SPEA questions appeal of plug-in cars for Ind.

Plug-in cars may not be able to spark electric appeal with the public, a recent report shows.

President Obama’s State of the Union Address discussed big possibilities for plug-in electric vehicles. The president’s goal is to have one million alternative-fuel vehicles on American roads by 2015.

But according to IU’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs’ co-sponsored blue-ribbon study, Obama’s vision is unrealistic without “bold action.”

The report, “Plug-In Electric Vehicles: A Practical Plan for Progress,” addresses challenges to widespread commercialization of plug-in electric cars.

The report was released one week after two Michigan senators introduced legislation that would double the current $7,500 tax credit consumers receive if they purchase electric cars.

SPEA Dean John Graham organized the panel. Government experts, the auto industry and environmental groups took one year to complete the report.

“Our expert panel believes it is possible but unlikely that the one million vehicle goal will be met by 2015,” Graham said.

The panel proposed a test program that would launch electric vehicles in five to 20 communities throughout the country to determine whether electric vehicles could be commercialized on a widespread basis, Graham said.

The report included several reasons for deeming Obama’s goal “unlikely.”
According to the report,

automakers’ production targets and consumers’ demand for electric cars aren’t high enough to hit the 1 million cars goal.

“While it may be easy to persuade a small number of early adopters to buy an electric car, the mainstream car buyer will be cautious before making this purchase,” Graham said.

The report also stated that both the auto industry and the government need to work to bring down plug-in battery costs. It mentioned consumers are unsure about plug-in cars’ resale value.

IU physics professor Paul Sokol agreed with the committee’s analysis.

“It’s looking at practical aspects of whether people will actually buy them,” Sokol said. “People don’t really know what’s going to happen when a $10,000 battery pack runs out after eight years.”

The report also concluded that there isn’t currently enough investment in technology and technological infrastructure to make a large number of plug-in cars a reality.

“The report SPEA generated basically pointed out that both the costs to operate electric cars and how good they are for the environment depends on the energy mix you use for electricity,” Sokol said.

Sokol said he looked at how much carbon dioxide is generated by electric cars versus gasoline engines. In a state like Indiana, which gets 90 percent of its energy from coal, plug-in cars may not help the environment.

“In places like Indiana, it actually generates more CO2 than a gasoline car,” Sokol said.

Sokol said in states like California that rely primarily on nuclear power, plug-in cars are better for the environment than gasoline cars.

But, Sokol said, it’s not just Indiana that might not benefit from plug-in cars.

“In the Midwest, where we predominately depend on coal, they’re a little bit worse than gasoline cars,” Sokol said.