Some may see hybrids as less sexy, or less worthy, than full-electric cars. But global government emissions rules, along with hybrids’ reputation as an EV “gateway drug,” have made these cars an attractive stop on the electrified vehicle roadmap. Expect to see way more of them for sale in the coming years. Alas, the world of hybrids is confusing. Some plug in for power; some don’t. Some can avoid gas fuel altogether; some won’t operate without it.
Vs on the market today can’t get charge from the public “fast chargers” increasingly installed along highways in the US, because they don’t come with the connector that would allow them to plug in. Plug-in hybrids have smaller batteries than their all-electric counterparts, only good for 20 to 50 miles of travel, compared to more than 200 in all-electric cars. Like BEVs,
Vs depends on how their owners operate them—whether they’re traveling distances mostly covered by the battery and whether they’re diligent about keeping them charged. Right now, cars are generally more expensive the more they depend on a battery to go. Here’s a handy chart, using data from the automotive research company Edmunds: In the US, both BEVs and