Advanced Automotive Technology: Visions of a Super-Efficient Family Car

TABLE 4-17: Fuel Consumption and Annual Fuel Costs of Advanced Mid-size Vehicles

Type of vehicle Fuel consumption Fuel cost per year

a

Baseline (Taurus) 33 mpg $535

b

Advanced conventional 53 mpg $333

EV (lead acid) 0.27 kWh/mile $223

EV (Ni-MH) 0.17 kWh/mile $137

Series hybrid (lead acid) 65 mpg $272

PEM fuel cell (methanol) 83 mpg (gasoline equiv) $182

aBased on $1.50/gallon gasoline, 75 C/gallon methanol, 7¢/kWh offpeak electricity, 10,000 miles/year.
bThe fuel economy values shown are EPA unadjusted values. Fuel costs are based on the assumption

that on-road efficiencies are about 15 percent less. Clearly, each vehicle type will have a different
adjustment factor, but it is not clear what those factors should be. For example, EVs will lose less
energy from congestion effects (because they have regenerative braking and no idling losses), but will
use substantially more energy to heat the vehicle--which is not accounted for in the EPA tests, where
accessories are not used.C
Optimized aluminum body, DISC engine.

SOURCE: Office of Technology Assessment, 1995.