Democrats vs. Republicans. Optimist vs. Pessimist. We seem to live out our lives on one extreme vs. the other. This is where I come in. I am Grumpy because I see both sides of the argument and you are both wrong.

Our lives are dictated by one extreme or the other. Elect a Republican and 50% of the people are pissed off. Next time we elect a Democrat and 50% of the people are pissed off. My solution is to elect someone in the middle and piss off 100% of the people. At least we could be united for a change.

So how in gods name does any of this relate to Electric Vehicles? Well, we have done the same exact thing with electrical vehicles. One side is all googly eyed over electric vehicles the other side vows to never buy one. Stuck in the middle is everyone else. Solution: Start walking. In other words piss everyone off.

“I am Grumpy because I see both sides of the argument … and you are both wrong.”

The Grumpy Retiree

The typical problem is the powers that be decide what you are going to get. Like it or not. Whether it makes sense or not. In this case Elon Musk had a plan, which was electric vehicles, and we jumped on this bandwagon without further thought. You can’t go a day without an article about EVs, but perfectly suitable alternatives don’t get any press.

Evenly Divided

Before we get too far, and I piss off 50% of the people, I firmly believe that electric vehicles are the future, baring flux capacitor powered flying Deloreans or something we haven’t envisioned as yet. And I must give credit to the biggest child in the world, Elon are you listening? Tesla single handedly created an electric vehicle that massively outperformed legacy automakers. How in the world could Tesla outsmart and out engineer BMW, GM, Ford, Toyota etc. and at the same time revolutionize the automotive market? Give credit where credit is due.

So what am I all aggravated about? We have boxed ourselves into the 50/50 solution once again. While early adopters, environmentalists and status seekers have flocked to Electric Vehicles (EV), there is a hard core group that is firmly in the Never Electric Vehicle (NEV) camp. Whether it is cost, range, charging issues or simply I don’t want one, we are split here in the USA.

Overseas there is somewhat of a different attitude. In particular when we look at Scandinavian countries. Norway, Iceland and Sweden have the highest electric vehicle usage per capita with Norway by far the leader approaching 100%. Norway’s lucrative incentives were a major catalyst, but having a smaller geographic size does help. The USA is 10 times the size of Norway, Iceland and Sweden combined! The US is also a car-centric nation, like it or not. Long distances and remote areas do not comfort “range and charging skeptics” here in the USA. Our cites are far apart, we like to drive, fuel is cheap and our public transportation in a word sucks. All debatable another time.

What’s THE POINT!

We are completely missing an interim solution. Plug In Hybrid Electric Vehicles or PHEVs. Admittedly, without Tesla I question if PHEVs would have been as rapidly developed, so again, give credit to Tesla. A PHEV offers a short range all electric vehicle combined with a internal combustion engine (ICE). The electric range of a PHEV is currently 20-45 miles and after that the ICE kicks in.

What is the goal of electric vehicles? There are several pros and cons of both ICE and electric vehicles. The biggest concern with an ICE vehicle boils down to gasoline. _{^{(Disclaimer for the stupid: TheGrumpyRetiree does not in any way advocate boiling gasoline or attempting to make gasoline by boiling anything. Anything stupid you do is due to you being stupid. “Boils down to gasoline” is just a phrase.)}}

On the other hand, the biggest concerns with Electric Vehicles (EV) are Range & Charging.

PROs & CONs

ICE Vehicles

PROs

CONs

• Limited Supply of Oil
• Oil controlled by global markets
• Environmental issues
• Higher maintenance costs

Electric Vehicles

PROs

CONs

• More Costly
• Slower refueling
• Refueling station issues
• Battery Cost, Life & Recycling
• Cobalt, Lithium, Nickel metals

There are additional Pros & Cons, but I choose a few common and pertinent points. We are not going back to 100% ICE vehicles. At the same time pure EV adoption, while increasing, is still low in the US. So what is the actual goal? In a perfect world we would have a personal transportation option that was affordable to buy and operate, environmentally friendly, good range, refuels fast and makes you smell better. But we don’t live there currently.

No Silver Bullet, Yet

Admittedly, a PHEV has some issues. It is still an ICE vehicle so it needs regular maintenance and while less expensive than a pure EV, it is still more expensive than a pure ICE vehicle. But the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.

The magic mileage number for PHEV is a TRUE 50 mile range in all electric mode. We are not quite there, but close enough for most people and improving all the time. The vast majority of people drive under 30 miles per day. That means most current PHEVs would operate solely on battery power. PHEVs have much smaller batteries than an EV and use far less material to build. The list of metals needed for batteries is long and includes copper, graphite, nickel, lithium and cobalt. New battery technology is always emerging, but metals are sourced all over the world. Trading oil dependence for lithium or cobalt dependence is a potential issue. Smaller batteries = less metal mining, faster manufacturing, lower cost and smaller recycling load.

Smaller batteries charge faster. A PHEV charges in 1-2 hours at 240V at home while an EV takes 5-10 hours. At 120V (regular household outlet) a PHEV charges overnight (or faster) and an EV takes 20-40 hours. However, according to Tesla’s webpage at 120V it adds just 2-4 miles of range per hour! Wow! I can walk faster than 2-4 miles in an hour even while mumbling about everything wrong in the world! PHEVs recharge slightly while driving from regenerative braking, but in general you would recharge the battery at home like an EV. Currently only a pure EV can use a fast DC charger. PHEV when they run out of battery power would use the motor to keep going. It would make little sense to wait 1-2 hours to get 50 miles range on a long trip at 240V, however you could potentially plug a PHEV in at your destination.

