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Getting the Most Out of Electric Vehicle Subsidies
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Michalek, Jeremy J. Chester, Mikhail V. Samaras, Constantine |
| Copyright Year | 2012 |
| Abstract | electrification of passenger vehicles has the potential to address three of the most critical challenges of our time: Plug-in vehicles may produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions when powered by electricity instead of gasoline, depending on the electricity source; reduce and displace tailpipe emissions, which affect people and the environment; and reduce gasoline consumption, helping to diminish dependence on imported oil and diversify transportation energy sources. Several electrification technologies exist for helping to achieve these goals. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), such as the Toyota Prius and the Ford Fusion Hybrid, don't plug in. They still use gasoline for net propulsion energy, but they also use an electric motor and a small battery pack to improve fuel efficiency. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), such as the GM Volt, charge an onboard battery via a wall outlet. They use electricity for propulsion when the battery is charged but also have a gasoline engine for use when the battery is depleted. Larger PHEV batteries enable longer electric travel between charges. The PHEV version of the Prius has an 11-mile battery pack; the GM Volt has a 35-mile battery pack. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs), such as the Nissan Leaf, plug in to charge an onboard battery. They have no gasoline backup, so they require large battery packs to enable longer trips, and they require higher-power charging equipment to refill the battery overnight. The Nissan Leaf has a 73-mile battery pack; the Ford Focus Electric has a 76-mile battery pack. Current federal policy intended to encourage the development and deployment of plug-in vehicles includes tax subsidies established in the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of up to $7,500 per vehicle. Some members of Congress have proposed extending this tax credit, others have proposed eliminating it, and President Obama proposed increasing the credit to $10,000 to help meet his administration's target of one million plug-in vehicles on the road by 2015. Both existing and proposed subsidies provide larger payments for vehicles with larger battery packs. Larger battery packs enable vehicles to displace more gasoline, so at first glance one might think that subsidizing larger battery packs is better for the environment and for oil security. But large battery packs are also expensive; the added weight reduces efficiency; they are underused when the battery capacity is larger than needed for a typical trip; they have greater charging infrastructure requirements; and they produce more emissions during manufacturing. Whether … |
| Starting Page | 25 |
| Ending Page | 27 |
| Page Count | 3 |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Volume Number | 28 |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://www.cmu.edu/me/ddl/publications/2012-IST-Michalek-etal-PHEV-Subsidies.pdf |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
