All-electric vehicles no magic bullet: scientist

U.S. scientists stated Monday the future of all-electric cars coasting may be illusory given that their range may be cut in half by aggressive drivers speeding along with the air conditioning blasting.

That may not be a bad thing, as it will persuade consumers to choose the best blend of electric- and gas-powered hybrid vehicle to suit the type of driving they do.

"Ideally, everybody wants an electric vehicle. Realistically, from a cost point of view, what is the solution that allows you to go mass market? How can the customers save money?" said Aymeric Rousseau, who analyses such problems at Argonne National Laboratory, a government-funded research center hosting a conference on lithium battery technology.

Rousseau is working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to offer realistic appraisals of the likely range of the next generation of plug-in electric vehicles like General Motors' Volt.

Rousseau previously helped the agency lop 10 percent or more off of promised miles-per-gallon estimates on existing gas-powered vehicles, which were posted on 2008 models.

The goal is to promise drivers of a lithium-ion battery equipped electric hybrid vehicle a 40-mile range on one charge, but that may be a gross exaggeration, he said.

Aggressive driving -- faster acceleration and driving at faster speeds -- may cut that range to between 28 and 32 miles.

Using the air conditioning may reduce the vehicle's range to around 15 to 20 miles, he said.In response, the vehicle's gas-powered engine will kick in two or three times during an excursion, which actually is a cost-effective response and will help extend the life of the battery, Rousseau explained.

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Source: Reuters