So Think!

Oil is a limited resource that some estimate will last only 40 more years. 40 years! I have a shirt older than 40 years! And maybe that estimate is wrong, I don’t know. But if someone told you today that on September 17, 2036 you would get run over by a bus, I think you would be proactive and refrain from crossing the street that day. So being a little proactive now with the oil supply is prudent advice.

Regardless of the actual date, using less oil now means the world supply lasts longer. We still power EVs with electricity, but electricity is not generated by oil in significant amounts but by coal, gas, hydro, wind, solar, nuclear, etc. Nearly 50% of oil consumption is for transportation, with personal vehicles using the majority. We would immediately double or triple the lifespan of known oil reserves if everyone drove on batteries.

PHEV: The Best EV story Never Told

The problem is not everyone can or will by an electric vehicle for a variety of reasons, justified or not. But a PHEV eliminates many of the barriers. 95% of vehicle trips are under 30 miles with 98% under 50 miles! Therefore a TRUE 50 mile range PHEV would essentially be the same as an EV 98% of the time! Holy Crap Batman! So why bother with a gasoline motor at all? Very simple. Convincing people to buy a pure EV is a lot harder than buying something they understand and feel more comfortable with. Easing into change for many people is just way simpler than forcing change. It is like getting 98% correct on a test without studying verses 30% banging your head against the wall.

We have a cheaper solution that solves 98% of the oil problem! PHEVs reduce range and refueling anxiety, uses smaller batteries & fewer metals. The refueling infrastructure already exist. We have more time to properly transition the EV charging infrastructure and electric grid/generation. Why is an EV carting around a 1000-2000 pound battery all the time when it is only using 10-15% of the capacity? Why are we mining tons of metals to build giant batteries that will need recycling and be very costly to replace?

PHEVs for the masses?

I must admit I do not love carting around 2 propulsion options, battery and an ICE. However, ICE are an off the shelf product vastly superior to what was available even 20 years ago. The is a short term transition while we solve the EV issues. Within a few years battery technology will vastly improve. Remember your 1st cell phone and the one you carry now? Technology advances quickly, and EV will also. Better yet, a superior fuel option becomes available during this transition.

My biggest complaint is that we don’t advertise or talk about PHEV at all. I was talking to a friend that owns a regular hybrid car and asked if he had considered a PHEV. He had never heard about them and he owned a regular hybrid! Every article in the news is about EVs. There is scant mention of PHEV.

You may say but we are carting around 15-25 gallons of gasoline when we really need only 2-3. That’s simply because we rely on centralized refueling at a gas station. If we had a fuel source at home we could eliminate the gas station stop, other than when we needed coffee, chips and twinkies. We have a 120V refueling at home for a PHEV. Apartment dwellers are still a problem, though it is likely easier and cheaper to install centralized 120V chargers than fast chargers.

Changes and Improvement Still Needed for EVs

Tesla and Ford recently agreed to allow Ford EVs to charge at Tesla Superchargers. That is a step in the right direction. And damn it! We need a standard interface for charging. One plug fits all, not like all our other electronic devices! If Tesla was smart they would also look at combining their EV and Ford’s (or whoever) ICE technology into a PHEV mass market vehicle. I believe any auto manufacturer that places substantial emphasis on PHEV and EV will capture a lot of sales.

“PHEV give us a smoother transition while improving battery technology, bolstering the electric grid and improving charging infrastructure.”

The Grumpy Retiree

Yes, PHEVs still use some oil and still need some (reduced) maintenance. But they solve many of the problems EVs are trying to solve and provide some benefits over EVs. Will we go all EV at some point, most likely. PHEVs give us a smoother transition while improving battery technology, bolstering the electric grid and improving charging infrastructure. And while battery technology is improving rapidly, charging and the grid are well behind.

Conclusions

So Hey Elon! What was your goal? Was it to show us what you could build? You started a revolution in the automotive industry and I honestly applaud that. I am impressed. Chevy and Toyota and BMW and the rest of the automotive world, are you trying to solve a problem or are you trying to catch Tesla? I think an auto manufacturer could turn Tesla into Twitter if they embraced PHEV alongside EVs.

Do I own a PHEV? Nope. I cannot commit to a EV first off due to the cost and charging situation. I have no desire to travel a long distance, especially with my dog, and have to spend any more time than I do now refueling. A PHEV would suit my needs perfectly, but I am not currently in the market for a new vehicle as I hold onto vehicles until they are basically dead. If PHEV hit the true 50 miles all electric range I would consider trading for a PHEV sooner than usual. I do not see an EV in my near term future until several issues are resolved, as they do not fit my lifestyle or pocketbook foremost.

I believe PHEV could be the perfect bridge to full EV use down the road. And I think PHEV would lead to faster adaptation of EVs by the mainstream. For those that want and can afford an EV, we are not going to stop making them so go ahead and get one. But if we are trying to solve as many oil and environmental problems as quickly as possible a PHEV will get us there faster. We need to start building & promoting these vehicles large scale.