My wonderful, amazing 2017 Prius Prime Advanced was a PHEV, and perhaps the best PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) on the market at the time. As the acronym suggests, this car has a gasoline motor with a hybrid mode, as well as a battery that can propel the car some number of miles (32 miles for this generation car) without any engine assist at all. Most of the time, you’ll be using only the battery to get you around, then for longer trips, the gas motor will take you the extra distance. Sounds pretty ideal, like the best of both worlds. Or is it really the worst of both worlds? That is the question. and before reading any further, I suggest you sit back and view this video from our friends at Consumer Reports:
Plug-In Hybrids Are Not What You Think They Are | Talking Cars with Consumer Reports #429
To summarize, I pulled a quote from the video at 7:28-8:14. Here’s the transcript for this section:
“I think there are some interesting situations from a systems approach that come up when you’re thinking about this because if you are that person who’s commuting the 40 miles, and you’re pretty much always using the EV portion that you paid for, you’re effectively carrying around an ICE powertrain that doesn’t really get used. And vice versa. If you never charge it and you’re always running as a hybrid, you’re carrying around this giant battery that you never use. So there’s some negatives with that.
And just the complexity of having a gas powertrain on board that operates sometimes. So now, in the middle of winter, the engine fires up randomly. And it’s stone cold, but you need the extra power to accelerate. How do you handle that? And the gas tanks are pressurized because the fuel might sit in there for months. So there’s all these little things that go into making this work. And it gets complicated.“
To reiterate, it is complicated! Not only do you have ALL the complexity of an ICE/hybrid car AND a full electric car, but there’s a lot of hardware and software needed to make sure all the powertrains play nicely together (e.g. Hybrid Synergy Drive). Toyota was able to pull it off with the Prius and RAV4 PHEVs and have created exceptionally reliable and efficient automobiles, but other auto makers have more work to do. Referring back to the Consumer Report video (above) you’ll get a sense for who has gotten the formula right and who has not. Below is a list companies selling PHEVs in the US as of March 2023, and as mentioned when I was writing about EVs, do your homework if you’re considering a PHEV. All PHEVs are NOT created equal.
March 3, 2023 there are 33 plug-in electric hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) available in the US. Eight automakers offer two or more PHEVs (source):
- Volvo (5)
- BMW (4) — BMW (3), Mini (1)
- Toyota (3) — Toyota (2), Lexus (1)
- Stellantis (3) — Jeep (2), Chrysler (1)
- Ford (3) — Ford (2), Lincoln (1)
- Kia (3)
- Hyundai (2)
- Land Rover (2)
- Porsche (2)
The Jeep Wrangler 4xe has been the number one-selling PHEV in America since Q2 2021.
In conclusion, those considering owning a PHEV will need to reconcile the pros and cons. Here are my thoughts:
PROS
- Efficient hybrid powertrain (not all PHEVs are efficient – do your research)
- EV mode is more cost effective than gas in most places (be sure to check EV range)
CONS
- Your PHEV will need access to power for charging
- PHEVs are complex and may require more interaction with settings to drive properly
- You now have to maintain your PHEV as you would any ICE car, AND properly maintain your battery as though it’s an EV
- Cost of repairs will be higher than ICE alone due to system complexity
Hopefully I haven’t scared you off from PHEV ownership. My Prius Prime (may she rest in peace) was one of the best, most efficient cars I have ever owned. And before purchasing the Tesla, I was seriously considering upgrading to the new Prius Prime which is an even more spectacular car. Truth be told, the Toyota Prius Prime or RAV4 Prime are the only PHEVs I would consider buying today. Many other PHEVs are good, but I have always trusted Toyota quality and tend to look there first when considering something as complex as a PHEV.
And a parting quote: “Owning a PHEV is like owning an EV with training wheels.” I made that up, but I believe it’s true. I don’t think I would have had the courage to go full EV with the Tesla if I hadn’t owned a PHEV first. It gave me the confidence that I could live with EV range, plus EV care and feeding. In reality, getting rid of the ICE part of a PHEV removed a huge burden. No gas, no maintenance, and a whole lot less complexity. That’s what EV ownership is about – ‘less is more‘ (thank you Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, or was it Peter Behrens that said it first?)…