Ford, Toyota, GM Rev Up Hybrids

Ford Motor Co., Toyota Motor Corp. and General Motors said they can display plug-in hybrids in showrooms in a matter of half a decade. The major automakers added they will be offering dramatic increases in fuel economy plus modest price premiums.

At the upcoming Washington, D.C. Auto Show, Ford will showcase its Escape hybrid plug-in SUV. The automaker will develop 20 lithium batteries for trials by Southern California Edison.

According to reports, plug-in hybrids are capable of running 50-100 miles per gallon on short trips primarily using their battery power. "If we can't decide within five years whether we can do this, something is wrong," said Greg Frenette, FoMoCo’s chief engineer for plug-in and fuel-cell vehicles.

Plug-in hybrids are like ordinary hybrids which have gasoline and electric as power sources. The only difference is that they have bigger batteries which can be charged using a household outlet. The extra battery capability allows them to run on battery-only power for the first 5 or 10 miles. Then it goes back to normal hybrid mode, amalgamating the power sources.

Last Thursday, the U.S. Energy Department said it will award up to $30 million to projects intended to "deliver up to 40 miles of electric range without recharging" and to make plug-in hybrids "cost-competitive by 2014 and ready for commercialization by 2016." The government department said 40 miles would cover most commutes and 70% of average driving.

The catalyst that is expected to spawn hybrid revolution is the progress on lithium-ion batteries. The latter is said to store more energy and much smaller in size than nickel-metal hydride batteries, which is commonly used today.

Toyota, meanwhile, aims "to be sure they're robust enough to withstand the extreme charging-discharging cycles in a plug-in hybrid, and still last the life of the car," said Jaycie Chitwood, senior planner at the automaker’s advanced technologies unit in the USA.

At the NAIAS, Toyota displayed a plug-in Prius hybrid prototype. It said the company could start regular production within a few years. "It's more when than if," said Chitwood.

General Motors, on the other hand, said it plans a plug-in version of its Saturn Vue hybrid "as soon as 2010."

credit: USA Today