of automobiles in the U.S., but ignore miles provided by power from the electric utility grid.
  4. Provide incentives and grants for manufacturers to add electric drives, additional batteries and recharging systems to adapt hybrid or other designs to “all-electric“ operation.
  5. Government and/or industry associations need to standardize battery sizes so older technology batteries can easily be replaced as performance improves and prices drop.
  6. And the more extreme measure: Enact an oil-import tax designed to cut imports by 20% per year, scheduled to start in roughly a year from the date of enactment 

So, let’s recap the benefits of this policy:

1.   Crowd Pleaser - Consumers can commute for 70 cents / day instead of $3.

2.   More Crowd Pleasing – The price of crude oil will start dropping almost immediately as the inevitable drop in world-wide demand becomes apparent.

3.   Economic Stimulus - The U.S keeps its energy dollars rather than sending $300 billion per year to unstable Middle East countries bent on our destruction.

4.   National Security - We quickly get some protection from an OPEC embargo designed to crash the western economies or blackmail some political decision.

5.   Environmental - Cleaner air, especially in urban areas, since a PHEV operating in “electric-only” mode is a zero-emission vehicle. 

6.   Economic stimulus (again) - New technology stimulates business activity in general, designing new vehicles, building power plants, ramping up battery production, installing  “time-dependent” electricity meters, R & D projects, etc.

7.   Increased U.S. exports - Although we currently lag behind many other countries in electric vehicle technology, if a critical emphasis is placed on this development, U.S. car manufacturers may actually find that foreign markets will want their cars again.