Plug‐in Electric Vehicles

The document distinguishes between all-electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), noting that EVs offer lower maintenance and no tailpipe emissions. It highlights that while the U.S. market is dominated by the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf, new models like the Tesla Model S provide significantly higher ranges. The text identifies battery costs as the primary expense for PEVs, with projections suggesting prices could drop from $690 per kWh in 2012 to $160 per kWh by 2025. It also details the disparity between the 8,000 public charging stations and 150,000 gasoline stations in the U.S., and outlines federal tax credits up to $7,500 and various state-level incentives in California, Washington, and Colorado.

• Plug-in electric vehicles are categorized into all-electric vehicles (EVs), which lack internal combustion engines and liquid fuel, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), which use a combination of grid electricity and liquid fuel.
• Despite the pollution generated by electricity production, plug-in vehicles using the most coal-heavy grids in the U.S. still produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions than the average gasoline vehicle.
• The Tesla Model S has the highest electric range of any EV listed, at 265 miles, while the Mitsubishi i is described as the most fuel efficient automobile on the market with 112 MPGe.
• Battery costs are the largest expense for PEVs; average prices were $690 per kWh in 2012, with potential decreases to $200 per kWh by 2020 and $160 per kWh by 2025.
• U.S. charging infrastructure is limited, with only 8,000 public charging stations compared to 150,000 gasoline stations, and the federal tax credit for commercial charging stations expired at the end of 2011.
• Federal tax credits for qualified plug-in vehicles provide $2,500 plus $417 per kWh of battery capacity over four kWh, capped at $7,500 per vehicle for the first 200,000 units per automaker.

APA

Querejazu, D. (2012). Plug‐in Electric Vehicles. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_Plug-in_electric_vehicles_081312.pdf

Chicago

Querejazu, Daniel. Plug‐in Electric Vehicles. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2012. https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_Plug-in_electric_vehicles_081312.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Querejazu |first1=Daniel |title=Plug‐in Electric Vehicles |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=August 2012 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_Plug-in_electric_vehicles_081312.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{querejazu2012plugin, author = {Querejazu, Daniel}, title = {{Plug‐in Electric Vehicles}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2012}, month = aug, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_Plug-in_electric_vehicles_081312.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }