Hybrid Car Review

Zap and Hybrid Plus Inc are partnering together to sell plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) conversion kit. For $24,000 to $36,000, you will be able to upgrade your hybrid Prius or Ford Escape Hybrid into a plug-in hybrid.

The conversion will turn your mid 30's to upper 40 mpg vehicle into a 120 mpg vehicle. That's quite a jump. The conversion replaces the nickel metal hydride battery pack with a lithium-ion battery pack, and then allows you to plug it in to a household plug. It takes about four weeks for the delivery to come through.

But that's alot of money to spend. The obvious question is how much you save if you go from 48 mpg to 120 mpg.

MPG	Miles per Year	Gallons of Fuel	Cost per Year
48	12,000	250	$ 750
120	12,000	100	$ 300

At $3 a gallon and 12,000 miles a year, you can save $450 a year. So it will only take 80 years to make up the difference of $36K. Of course, if you go for the $24K, it will only take 53 years.

But, of course, it's not really about the money. It's all about taking the country off of oil dependence. And saving the planet. Oh, and don't forget the bragging rights.

Press Release Follows:

Electric car pioneer ZAP is now offering plug-in hybrid conversion systems for the Toyota Prius and Ford Escape Hybrid through a collaboration agreement with Hybrids Plus.

Hybrid vehicles retrofitted with systems from Hybrids Plus of Boulder, Colorado can achieve a significantly greater fuel economy. In tests these systems increased hybrid fuel economy up to 120 miles per gallon in the city and up to 90 mpg on the highway. The cost for the conversion ranges from $24,000 to $36,000 depending on the vehicle and size of battery pack.

All gasoline electric hybrids currently produced by major automakers today are essentially gasoline-powered vehicles. They reduce emissions and improve fuel efficiency compared to conventional cars, however they are fueled exclusively by gasoline. The plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) will allow the owner to charge their vehicle from a normal household wall outlet. By integrating a larger battery pack and a plug-in charging system, it becomes a new vehicle drawing energy from two fuel sources.

Hybrids Plus has sold PHEV systems to private individuals, fleets, power companies, and governmental entities. Deliveries can be provided in approximately four weeks from the initial order.

"This is a natural extension of our growth plans," said Hybrids Plus CEO Carl Lawrence. "ZAP has sold more city speed electric vehicles than any other company and has an established, growing dealer network that can provide sales and service for our vehicles."

"This collaboration allows more hybrid owners to have the most efficient vehicles on the road today," said ZAP CEO Steve Schneider. "ZAP dealers are preparing to offer a new level of service in the coming years involving mass-market hybrid and electric cars from Detroit Electric, so experience with plug-in hybrids can accelerate this process."