Should you Buy a Plug-in Hybrid?

According to the Department of Transportation, the average American drives 37 miles per day and that's one of the reasons why Plug-in Hybrids (PHEVs) are an extremely fuel-efficient solution. Electric cars are generally more expensive than gasoline-powered cars (though that is changing fast), and for many, a Hybrid or Plug-in Hybrid offers a gateway between internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and all-electric (EV) vehicles.

 

Hybrid cars such as the Toyota Prius are known for their combination of having a small gasoline-powered engine and an electric motor and a traction battery pack. While today's ICE vehicles have an EPA average fuel efficiency of 39 miles per gallon, the Prius has a range of 52 to 56 mpg. Plus, Hybrids still use gasoline, augmented by electric technology. For the user, they drive like a conventional car, and you still fill them with gasoline. So, if you're looking for better gas mileage without ever having to deal with the "range anxiety" experienced by some EV owners, a Hybrid is a great solution.

 

A standard Hybrid is excellent if you drive a lot of miles every week. But if you travel fewer than 40 miles a day, PHEVs allow you to drive those miles without ever having to use any gasoline at all. How do Plug-in Hybrids work? In the simplest terms, a PHEV uses a more powerful electric motor and a bigger battery pack as well as the ability to plug the car into a standard 120-volt household electric plug to recharge it overnight. This is known as Level 1 charging.

Many of today's PHEVs have a fully electric range of 40 miles or more, making them the perfect around town car. Once you have exhausted the electric range, they switch over to gasoline power and the battery pack recharges as you drive. So, if you don't drive very much each day, a PHEV is like owning an EV, you will rarely use gas, and if you sometimes take longer trips, the combination of gas and electric technology gets you excellent fuel economy.

 

The only time a PHEV does not make sense is for those who don't bother to charge them overnight. Believe it or not, some Plug-in Hybrid owners never plug them in. Because of the larger battery pack, PHEVs are heavier than standard Hybrids. If you never recharge the battery pack, you could actually be getting worse gas mileage than if you just owned a regular Hybrid. On average, a PHEV can save you over $1,300 of gasoline per year over a gas-only vehicle.

Plug-in Hybrids are great for people who spend most of their time driving to the market or around town or have short commutes to work and back because they can really use the benefits of the all-electric driving range. But those PHEV benefits diminish if you find that you frequently drive long distances and/or don't keep the vehicle plugged in overnight.

 

Once you have used up the all-electric range of a PHEV, the car switches to hybrid mode, and once that happens, fuel consumption is often higher than that of a regular Hybrid due mainly to the extra weight of the PHEV battery pack. To get the most out of your PHEV, you need to remember to plug it in at the end of every day.

 

So, is a Hybrid or Plug-in Hybrid right for you? The choice really comes down to your particular driving style and habits and how you intend to use the car. Traditional Hybrids are generally less expensive and get better gas mileage when running on gasoline alone.

 

No matter what kind of vehicle is calling to you, Lithia Motors is here to help. With over 75 years of experience in providing our customers with all manner of personal transportation solutions, we've got your back and there's a Lithia dealership near you.