Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles Offer the Best of Both Worlds

    PALO ALTO, Calif.--Sept. 5, 2001--A new Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) study indicates that consumers think plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) offer the best of both worlds with the advantages of both electric and gasoline vehicles -- such as savings on fuel and maintenance, use of an existing 120-volt infrastructure, long range, and popular features.
    The publicly available study, a cooperative effort of utilities, automakers, regulatory agencies, and others, found that:

	       --  Thirty to 50 percent of surveyed consumers would choose a
            plug-in HEV or a no-plug HEV mid-size sedan, even if
            priced 25 percent higher than a $19,000
            conventionally-powered vehicle.

	       --  Sixty-three percent of respondents preferred plugging in a
            vehicle at home to going to the gas station, and 86
            percent said they have relatively easy access to a
            120-volt outlet (the infrastructure needed for plug-in
            HEVs).

    The plug-in HEV with a 60-mile all-electric range potentially can be the first advanced vehicle to attain the equivalent of 80 miles per gallon -- without using a diesel engine, expensive lightweight construction, new infrastructure, or extreme body aerodynamics.
    Although several hurdles still exist in the HEV commercialization process, including battery cost, battery lifespan, and drive system design, the study results showed that plug-in and non-plug HEVs provide major fuel economy improvements and significant reductions in smog-forming and greenhouse gas emissions.
    EPRI, headquartered in Palo Alto, was established in 1973 as a center for public interest energy innovation and environmental research. EPRI's collaborative science and technology development program now spans nearly every aspect of power generation, delivery and use. More than 1,000 energy organizations and public institutions in 40 countries participate in EPRI's global technical and business program.

    Note to media: For the full news release on the study, titled "Comparing the Benefits and Impacts of Hybrid Electric Vehicle Options," and for supporting charts and graphs, visit http://www.epri.com/highlights.asp?objid=271005. The complete report is available at www.epri.com.