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HybridCenter Mailbag: Of NEVs & Muscles
12/14/05

Q: Are you planning on discussing the advantages of the all-electric Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEV)? 

A: Although full electric vehicles have range limitations (50-100 miles per charge depending on battery type and driving conditions) and cost issues that have reduced their appeal, the fact is that most drivers travel less than 50 miles most days.  This has led to the concept of Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEV).  NEVs have limited range and reduced functionality compared to a typical gasoline car, but can fulfill most daily needs while producing no pollution from the tailpipe.  As with plugin hybrids, the benefits of these vehicles are inherently tied to how clean the electricity is and when the vehicles are recharged.  NEVs are a viable part of an overall clean vehicle future, but likely as part of a “niche” market. Another interesting niche for battery electric vehicles is use in areas such as airport equipment, harbor vehicles, and forklifts.

Q: Could you please let me know which are the muscle hybrids. I'd like to be able to avoid buying one. And I'd like to be able to advise my grandchildren (9) about them as they are all driving age. Also, I like to take trips out to the west coast, but I want something that will get me over the mountains out by Flagstaff without letting me get run over by a semi. Thanks in advance.

A: In our Tech Center we define muscle hybrids as vehicles that sacrifice fuel economy to achieve extra acceleration performance.  Currently, there are no cars on the market that we would classify as pure “muscle hybrids” since all of the true hybrids do get some fuel economy improvement—but it is clear that some are a lot more muscular than others.  It is also clear that the fuel economy benefits from these vehicles are still uncertain.  We are waiting for more data to figure out how much of a real world benefit these muscular hybrids do provide.
   
The Honda Accord Hybrid, the Toyota Highlander Hybrid, and the Lexus RX 400h all took advantage of the hybrid system to increase performance beyond any of their conventional versions.  In all three cases, the vehicles use modified versions of the same 6-cylinder 3 liter or 3.3 liter engines they started with and then added the hybrid system on top of that.  They still cut down on fuel use, but could have done far better had they used a smaller 6-cyilinder or even 4-cylinder engines that, along with the hybrid system, would have left them with the same performance as their 6-cylinder conventional counterparts.  On the other hand, the Toyota Prius, Ford Escape Hybrid, and Honda Civic Hybrid all achieve acceleration levels in line with their conventional counterparts.

In the end, the best way to judge a hybrid, however, is not by a name, but by its fuel economy and emissions.  The higher the fuel economy and the lower the emissions the better.  The GMC Sierra and Chevy Silverado “Hybrids” are a perfect example of this.  It does not take us telling you they are “hollow hybrids” to know that a one to two mpg increase in fuel economy doesn’t qualify them as being part of the revolution that hybrids can deliver.

p.s. the best way to avoid being run over by a semi is to drive defensively, not necessarily to have more power…

Posted by: ScottN 12/14/05

* Note, while I am posting these answers, they were actually written by our research director David Friedman (DJF)—credit where credit is due…

Original post and comments can be found on Hybridblog.org.