Who will be first to release the car that will change the way American's use gasoline in a monumental way? GM, Tesla, and Toyota are certainly in the running claiming they'll have the Car in the next two years- but I won't hold my breath until I see the Car sitting on a sales lot, in my neighborhood. What is the Car you ask? It is a plug-in hybrid with the battery capacity of ELECTRC (my car) and a nice fuel efficient gas engine to kick in and provide a boost in the rare occasion that I go further than 30 miles.
Here are the specs that I think the Car has to attain to cause the revolution that I think plug-in hybrids will have on the automotive and energy industry:
Price: ~$25,000 - Must be in this range to be affordable by the mainstream car buyer
All Electric Rage ~ 30 miles normal driving up hills/some freeway - This will satisfy 95% of all daily commutes
Lifespan of batteries ~10 yrs
Gasoline Engine Efficiency - 35+ MPH
Style - 4 door - Most people don't need 4 doors, but everyone thinks that they do
I guarantee that the first auto-maker to hit these specs will have the best selling car in the world, ever. People will realize that they are going months without stopping at a gas station, that they just plug-in to their home at night and the car uses 1/4 of the cost of gasoline, and that they never worry about running out of electricity because they have a gas engine to kick in for really long trips. Gas stations will close like 5 and dimes and the stock price of Exxon and Shell will drop like its 1932 (err 2008) as people realize what a liberating experience it is to run on electricity, rather than gasoline and our oil consumption from vehicles drops ~90%.
Ah, what a world. It won't happen in 2010, but it will happen soon. We have the technology, its just a matter of the will to buck the establishment, the R&D+manufacturing to put it all together, and the realization that the first company to put it all together, wins.
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That would be a nice car. Your 10 year battery lifespan is on the mark. Most people do not drive a car that is over 10 years old. I have 10 year old NiMH batteries, my range has dropped from 90 miles to 50 miles, but that is still more than enough for most of my daily driving. It will be exciting to see what is going to happen in the next few years.
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