Forget "range anxiety," let's talk "gas anxiety"

Think back to September of 2010. That's when General Motors attempted to trademark "range anxiety." Remember that? GM said that the term would be used to promote "public awareness of electric vehicle capabilities." To put it another way, GM intended to use "range anxiety" to knock on pure electric vehicles and push its Chevrolet Volt as an anxiety-free alternative.

Well, the folks over at Duke Energy have coined a term that fits the Volt like a glove: "gas anxiety." Michael Rowand, director of technology development at Duke Energy, says that:

Gas anxiety is the fear of a plug-in hybrid turning on the gas engine. No matter what, I will find a way to charge the car before it switches over to gasoline.

Rowand, who currently drives a Chevy Volt as part of a pilot project Duke Energy is conducting with GM, says that "gas anxiety" exists and could impact the charging behavior of owners of plug-in hybrid vehicles in a way that pure electric drivers won't consider. It's this behavior that Duke Energy, along with other electric utilities, is looking to analyze as it studies the impact that different types of plug-in vehicles will have on our nation's grid.

So, our question to you is this: is it range anxiety or gas anxiety that is the lesser of two evils?

Photos copyright ©2011 Zach Bowman / AOL

[Source: Rocky Mountain Institute]