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Hot Rodder Has Plugged in for Better Gas Mileage
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By Johnny McDonald
A modern-day hot rodder has switched gears. Instead of finding ways to produce more horsepower, he has charted a course toward increasing gas mileage.
The proof is parked in Ron Gremban’s San Francisco garage with an 80-mile-per-gallon “charged” Toyota Prius. A stack of 18 brick-size batteries and a home electrical-outlet boost will help reduce the number of gas station visits.
Politicians and automakers might want to look over his shoulder, because this process could help reduce greenhouse gases and free the country from a reliance on foreign oil.
In old hot rod custom, Gremban, an electrical engineer and environmentalist, spent several months and $3,000 tinkering with his car. The extra batteries will store power by plugging the car into a wall outlet and all, according to Gremban, for a cost of about a quarter.
About a dozen other people across the country are involved in the “plug-in” movement, in which, some say, experimental models have gotten 250 mpg. That’s not mph, by the way.
The technology has existed for three decades, but automakers are just beginning to take notice.
So far, Daimler Chrysler is the only company committed to building its own plug-in hybrids. Toyota officials said they hope to learn from them.
The extra batteries let Gremban drive for 20 miles with a 50-50 mix of gas and electricity. Even after the car runs out of power from the batteries and switches to the standard hybrid mode, it gets the typical Prius fuel efficiency.
“The value of plug-in hybrids is they can dramatically reduce gasoline usage for the first few miles every day,” Gremban said. “The average for people’s usage of a car is somewhere around 30 to 40 miles per day. During that kind of driving, the plug-in hybrid can make a dramatic difference.”
But Toyota and other car companies say they are worried about the cost, convenience and safety of plug-in hybrids. They also note that consumers haven’t embraced all-electric cars because of the inconvenience of recharging them like giant cell phones.
Plug-in hybrids are starting to get support from former CIA director James Woolsey and Frank Gaffney, president Reagan’s undersecretary of defense. They have joined Set America Free, a group that wants the government to spend $12 billion in four years on plug-in hybrids, alternative fuels and other measures to reduce foreign oil dependence.
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Something new: Rather than regular oval racing, Irwindale Speedway recently featured something called Formula Drift.
It’s a Japanese-style motor sport that showcases two cars sliding through corners at high speed, tires squealing and smoking, as close together as their drivers’ talents — and nerve — allow. Get the drift?
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For the second weekend, Championship Off Road Racing will schedule action (Oct.1-2) at the Otay Ranch in Chula Vista. Drivers in eight divisions will compete for $330,000 in prize money.
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As for the other hot rodders, the premier automotive specialty products trade event is scheduled for Nov. 1-2 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. It draws the industry’s brightest minds and hottest products.
The show for SEMA, or Specialty Equipment Market Association, attracts more than 100,000 industry leaders from over 100 countries for unlimited profit opportunities in the automotive, truck and sport-utility vehicle, marine and RV markets. SEMA Show 2004 drew more than 50,000 domestic and international buyers through 2 million square feet of exhibits.
Displays are segmented into 11 sections, and a new products showcase features more than 1,100 newly introduced parts, tools and components. In addition, the SEMA show provides attendees with educational seminars, product demonstrations, special events and networking opportunities.
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