[norwaypinesavage]

"With an AC-DC converter, the average commuter might be able to run on electric almost all the time>"

The only problem with this theory, is that electricity costs twice as much per BTU as gasoline, even at $3.00 per gallon.

[eraser2005]

"The only problem with this theory, is that electricity costs twice as much per BTU as gasoline, even at $3.00 per gallon"

A few points:

1) Electricity isn't that expensive everywhere. After customer account charges, I pay an average of 9.69 cents per kWh.

2) A gallon of gas contains 36.6 kWh of energy, or $3.55 worth of electricity at the rate I pay

3) A gas engine will generally extract no more than 20-25% of that energy as useful work. A mediocre NiMh battery will charge at 66% efficiency.

4) That means that for the same useful work, you're looking at $3.19/.225=$14.18 for gas or $3.55/0.66=$5.38 for electric.

5) Unless both vehicles are hybrids (gas electric v. plugin), the equation ends up worse, as you would recover some of that electrical usage with regenerative braking that a non-hybrid would simply waste as heat.

You see, cost per BTU doesn't mean that much unless you consider the efficiency with which you can actually use those BTUs.