Dear EarthTalk: When the plug-in Prius is released, how much electricity will it use? Will my electric bill double if my Prius is plugged in each night? Or will the increase be minimal? Also, will all this recharging put a strain on the existing electricity grid?

It is difficult to pinpoint the answer to this question right now since Toyota has not yet released its much anticipated plug-in hybrid, but most analysts believe the increase in your electric bill from overnight charging will be minimal. According to the blog Futurewheels.com, electric cars and plug-in hybrids (those that have been converted by owners) currently average about two cents per mile to recharge (electric rates vary greatly by region), while gasoline-only cars average about 10 cents per mile to refuel.

Plug In America, a California based network of electric vehicle and (self-converted) plug-in hybrid owners, estimates the cost to charge a typical plug-in hybrid overnight to be less than a dollar. So while your electric bill might go up $30/month due to recharging, your gas bill will decrease by somewhere between 80 and 100 percent depending on your driving habits and what you were driving beforehand.

Of course, it’s important to keep in mind that regular hybrids cost between $2,000 and $10,000 more than their gas-only counterparts, and that plug-in hybrids will likely cost even more due to their larger, better batteries and other more advanced technologies. It would take years and years of gasoline-free driving to make up the sticker-price difference between a plug-in hybrid and an equivalent-sized gasoline-fueled car. So while plug-in hybrids will help the environment, they’re not so much about saving money—unless you drive thousands of miles a week, in which case you’ll recoup your costs in fuel savings in a few years.

As to strain on the existing electricity grid, most experts agree that plug-in hybrids and all-electric vehicles, even in the unlikely event that all of us switched over to them eventually, wouldn’t compromise the ability of utilities to provide power, given that they are already scaled up to handle peak loads during heat waves when everyone runs energy-hogging air conditioning.

Furthermore, most of us would charge our cars overnight—typically a slow period for utilities otherwise and during which they could generate much more power if customers wanted it. A 2007 study by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory found that off-peak electricity capacity could fuel the daily commutes of nearly three-quarters of all cars, light trucks, SUVs and vans on American roads today if they were plug-in hybrids. Plug In America adds that many utilities are upgrading local electricity distribution systems to accommodate plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles “just as they do when residents add more air conditioners and TVs.”

So if you’re interested in taking the plug-in hybrid plunge when the cars become available, don’t worry about increased electric bills, as overall you’ll be saving gobs of cash at the pump. And given the popularity of the current hybrids on the road, enough of us might go for the plug-in versions so as to reduce the cost disparity with traditional cars—meaning we could “save green” in more ways than one.

CONTACTS: Future Wheels, www.futurewheels.com; Plug In America, www.pluginamerica.org;
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, www.pnl.gov.

SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php. EarthTalk is now a book! Details and order information at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalkbook.

Check it out! I just started putting together a store for The Good Human, filled with all sorts of natural products, reusable bottles, etc. – It’s not done yet, but it’s getting there!

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2. Saving Money On Gas Is Not A Good Reason To Pay Extra For Hybrids
3. More Affordable Energy-Efficient, Lower Emission Cars.
4. Google’s PowerMeter: Measuring Our Electricity Consumption Via The Internet.
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Why? Because it is not all about money. It seems that every day I read somewhere or see on television the complaint of “Well, I won’t buy a hybrid because it would take me years and years to make back the extra expense over a regular gas engine“. Though saving money on gasoline should be a major consideration when deciding on buying any car, it is NOT the only thing you should be thinking of. But unfortunately too many people see it this way. What else should they be thinking of when making this decision?

For starters, hybrid cars pollute a lot less than conventional gasoline engines. Since most people’s driving is done locally and at speeds lower than 40 miles per hour, your hybrid could probably run on its battery power a lot of the time. Running on batteries = no pollution and no burning of gasoline. So for a person serious about being green, this should be a major consideration. Even if I never made back the extra expense on the hybrid, just the fact that I am polluting less would make the cost worthwhile.

Secondly, the more people that buy hybrid cars the more manufacturers will build them and lower their prices. Don’t think for a second that Toyota and Honda do not know this. That is why they are expanding their hybrid line to get even more buyers in to their showrooms before other manufacturers have a chance to catch up. Brand loyalty is big in the car business, and if Honda and Toyota can create it with lots of new customers, it is good for their bottom line. But even more important than that, the more manufacturers that build hybrids, the better the technology will be. Everyone will be spending money to have the next big breakthrough in hybrid technology, and this can only lead to more fuel efficiency and less pollution in the future.

So the next time someone says “It would take years to make back that extra expense in my gasoline savings” you have a reply. It is not all about saving money on gas; in fact, I would almost bet that should be the last reason that a person should buy a hybrid car. Less pollution and better technologies for the future should be the main reason. And the fact that we use less gasoline is just an added bonus at this time. Gas engines are still the majority of the market and they are not going away anytime soon. By investing in hybrid technologies, you are helping to push us all towards a cleaner future.

Check it out! I just started putting together a store for The Good Human, filled with all sorts of natural products, reusable bottles, etc. – It’s not done yet, but it’s getting there!

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4. Summary Of The Waxman-Markey Climate Bill: American Clean Energy and Security Act.
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Why is it that all 50 states in our country has different auto emissions laws? Each state government is free to decide whether to require vehicle safety inspection and only metropolitan areas whose air quality does not meet federal standards are required to implement vehicle emission inspections. Thus, only 18 states and D.C. have a periodic (annual or biannual) safety inspection program. Sure, the Federal Government tells automakers what kinds of emissions they don’t want coming out of their cars, but every state has their own version of what is “OK”. For instance, I lived in CA for almost 15 years, and they have the most stringent emissions policy of any state. If your car is not in tip-top shape, you won’t pass inspection…period. No if’s, and’s, or but’s in California, as they were working hard to clean their air after years of letting pollution build up. And if you buy a new car in California, chances are that you will be buying a car labeled as PZEV (Partial Zero-Emissions Vehicle) or something similar. The Subaru Forester I bought new in 2008 is a PZEV car and won’t have trouble meeting any emissions test it could possibly come up against.

