Plug-in hybrids aren't quite working as a transition to electric cars

[Yardbird]

Plug-in hybrids aren't quite working as a transition to electric cars​

Story by Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik
3 min read


Plug-in hybrids are proving to not be the transitional bridge between gas-powered cars and electric vehicles many folks were hoping for. That’s a shame because when used properly, PHEVs are absolutely fantastic. A study from JD Power is shedding new light on how and why customers are unsatisfied with their plug-in hybrids.

Right now, there are 41 PHEVs for sale in the U.S. – that’s 12 more than there were just two years ago. For the most part, the cars can go between 25 and 40 miles on a full charge and can be juiced up at home or at a public Level 2 charger before the gas motor kicks in. Some automakers are positioning PHEVs as a bridge between gas-powered cars and electric vehicles to get folks to dip their toes in the world of electric cars, but it’s doesn’t seem to be working, as Automotive News explains:

“There’s been a lot of focus on creating intermediary steps for consumers who may not be ready to fully adopt a battery-electric vehicle yet,” Brent Gruber, executive director of the EV practice at J.D. Power, told Automotive News. But the experience of plug-in hybrid owners “really isn’t favorable in comparison to battery-electric vehicles.”
[...]
Overall satisfaction on a 1,000-point scale with PHEVs is 669 while mass-market satisfaction with BEVs is 716, according to J.D. Power consumer satisfaction data. Satisfaction with premium EVs is 738 on a 1,000-point scale.
“Plug-in hybrids have their merits for certain people, but when you look at that ownership experience, it’s certainly not as positive as battery-electric vehicle ownership experiences,” Gruber said.

PHEV sales are actually declining right now. Through August, plug-in hybrid vehicles represented just 1.9 percent of total vehicle sales. That works out to a slight decrease from July, JD Power tells AutoNews. For reference, fully electric vehicles made up 9.4 percent of the market and conventional hybrids at right at 10.7 percent. There’s a big gulf there between those types of vehicles and PHEVs. It’s not like the other two categories have a ton more offerings either. In the U.S., there are currently 39 conventional hybrids on sale and 60 electric vehicles.

Here’s why this lack of sales may be happening and what OEMs should be doing, according to Automotive News:

PHEVs are costly to purchase and maintain because they have two powertrains. The ownership experience doesn’t always align with the premium price point, especially as less-expensive BEVs enter the market.
The average transaction price for a PHEV in the compact SUV category is $48,700, while compact hybrid crossovers are $37,700 and compact battery-electric SUVs are $36,900, according to J.D. Power.
“These findings should really frame the discussion and decisions around how OEMs plan through this transition — going from ICE to battery-electric vehicles,” Gruber said. The transition isn’t always smooth, but PHEV owners tend to have a worse experience than EV owners, he added.
[...]
Better access to reliable information — such as how a PHEV’s electric range could fit a customer’s needs — can help address issues surrounding consumer adoption, Gruber said.

Basically, what he’s saying is that dealers need to do a better job of educating consumers because once they realize charging isn’t that big of a hassle (and they don’t need that much range) people are generally happy with the EVs and PHEVs they’ve purchased.

I’ve long said the plug-in hybrid is an excellent car for today’s automotive world. I know it’s not a long-term solution, but if you use your PHEV the correct way (charging it up often), then it’s a really good piece of technology.


https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/new...&cvid=92906f8291234f36b33e48c97c04af89&ei=145

 

[markabby]

Neighbor has one, says he loves it. it's a chevy model, not sure which one.

 

[mikeru]

I have a co-worker who purchased a Chrysler Pacifica PHEV last year. He often bragged about how much he is saving on fuel costs. Then he had to renew his license tabs and had a rude awakening because of the extra cost to license a PHEV in this state to make up for the lower gas taxes the state is taking in, along with a new tax to help pay for charging stations. He's still ahead on fuel savings, but not by as much as he thought.

 

[Yardbird]

When enough EVs and such are on the roads, it will end up costing more to own and drive them.

Not only will the states and feds charge a mileage tax for every mile your "connected" EV racks up, but they will also add on tax for the extra weight, plus pay more for the faster wearing tires, electricity rates will go up when that is the main transportation fuel, ect....

AI is gobbling up electricity now. How are EVs going to be able to keep energized when there is not enough power or distribution centers to go around?

 

[ConqueringFools]

Just wait until the environmental effects of electric vehicle waste and lithium/rare earth element mining come due. EVs are nothing but a ponzi scheme. Musk knows it too. That's why Tesla is one of the most heavily subsidized companies the world has ever seen.

 

[Docwagon1776]

AI is gobbling up electricity now. How are EVs going to be able to keep energized when there is not enough power or distribution centers to go around?

How has demand been dealt with to date? AI, bitcoin mining, large scale increases in residential use, return of manufacturing to the US...all large increases in demand.

Smart people who like money solve problems. Less smart people who like money ride their coat tails via investing, and most power generation in the US is investor owned. Natural gas remains an important fuel source for generation and fracking has lowered the price per unit while demand has increased the units sold. For years I've been telling people to buy stock in natural gas infrastructure because of that. Not as sexy as tech stocks, but a good place to diversify. Enterprise Partners is up 17% in 12 months and pays a 6.8% dividend on top of that. Major electrical companies like Duke have been good to me over the years as well.

 

[Yardbird]

There are not enough charging stations now. What will happen if a future administration demands 100% EVs again? Not enough electricity to supply the charging stations if this does happen.

Natural Gas is on the radar for elimination by the world greenies also.

The big thing is the cost of future electrical and fossil energy. One way or another, the average person is in danger of being priced out of daily transportation.

 

[Docwagon1776]

There are not enough charging stations now. What will happen if a future administration demands 100% EVs again? Not enough electricity to supply the charging stations if this does happen.

Natural Gas is on the radar for elimination by the world greenies also.

The big thing is the cost of future electrical and fossil energy. One way or another, the average person is in danger of being priced out of daily transportation.

Do you seriously think any administration is going to crash the economy and burn all the people they owe for their position by actually doing anything like that? Those mandates are always kicked down the road.

Remember when a certain administration was talking about how we were going to get off fossil fuel and stop drilling, ban exploration, etc. And during that same administration we continued to set year over year records for extraction and exporting?

Average people are on the verge of being priced out of a lot of things, and it's not because of EVs. It's because wages for the middle class continue to decline decade over decade while the same people mentioned in paragraph one pick up all the gains, then convince you that it's socialism to not do it that way. Unions are bad. Offshoring is good. Temporary workers replaced permanent workers and were, in turn, replaced by "gig" workers who aren't even employees if you squint just right in how you interpret the law.

If you're average on an average income, your best hope is coat tail riding and following what the money is actually doing, not what it's saying it's doing. It takes a long time to build up, but I'm getting close to the "middle class millionaire" doing exactly that. Or you can run around worried about the collapse the media tells you is coming next week every week.

 

[Fatbob Frank]

Our Grand Cherokee 4XE was awesome- when it worked.
But several repairs and recalls later ( including the big " don't charge it, park it inside, or look at it funny" recall) left a bad taste in my mouth... Plus 50% depreciation in 2 years was a real kick in the sack...
Never again...

 

[BANANA165]

AI is gobbling up electricity now. How are EVs going to be able to keep energized when there is not enough power or distribution centers to go around?

solution, every ai company buys a retired nuclear power plant like Microsoft bought three-mile island and is going to use it for themselves and nobody else.

 

[Robert15801]

The cost premium for plug in hybrids is ridiculous, because the batteries are too damn expensive. Mild hybrids are great tech when the software is well written.