Not sure what you mean about transmission losses with UCG. In light of other comments on this thread, it possibly needs further evaluation before claiming it offers any benefit. In any case its CTL, not UCG, that I'm trying to discuss here.
Mass market plug-in hybrids should be hitting the market around 2010 - that's what GM has committed to with the Volt. Some other entirely electric vehicles such as the Tesla will be here sooner (next year) but probably not a mass market car. Other major manufacturers (eg Toyota) are also looking to match GM's date, Daimler should beat it - see below. There are some plug-ins or EVs available now, including conversions of regular models. These aren't mass market so a bit expensive - for early adopters only.
Breakthroughs are coming thick and fast in the EV field, especially since the majors got involved. Energy storage has been the main impediment to fully electric vehicles but this looks likely to be overcome in the near future.
Daimler, GM Juice Up Hybrid Plans By EDWARD TAYLOR, MIKE SPECTOR and NORIHIKO SHIROUZU March 1, 2008; Page A3
Daimler AG said its Mercedes-Benz unit is aiming to introduce a hybrid sedan that uses lithium ion batteries in 2009, signaling that auto makers are confident they will be able to commercialize a technology needed for electric vehicles.
Next week General Motors Corp. is expected to claim an advance of its own at the Geneva auto show when it announces it plans to use lithium ion batteries to upgrade the hybrid powertrains it offers in vehicles such as its Chevrolet Malibu and Saturn Aura models, according to people familiar with the company's plans. It is unclear when the system will be available and at what price.
The arrival of lithium ion batteries for hybrid and electric cars could have a profound impact on the global auto industry. It could make hybrids more viable for the mass market and reduce interest in diesel engines as a path to meeting tougher fuel-economy and emissions standards.
In addition to the high cost of lithium ion batteries, concern about overheating under certain conditions has prevented their widespread use in the auto industry. Daimler said its engineers developed a special system for cooling the battery.
GM is planning on using lithium ion batteries for the Chevy Volt, an electric vehicle it hopes to launch by 2010. It is counting on the Volt to leap ahead of Toyota Motor Corp., the No. 1 seller of hybrids in the U.S.
Toyota and many other companies also are working on lithium ion batteries, and the technology still could run into trouble.
Lithium ion batteries are lighter, more powerful and more compact than the nickel-metal hydride batteries used in hybrid cars. Analysts believe a Toyota Prius with lithium ion batteries could go about 80 miles on a gallon of gas, up from about 50 now.
Daimler will use lithium ion batteries made by Continental AG in the Mercedes-Benz S 400 BlueHYBRID next year.
GM now uses a "belt alternator starter," or BAS hybrid system, in the Malibu and Aura. This system offers only a modest increase in fuel efficiency over standard gas engines, mainly because it doesn't allow driving on electric power alone as the Prius does.
GM plans to call the new system "BAS-plus" and expects much greater fuel savings, said people familiar with the matter. They also said GM has awarded its first supply contract for the batteries to Japan's Hitachi Ltd.
A GM spokesman declined to comment.
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