- Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) are often suggested as a no-compromise solution to electrifying your commute, but the reality is messier than that.
- A new study from J.D. Power shows how PHEVs are pricier and less satisfying to buyers.
- If you want a plug-in car, you should get an EV. If—for whatever practical or personal reason—you don't want an EV, a traditional hybrid or gas vehicle is likely a better choice.
The argument is simple. Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) solve infrastructure challenges faced by EVs at a lower price, offering the best parts of the EV and internal combustion experience, a key reason why they're the preferred solution for so many Americans. There's only one problem with this line of reasoning: Every single part of it is wrong. J.D. Power's newest report explains why.
We'll start with the idea that everyone wants a plug-in hybrid. This is often claimed by EV skeptics, who say that the smart thing is to go hybrid, and that automakers and regulators are forcing EVs down our throats. Never mind that 10 years ago these same people considered hybrids and plug-in hybrids to be unnecessary. They're convinced they speak for the people. Yet today, plug-in hybrids make up a tiny fraction of the market. They represent just 2% of the market, according to the latest edition of J.D. Power's E-Vision Intelligence Report.
Hybrids and EVs both represent about 10% of the overall market. And it's not just because there are fewer PHEVs available. The opposite is true for hybrids. J.D. Power tallies 41 total PHEV nameplates available in the U.S., compared to 39 traditional hybrids. There are 60 full EV nameplates on sale, for comparison. While HEV and EV sales are growing this year, PHEV sales are down, likely in no small part because of prime PHEV seller Stellantis struggling. So the idea that people are crying out for PHEVs doesn't hold water.
Those who decry government subsidies should note, too, that PHEVs receive federal tax credits akin to those of EVs. But despite this, the complexity of building an entire internal-combustion engine along with a decently powerful electric drivetrain, packaging them together and smoothly blending their outputs drives up prices. J.D. Power says the average transaction price for a PHEV compact SUV—factoring in credits and incentives—is $48,700. For hybrids, which do not receive tax credits, that number is $37,700. For EVs it's even lower: $36,900.
So PHEVs are more expensive and less popular than EVs, hybrids and pure ICE vehicles. You may thing the payoff is in the ownership experience. People get emissions-free day-to-day driving and infinite road trip longevity. In reality, customers aren't too stoked. First off, nobody can reliably say what percentage of people actually plug in their plug-in hybrids. The data suggests fewer do then you'd expect. When PHEVs aren't plugged in, they require more fuel than an equivalent standard hybrid, because they're lugging around extra weight. Some studies suggest they pollute far, far more than their official numbers would suggest.
Even when they are plugged in, they also don't tend to have the instant-torque oomph that makes EVs so effortless to drive. Many require their internal-combustion engines to spool up during maximum-power situations, and the blending of the throttle pedal and brakes usually makes them harder to drive smoothly. They are also less reliable than EVs or ICE vehicles, per Consumer Reports. The companies that are best at making smooth, reliable hybrid vehicles—namely Honda and Toyota, though also Ford in my opinion—tend to primarily trade in regular hybrids, with PHEV options only offered on some models.
Finally, they do not support direct current fast charging (DCFC), which means they must be slowly charged. If you do not park your vehicle in places with level 2 chargers for multiple hours most days, you will usually be operating as a traditional hybrid, as most PHEVs can only handle a normal day's commute before needing a charge. That means you really need home or office charging to make one work.
If you can charge consistently at home or work, then you can probably make an EV work for you. Those who road trip more than 300 miles more than 6ish times per year may be best served by a PHEV, but for almost everyone the idea of true no-gas commuting will be cheaper, smoother, more reliable and more comfortable. Those who cannot reasonably charge at home or at work, those who road trip often, those who are most price conscious and those who are not quite ready to learn new habits will enjoy the simplicity and maturity of traditional hybrid technology.
Perhaps that's why PHEVs were the least satisfying vehicle group in J.D. Power data. The jack of all trades is once again a master of none.
