Plug-in Hybrids (PHEVs) make up only 2% of total US sales, but that number is slowly growing. What do you think of them as a jack-of-all-trades vehicle?
by BeaglePops7
Plug-in Hybrids (PHEVs) make up only 2% of total US sales, but that number is slowly growing. What do you think of them as a jack-of-all-trades vehicle?
by BeaglePops7
![Flash Green over Atacama [Volvo V70 R]. Not necessarily a flashy spot but special nonetheless](https://www.evshift.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/uyhjok4hppdg1-770x515.jpeg "Flash Green over Atacama [Volvo V70 R]. Not necessarily a flashy spot but special nonetheless")
![Another [Ford Pantera] in Houston with a bonus Camaro.](https://www.evshift.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/4w3baislmpdg1-770x515.jpeg "Another [Ford Pantera] in Houston with a bonus Camaro.")
19 Comments
For starters, you can drive around town 100% electric all the time (in theory; some PHEVs, like the Pacifica I believe, have no option to force 100% electric, but the computer chooses), and then when it’s time for a cross-country road trip, there is no need to plan for charging. Just gas and go.
Here are non-luxury PHEV models for sale in the US:
Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid
Ford Escape PHEV
Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid
Hyundai Tucson Plug-In Hybrid
Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe
Jeep Wrangler 4xe
Kia Niro PHEV
Kia Sorento PHEV
Mini Cooper S E Countryman
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid
Toyota Prius Prime
Toyota RAV4 Prime
If people use them correctly and charge their fkn batteries yes, otherwise no, they’re worse for the environment because they use more fuel when discharged and prevent resources from being used elsewhere.
What advantages do hybrid have? None, just appeasement of chicken littles. Biggest advantage of EV is zero maintenance and emissions.
I think right away as EV tech was developed that most vehicles should have been required to be Hybrid or PHEV, I mean there is no reason an already heavy F-150( and other large vehicles) should not be PHEV and at least improve their fuel economy.
I have a 2017 Chevy Volt as the daily driver. It is an amazing vehicle and I really like it. It is perfect for my wife and I and our two dogs. Planning to buy another PHEV at some point until charging infrastructure grows and EV prices come down.
PHEV was invented to fudge CO2 numbers in EU and they are primarily used to dodge taxes on company cars. For the US, I don’t see the incentive. If you have the capability to charge at home, get a BEV. If not, PHEV would never be charged and the car would get worse mileage, better to stick with mild hybrid in that case.
I have a gc 4xe and it’s awesome. I get around 27 miles on electric and then it switches to gas and I can drive to Florida and back without stopping to charge.
My commute to work is 5 miles so I rarely use gas.
I would have gone for the PHEV when we bought our ’21 Escape but it was only offered in FWD. Instead we went for the traditional hybrid for its AWD.
Not really interesting to me since when in full electric mode you are only getting a small portion of full system HP, which totally changes the driving experience. Would rather have regular hybrid so you can have full power available when you want it.
BEV-cels at r//electricvehicles have an irrational hate for PHEVs but I am completely happy with my Pacifica PHEV since 2021
A lot of the problem in my opinion is they mostly were boring awful cars for so long. My mom just bought a Volvo s60 recharge. It’s fantastic. And quick as hell. Actually decently fun to drive and for my mom’s more mellow driving she barely even gets the motor started.
I just got a new Mazda CX-90 PHEV and it’s kind of the sweet spot between ICE and EV. We use EV mode around town which has a range of 30 miles, so it’s perfect for 80% of what we use it for. I have a level 2 charger at home that fills the battery in 3 hours, and we have a solar roof that brings the cost of electricity way down. Then, when we need to drive outside that range, the Hybrid mode seamlessly gives us 400+ miles. It’s a no-brainer. We’ve had the car for 3 weeks now, and we are still running on the same tank of gas.
I drive too much for any of the phevs that might be in my price range. In theory, the upcoming Ramcharger will be perfect for me. However, I am sure it won’t be affordable.
Problem is sometimes it cost $10k more.
They should absolutely be prioritized RIGHT NOW for the average buyer as opposed to EVs and are better for most average buyers. The transition to EVs and the lifestyle EVs require as opposed to ICE cars (plugging in regularly/overnight or stopping for considerable amounts of time at chargers) is a giant barrier for the average person.
Being able to offer 80% of the EV experience without the risk of running out of juice is perfect AND the battery material demands on the environment are significantly less, allowing for quicker adoption and time to acclimate to higher lithium (or alternative battery material) needs in the future.
The rollout of PHEVs was a MONUMENTAL flop and should’ve been/should still be advertised better by OEMs. Not to mention Tesla was a source of the significant boom in demand for/popularity of EVs and they obviously don’t have EVs in their portfolio to advertise alongside their EVs.
PHEV cost too much/add too much weight and reduce cargo capacity(both weight and volume)
ICE, traditional hybrid, or full ev for me
I think they’re over hyped. If you have a very specific and regular driving pattern they can be good. Like driving 3 miles to work every day and 400 miles to your remote cottage every weekend. Super short distances are horrendous for gas engines, and regular long distances are a pain for charging, especially if you’re not on major interstates.
For the average driver a regular hybrid is more affordable and sensible. Or a small battery EV with limited range like a Mini or Fiat 500 if you must have a zero gas function.
We got a used Lincoln Aviator PHEV last year. Pretty happy with where it was in the depreciation curve, paid about half of MSRP. Around town my wife uses it to go to work, etc. The 20 mile range is plenty, and where we live driving it electric costs half of what gas does. We’ve done about 2000 miles of road tripping in the last 2 weeks and averaged around 27mpg in mild hybrid. Very happy with its versatility.
Also the combined 500hp/600tq is awesome.
2% of one the 4th largest car market seems pretty big. While maybe not a huge number (roughly 62,000) that is still 62,000 PHEV’s sold.