Douglas Hvistendahl

The Obama Fast Track for Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs)

There is a lot of discussion as to whether MDI's compressed air energy storage is a scam or just difficult engineering & business. After several years of investigating this, my opinion goes to the latter. If so, it lowers the size required for effective CAES by orders of magnitude. Assuming this, even with the lower energy storage efficiency, it makes better economic sense than a battery powered PHEV. For hybrids using less storage than PHEVs, the battery scenario will likely make the most sense for the reasons you gave. For full storage, the PHAV using multiple compression and expansion may be the best way to go. The first cost is much lower.

I don't know the answer here for sure, but am looking forward to the results of the X-prize competition! Zero Pollution Motors with MDI have entered two different vehicles into it.