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, could be the first advanced vehicle to attain the equivalent of 80 miles per gallon -- without 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.