Toyota Prius is still the better choice than Chevy Volt

Although 2011 has the potential to be a breakout year for electric cars, current policies and existing infrastructure continue to make hybrids like the Toyota Prius a better choice over EV’s such as the Chevy Volt and Nissan LEAF. Whether the car buyer wants to lower greenhouse gas emissions or to have economicaltransportation, conventional hybrids remain the better option.

Determining emissions from conventional hybrid is straightforward. Researchers for the MIT Energy Initiative found that carbon dioxide emissions from hybrids are 33% lower compared to gasoline engines. Figuring out emissions from EV’s, however, is more complicated, since it depends on how electricity is generated. If a plug-in hybrid electric car, like the Chevy Volt, is charged by carbon-free power, it would have 66% less CO2 emissions compared to gasoline engines. But if the recharge relies on coal-fired power, the emissions from plug‐in hybrids are higher than the convention hybrids. And in spite of gains in renewable power, coal-fired power plants still accounted for 45% (and natural gas plants for 24%) of 2010 electricity generation. Using EV’s will not significantly decrease CO2 emissions until nuclear and renewable electric generation replaces fossil-fueled power plants.

But EV’s would be cheaper to drive, right? Not necessarily. According Purdue University economist Wally Tyner, the economics of EV’s depends on the electrical pricing structure, which varies from state to state. California – which is at the forefront of EV’s penetration – may be the most costly place to operate them. California has a tiered electricity pricing system designed to encourage people to use less electricity. The perverse result of the system is that it makes using EV’s more expensive than hybrids and even internal combustion engines that get high mileage, like the Chevy Cobalt. Tyner determined that oil prices have to reach between $171 and $254 a barrel in order for the Volt to be more economical than the Prius or Cobalt.