Is it time to consider a plug-in hybrid vehicle?
Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles — typically abbreviated as PHEVs — make up a very small percentage of vehicle sales, but they can be a smart pick for a certain kind of shopper.
Consider this scenario: You want to buy a significantly more fuel-efficient vehicle than what you have now but can’t fully commit to a pure electric vehicle such as a Tesla. Perhaps you’re worried about long battery charging times or have range anxiety. What should you do? A PHEV could be the solution.
A PHEV is essentially a hybrid vehicle — think a Toyota Prius — with two key modifications: a larger-capacity battery pack and a charge port that allows you to recharge the battery with a power cord. A PHEV still has a gasoline engine but is able to go a short distance on pure electric power without ever using the engine. That distance is typically 20 to 40 miles, depending on the vehicle.
The gasoline engine takes over when the battery runs out, giving a PHEV the flexibility of any other gas-powered car to take long trips and fill up at gas stations. While plug-in hybrids aren’t as efficient as electric vehicles, they do use less gas than their traditional gas or hybrid counterparts.
Buying a PHEV isn’t without downsides. They tend to cost more than traditional hybrid vehicles, even when you take local and federal tax incentives into account. And models that are based on existing gasoline-powered cars typically lose some utility or cargo space because of the larger battery pack.
Still, PHEVs can make sense for people who typically have short daily commutes and have the ability to plug in overnight at home. The more frequently you can recharge your PHEV, the more fuel-efficient it will be.
Here are three of Edmunds editors’ favorite plug-in hybrids. Note that the prices below include destination charges but don’t factor in available federal or state tax credits or incentives, which can potentially save you thousands of dollars.