For some people, having a hybrid car doesn’t quite do the job. One company, A123 Systems of Watertown, MA, has been selling battery systems to convert hybrids to plug-in electric, increasing a Prius economy from 50 mpg to 100 mpg. It’s not cheap — $10,000 — and there are only 6 facilities in the country licensed to do the installation. But economy and convenience aren’t necessarily the whole point.
Coupled with clean electricity generation — wind, solar, hydro — this conversion would make for a zero ‘carbon footprint’ car for most commuters. Unfortunately, the price of the hybrid plus the price of the battery conversion makes a car that is far out of the affordability range of most commuters. But it’s not all about economy.
As usual, advances in technology are initially expensive. It’s only with increased use that the price comes down. Those people who can afford these cars now are buying the devices in quantities that promise to bring the price within more people’s range soon. Toyota and GM are banking on it.
The ecological impact of the lithium-ion batteries are a question, but battery technology is also advancing rapidly (I’ll have an article on that soon) and will negate much of that concern.
For more on this, see Bina Venkataraman’s great article in the Boston Globe.
