Good Enough for a Plug-In?

I've been thinking a lot lately about what is good enough for a plug-in hybrid electric car. With Ford deciding to opt out of the Escape Hybrid (they are instead moving the hybrid version into a new model, although it will be similar from what I've seen), I was wondering why no one else has tried to truly duplicate the Prius model.

 Obviously, the Prius is the top selling hybrid car on the road and has been for over a decade. And Toyota has done very well by it. It beats out all other hybrids, with one out of every two hybrids sold in the US being a Prius. That despite the multitude of hybrid models on the road today.

 The truth is, the Prius is still the best of all options. Room for four, best fuel economy, not a luxury price tag, etc... Nothing else is similar. Nothing else beats it out in those three categories.

 So, now with car companies beginning to compete with in the plug-in hybrid category, what's going to be good enough, and what's going to be the best? Is the Volt the best car companies can do? Will the Prius plug-in continue the Toyota domination?

When looking over the specs for the V60 Plug-in Hybrid, where does Volvo try to differentiate itself? They are already warning in the media releases of the cost. The electric only mode is 50 km (31 miles). There is room for four. But does Volvo think that's good enough to compete realistically?

Volvo Wants to Charge Up Your Car in a Different Way

Image from MotorTrend

Volvo, and nine other corporations, are looking to put the battery pack you might find in a plug-in vehicle (either electric or plug-in hybrid electric into a different place.

By using composite materials, they are examining the possibility of putting the battery into the body of the car.  The fun image they have at MotorTrend shows how much of the body would be taken up.

The composite material consists of carbon fiber and polymer resin.  The material is capable of storing great amounts of electric energy (enough to allow the car to travel up to 81 miles of all electric power (the Leaf goes 100 miles, while the upcoming Volt gets 40 miles of all electric range.  It's also supposed to recharge faster than a conventional battery.

Another advantage is by turning the battery pack into the body of the car, you can distribute the weight.  And the composite material is lighter than conventional building materials, reducing weight by as much as 15 percent.

The questions I'm left with is what if you're in an accident?  I can't imagine the body panels would be cheap to replace.  Also, what about scratches, dings, or outright dents?  Will that impact the cars ability to recharge or retain its charge?

The other partners in this project include the Imperial College London, Advanced Composites Group, Bundesanstalt Fur Material forschung undprufung, Chalmers, ETC Battery, Fuel Cells Sweden, INASCO Hella, Nanocyl, and Swerea SICOMP. The European Union jump-started the endeavor with 35 million Swedish krona ($5.2 million).