Estimates from the GREET model (see Argonne National Laboratory's information on GREET) show that passenger car PHEV10s produce about 29% fewer carbon emissions than a conventional vehicle, when plugged into an outlet connected to the typical U.S. grid. Even when PHEV10s are charged using power generated completely from coal, carbon emissions are about 25% less than those of a conventional vehicle. The use of light truck PHEV10s reduces emissions by 28% when charged on a typical grid and 23% when charged on power generated from coal. The carbon reductions are greater as the length the vehicle can travel on electricity increases.
| PHEV10 | plug-in hybrid electric vehicle which can travel up to 10 miles on electricity alone |
| PHEV20 | plug-in hybrid electric vehicle which can travel up to 20 miles on electricity alone |
| PHEV30 | plug-in hybrid electric vehicle which can travel up to 30 miles on electricity alone |
| PHEV40 | plug-in hybrid electric vehicle which can travel up to 40 miles on electricity alone |
| Typical Grid | electricity sources are 50.9% coal; 20.1% nuclear; 16.7% natural gas; 11.0% renewable energy; and 1.3% petroleum. |
Cargon Reduction Shares by Technology Type
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Supporting Information
| Technology Type | Cars | Light Trucks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All-Coal Elecricity Generation | Typical Grid Electricity Generation | All-Coal Electricity Generation | Typical Grid Electricity Generation | |
| PHEV10 | 25.4% | 29.2% | 22.7% | 28.2% |
| PHEV20 | 27.0% | 33.4% | 24.3% | 32.4% |
| PHEV30 | 28.6% | 36.9% | 26.0% | 35.9% |
| PHEV40 | 30.3% | 39.8% | 27.7% | 38.8% |
Source: Argonne National Laboratory, GREET model results. | ||||