Automakers in Europe fear a lukewarm consumer response to the fleet of electric vehicles they are preparing to launch to comply with tougher emissions regulations. But they do have one lifeline: the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. The PHEV is in some respects an almost magical vehicle. Adding a battery and electric motor to a conventionally powered vehicle preserves most of the usability that consumers know while allowing the manufacturer to reduce carbon dioxide output by 50 to 80 percent.