However, I had no need for it here in New Mexico, as there are absolutely NO emissions requirements or tests anywhere outside of metro Albuquerque. None. Your car burn enough oil to kill everyone driving behind you? That’s fine in 99% of the state of New Mexico, which makes me very upset. I have occasionally had to stop my car and wait a bit because the car in front of me was making it hard for me to breathe – it can be that bad!

I see more cars here than any other place I have ever been to with all colors of smoke coming out of them, multiple burnt out lights, and broken suspensions. And there is not a single test to get these cars in better operating condition, which just means worse MPG numbers and more pollution…not a recipe for a healthy environment, and New Mexico is by no means alone in this.

I have lived in 4 states and about to move to my 5th, and all of them (save New Mexico, of course) have had pretty tough inspections and emissions testing. Massachusetts, Virginia, California, and my soon-to-be new home of Colorado all have requirements on getting your car tested before you can register it in the state. This is the good news. However, as I mentioned above, only 18 states have state-wide required testing and inspections, and this needs to change asap. We are in a time of quickening environmental damage from our emissions, and the automobile is one of the biggest sources of greenhouse gasses. So…What will it take for our Federal Government to step in and require standardized testing and inspections in all 50 states? I don’t know, but I sure hope we can figure it out sooner rather than later.

How do you think we can work to make this happen?

Check it out! I just started putting together a store for The Good Human, filled with all sorts of natural products, reusable bottles, etc. – It’s not done yet, but it’s getting there!

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Dear EarthTalk: Celebrities and billionaires are shelling out big bucks for cutting edge green-friendly cars like the Tesla Roadster. But what are the rest of us—who live in the budget-constrained real world—to do about buying a new car that does right by the environment?

With so many new energy efficient cars in showrooms today, there’s never been a better time to go green with your next car purchase. A few years ago the Toyota Prius was the go-to model for those with an environmental conscience and up to $30,000 to pay for the privilege of getting 35-40 miles per gallon (mpg) in the city and 45-55 on the highway. But today there is such a wide selection of fuel efficient and low-emissions vehicles that even those on a budget can afford to go green.

To wit, Honda’s new Insight is the first hybrid gasoline-electric car available new for less than $20,000 (starting at $19,800). With fuel efficiency ratings of 40 miles per gallon (mpg) in the city and 43 on the highway, the Insight surely won’t cost much to operate either.

There are plenty of other hybrids to choose from today, too, though most cost at least a few thousand dollars more than equivalent non-hybrid models. Toyota’s Prius, which is only available as a hybrid, still leads the pack as the world’s top selling and most fuel efficient hybrid. Its cost has dropped some, now starting at $22,400, and the “3rd generation” Prius 10 now claims an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) combined city/highway rating of 50 mpg. This most recent edition even features a whimsical solar panel on the roof to power a ventilation system that keeps the interior of the car cool even on scorching hot days. Hybrid versions of Honda’s Civic ($23,800), Nissan’s Altima ($26,780), Ford’s Fusion ($27,625) and Escape SUV ($31,500), Mercury’s Milan ($31,590) and Mariner SUV ($29,995), Toyota’s Camry ($26,150) and Highlander SUV ($34,700) are also in showrooms in dealerships across the U.S.

Many smaller cars with regular gasoline engines also get great mileage with low emissions for even less money. Some examples include the Corolla ($15,350), Matrix ($16,550) and Yaris ($12,355) from Toyota, Honda’s Fit ($14,900), the Mazda 3 ($16,045), Chevy’s Aveo ($11,965) and Cobalt ($14,990), the Hyundai’s Accent ($9,970) and Elantra ($14,145), Pontiac’s G3 ($14,335), the Kia Rio ($11,495), the MINI Cooper ($19,500), Ford’s Focus ($15,995), and the Smart Car ForTwo ($11,990).

Diesel fuel is now cleaner than ever, and a few automakers are going down that road. Volkswagen’s Jetta TDI ($22,660), Audi’s A3 TDI ($29,950) and BMW’s 335d ($43,900) are three examples of high performance vehicles with solid green credentials regarding fuel efficiency and emissions. An added bonus is that such cars can run on carbon-neutral biodiesel as well as petroleum-based diesel fuel.

Consumers just starting their search for a new ride should check out GreenCar.com, which provides detailed information on the many greener vehicles available today as well as those on the horizon. Also, the federal government’s website FuelEconomy.gov provides detailed mileage and emissions information on dozens of new cars every year, and provides users with an easy and free way to compare different vehicles along the lines of environmental impact.

CONTACTS: GreenCar.com, www.greencar.com; FuelEconomy.gov, www.fueleconomy.gov.

SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php. EarthTalk is now a book! Details and order information at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalkbook.

Check it out! I just started putting together a store for The Good Human, filled with all sorts of natural products, reusable bottles, etc. – It’s not done yet, but it’s getting there!

You may also enjoy:

1. Where Will We Re-Charge Our Plug-In Hybrid & Electric Cars When Not At Home?
2. Can Cars Run On Water?
3. How Much Electricity Will Plug-In Hybrids Use?
4. Saving Money On Gas Is Not A Good Reason To Pay Extra For Hybrids
5. A Guide To Buying Energy Efficient Windows.