Major Plug-In Hybrid Incentive Program Initiated By Austin, TX - GreenHybrid

Jason · #1 (**permalink**) 03-07-2005, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Texas capital proposing to allocate $1 million to provide $1000 each to the first 1000 purchasers of plug-in hybrids.

A top Texas utility executive is pushing an initiative to promote the use of plug-in hybrid cars and trucks as a means of decreasing the cost and environmental impact from both the transportation and electric power industries. If adopted by the Austin, TX city council, this executive plans to package his plan of tax incentives for other U.S. cities' consideration.

The program would promote the use of plug-in hybrids -- similar to hybrids on the market today like Toyota's Prius, but with the option of operating the vehicle purely on electricity -- through a combination of utility rebates, government fleet purchase orders, foundation grants and regulatory means. Plug-in hybrids, just as the Prius does, operate on an electric motor at low speeds and recharge the battery from heat generated while braking. However, the driver also may plug in the vehicle, allowing it to operate solely on the electric power from the battery.

The official, Roger Duncan, deputy general manager of Austin Energy, said at a background briefing in Washington, D.C., that the proposal is also a plan to promote renewable energy, such as wind, solar and biomass, so if adopted, emission credits would be given to utility companies for emissions reduced in the transportation sector in proportion to the incentives they receive and based on the source of fuel for the electrification of the vehicles.

According to Duncan, the city would allocate $1 million to provide $1000 each to the first 1000 purchasers of plug-in hybrids. Like today's hybrids, plug-in hybrids are expected to be at least $3,000 more than their conventional counterparts.

- http://www.evworld.com/view.cfm?sect...ue&newsid=7803

Delta Flyer · #2 (**permalink**) 01-23-2006, 02:21 PM

Austin and other cities are becoming plug-in hybrid friendly

MSNBC Story

SomervillePrius · #3 (**permalink**) 01-23-2006, 04:15 PM

That is cool, let's hope that true plug in EV cars makes a come back... GM are you listening? You used to have one of the coolest EV's around.... seems like you SUV thing is not working well so maybe it's time for an EV2?

I promise I would sign up for one!

Delta Flyer · #4 (**permalink**) 01-23-2006, 07:17 PM

Pardon my choice of words, but pure EVs won't go far alone.

Plug-in hybrids will give them an assist (again, pardon the pun).

martinjlm · #5 (**permalink**) 01-25-2006, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SomervillePrius

That is cool, let's hope that true plug in EV cars makes a come back... GM are you listening? You used to have one of the coolest EV's around.... seems like you SUV thing is not working well so maybe it's time for an EV2?

I promise I would sign up for one!

I'm sort of with Delta Flyer on this. In my opinion, a hybrid with plug in capability is the way to go. That way when battery power starts to get low, the ICE (or fuel cell) can support driving requirements and help recharge the batteries. In my opinion there were three problems with the EV-1.

California didn't live up to its end of the bargain and provide charging infrastructure to support any sizeable deployment of plug in electric vehicles.
The size and configuration of the vehicle make it unusable for a large segment of the automotive public.
Range issues, especially if people looked to drive it as typical ICE vehicles are driven. This is exacerbated by problem #1

Peace,

Martin

texashchman · #6 (**permalink**) 01-25-2006, 01:53 PM

Why was Cali the only state they people were able to get them?kevin

Schwa · #7 (**permalink**) 01-26-2006, 01:05 AM

I think it had to do with the state's ZEV mandate that the automakers got repealed. I was really hoping the automakers would have taken advantage of the push for EVs and tried to sell them wherever they could (Canada?), but it is pretty obvious that there's a lot of resistance to having them at all, even with adequate demand since they were mostly all crushed instead of sold.

texashchman · #8 (**permalink**) 01-26-2006, 06:08 AM

That's what I thought, does anyone know if they had a/c on them? kevin