Having owned two hybrids and
one plug-in hybrid (PHEV) over the years, I have enjoyed the advantages in cost
of ownership. These include superior gas mileage, fewer trips to the gas
station (depending on fuel tank size), and, for plug-ins, the ability to charge
up at home. I am currently driving a 2010 Honda Insight hybrid that gets 43MPG.
It dropped over the last year from 46.5MPG, which made me think the 15-year-old
battery was degrading, but I am guessing I just lost a cell, as the loss of
mileage was steady over a few months, then just stopped. It has remained steady
for more than a few months now. I know I will have to replace the
battery at some point and will likely do so as long as the mileage is not very
high. Currently, it is about 119,000 miles.
There are some disincentives
to owning these vehicles as well. When I bought my recent hybrid and went to
get it registered at the BMV, I was charged $100 due to being a hybrid. This is
presumably to pay for those things that gasoline and diesel taxes pay for, like
road repairs, etc. Many states have these charges that claw back a little of
the loss in tax revenue.
According to the Energy
Information Administration, hybrids, PHEVs, and BEVs make up 22% of U.S.
light-duty vehicle sales. Of those, hybrids make up 12%, PHEVs make up 2%, and
EVs make up about 8%. They also note that battery EVs make up a large part of
what is called the luxury market.
“Battery electric vehicle sales in particular are more
common in the luxury vehicle market. U.S. luxury vehicles accounted for 14% of
the total light-duty vehicle market in the first quarter of the year, the
lowest share since mid-2020. Electric vehicles accounted for 23% of total
luxury sales in the first quarter of 2025. Electric vehicles had accounted for
more than one-third of luxury sales in 2023 and 2024 before Wards reclassified
the Tesla Model 3 as non-luxury in late 2024.”
Battery EVs also cost up to 25% more. Of course, who can
afford a new car these days?! I bought a new PHEV in 2019 for $30,000.
Unfortunately, a year later, I hit a deer and totaled it. A few days later I
got laid off. I don’t foresee ever buying a new vehicle again, probably only
used ones for the rest of my days.
“Battery electric vehicles’ average transaction prices
remain persistently higher than the overall market: the average transaction
prices increased from $55,500 in December 2024 to $59,200 in March 2025,
compared with the average price of all new vehicles, which decreased from
$49,700 to $47,500. This 25% difference between battery electric vehicles and
the industry average prices in March 2025 was the highest in any month since
April 2023.”
HEVs, PHEVs, and BEVs: Emissions Differences Are
Dependent on Several Factors
Kumar Venkat, in an August
2023 article in Illuminem, explores and compares emissions. He first notes
Toyota’s claim that the critical minerals used for one BEV can be used for six
PHEVs or 90 hybrids. He notes that critical minerals may become constrained in
the future and that their supply chains are often powered by fossil fuels. Add
to that the fact that the grids BEVs and PHEVs plug into may be powered largely
by fossil fuels. These differences in power sources for the minerals supply chain
and tapped grids make determining emissions more variable and difficult. The
use of life cycle assessments (LCAs) for determining emissions is how they are
estimated. Venkat did LCA analysis based on the California grid and an average
for Midwestern grids, which are shown in the graphs below. His conclusions are
that right now in these places, PHEVs have lower emissions intensity than BEVs.
In the future, when minerals supply chains are cleaner and grid energy is
cleaner, that will likely change, but there are still some “ifs” in there. HEVs
come in slightly higher than BEVs, but ICE vehicles are 30% higher than HEVs.
The key points are that,
right now, PHEVs and HEVs are very good for low emissions, at costs that are
much lower than BEVs. They are also much more convenient because they don’t
solely rely on charger availability. Things will change in the future as
battery chemistries change, as EV ranges improve, and as chargers become more
available. I would say that the hurried rollout of BEVs and chargers was
premature. When I had a PHEV, I also installed a Level 2 charger at my house. I
was able to dig the trench and bury the conduit myself in order to save a ton
of money. The electrician ran the wire through and hooked everything up. It was
great. In the future, I will look to buy affordable used HEVs or PHEVs.
Venkat’s conclusion is that
PHEVs are a logical intermediate technology:
“While the electrification of personal transport is
necessary to get to net zero emissions by 2050, we could easily make the
transition much harder by racing towards 100% electrification before we have
sufficiently expanded, diversified, and cleaned up the mineral supply chains. A
lifecycle perspective of transport solutions would suggest that electrification
should be done in alignment with projected improvements in battery production
as well as clean power generation. PHEVs are a logical intermediate technology
in this transition that can deliver better climate benefits today while using
critical resources more efficiently.”
References:
Hybrid
vehicle sales continue to rise as electric and plug-in vehicle shares remain
flat. U.S. Energy Information Administration. May 30, 2025. Hybrid
vehicle sales continue to rise as electric and plug-in vehicle shares remain
flat - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
Why
plug-in hybrids (PEVs) are better for the climate than full Electric Vehicles
(BEVs) today. Illuminem. Kumar Venkat. August 7, 2023. Why
plug-in hybrids (PEVs) are better for the climate than full Electric Vehicles
(BEVs) today | illuminem
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