1. Why plug-in hybrids?
Today's hybrids are efficient because they don't idle, they recapture braking energy into a battery, and they use smaller engines. They're a great step forward--but they're still 100% gas-fueled. Use a larger, rechargeable battery and you add a second cleaner, cheaper, domestic energy source: electricity.

2. Spend less time--and money--at the pump.
A plug-in hybrid (PHEV) is like having a second fuel tank you always use first. Fill up at home from an ordinary socket, at a cost equivalent to less than $1/gallon. [See box]

3. Use no gas for short trips, still have unlimited range.
If your batteries have a longer range than your commute, you'll almost never need gas. But if you forget to plug in, or take a longer trip, you have the same range as always from a gas engine--but in a clean, efficient hybrid.

4. Neo-cons and greens agree.
PHEVs have been endorsed by an alliance of environmentalists and conservatives who see it as the best way to cut our foreign "oil addiction." Republicans and Democrats, endorsing the DRIVE Act, former cabinet members Shultz and Woolsey, and President Bush in his Advanced Energy Initiative have endorsed PHEVs. Use E85 and 100+MPG PHEVs become "flex-fuel" PHEVs getting 500 MPG of gasoline (+ electricity + cellulosic ethanol).

5. Keep the earth cool.
Even though coal powers half the nation's electricity, driving electrically produces 50+% lower greenhouse gases than a gas-only car. This will only improve as utilities use cleaner, renewable energy.

6. Lead car-makers out of the wilderness.
US car-makers missed the boat on hybrids; now they're playing catch-up. Seven car-makers are interested; GM plans 2 prototypes; Toyota intends to be first -- but none have timetables. PHEVs offer one company the chance to leapfrog its competitors. We need commitments to production. Today's batteries are "good enough;" for PHEVs; they will improve and get cheaper by the time car-makers are ready for mass-production of Version 2.0 PHEVs.

7. PHEVs are already here.
For 15 years, Dr. Andy Frank at UC Davis has converted Ford/GM cars and SUVs. Daimler is testing PHEV versions of the Mercedes Sprinter van. In 2004, non-profit CalCars.org converted the first Prius PHEV; others followed with dozens of cars. Not-yet- available conversions for consumers will cost $10- $20,000. That's why we need carmakers to sell them!

8. Save money in the long run.
In high volumes, car- makers could sell PHEVs for under $2,000-$5,000 more than current hybrids. Just as car buyers pay for large engines or leather seats without expecting a return on investment, early adopters will pay extra for the PHEV "green feature." The bonus? Projections based on experience from electric car fleets show PHEVs have a lower lifetime cost of ownership than any other vehicle.

9. Send car battery power the other way.
Recharged at night, PHEVs can send power to utilities in what's called "vehicle to grid" (V2G). PHEVs can be mobile generators to emergency centers and homes after disasters and outages, providing low-emission 120-volt back-up power for days. Pair rooftop solar with cars for backup!

10. Deploy the fleet.
Fleet buyers are leading the way on many fronts. Plug-In Partners is a national campaign for a large fleet buy. Incentive programs can help buy down initial costs and additional warranties can reduce battery risk factors. CalCars is working to find ways to get demonstration fleets of "good enough to start" PHEVs on the road -- followed by 10,000-100,000 vehicles.


Assumptions for Point #2:
Here's another way to think about it: At $3/gallon of gas, driving a non-hybrid car costs 8-20 cents/mile (depending on your miles/gallon). With a PHEV, local travel and commuting can drop to 2-4 cents/mile. Toyota Prius: 260 Watt-hours/electric mile at "off-peak" (overnight) electricity rate (8.8 cents/kiloWatt hour) equals a cost of 2.3 cents/mile. Multiply this by the 45 MPG of a typical Prius to get the equivalent of $1.03/gallon. Typical Non-Hybrid SUV: 400 Watt-hours/electric-mile at the off-peak rate equals a cost of 3.5 cents/mile. Multiply this by the less efficient SUV's average of 18 miles/gallon to get an even better $0.63/gallon. (SUVs get low mileage, so they improve even more!) 100+MPG: In mixed-speed driving, our cars get use that much gasoline plus about $0.01/mile of electricity (125 Wh/mile).