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Should you go fully electric or choose a plug-in hybrid?

Tips + Tricks|06.21.2024

Should you go fully electric or choose a plug-in hybrid?

 

It’s an exciting time for electric cars with more models hitting the market. If you’re new to the EV scene, it’s good to know the different types available to find what suits you best. 

Electric cars mainly come in two flavors: Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) and strictly Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs). PHEVs keep a regular engine but can switch to electric mode with a smaller battery and an electric motor. This way you can use a PHEV like a BEV for short distances and still have the choice to switch over to gas when needed.   

Most of our community at Motor today drives fully electric (BEV), but there are certain cases where a PHEV might make sense for you. Let’s break down the differences between them, weigh up the pros and cons and find out what fits you best. 

PHEV vs. BEV – What is the difference?

Let’s start by talking about the technical differences and how it affects your driving.

As the name suggests, a hybrid electric vehicle is a bridge technology between a traditional gas car with an engine and fully battery-powered EV. 

A BEV relies entirely on one or more electric motors powered by a large battery pack. In contrast, a PHEV has both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor with a small battery. So, you can drive a PHEV either in pure electric mode or solely powered by the engine. 

Unlike a traditional hybrid, where the electric and engine modes are automatic, with a PHEV, you can actively choose when to drive in electric mode. And, as the name suggests, a plug-in hybrid allows the owner to plug in the car and charge the battery, while in a conventional hybrid, the battery is charged while driving.

How long can you go in electric mode? 

PHEVs typically have smaller batteries compared to BEVs, mainly because they need to accommodate both the electric drive and the engine in the powertrain. This means that the distance you can travel in purely electric mode with a PHEV is quite limited, usually about 20 to 40 miles. For longer trips, you’ll need to rely on the engine, essentially driving the PHEV like a traditional gasoline car. On the other hand, BEVs come with larger batteries, allowing you to travel much farther on a single charge, with an average range of around 270 miles. 

It’s important to note that while most BEVs can be fast-charged, PHEVs usually can’t, so you’ll typically charge a PHEV overnight at home. So, that means that charging a PHEV during a road trip at a typical DC fast charger isn’t an option.

PHEV and BEV makes, models and stats

When it comes to comparing sales and popularity between PHEVs and BEVs, the numbers tell an interesting story. Since 2014, BEVs have consistently outsold PHEVs in the US. In 2022 and 2023, for every one PHEV sold, there were more than four BEVs sold. Currently, around 80% of new EV registrations are BEVs, with the remaining 20% being PHEVs.

It looks like this trend will continue for a while. There are about 35 PHEV models available in the US in 2024 while there are almost four times as many BEVs. 

Some of the best selling PHEVs are the 

In comparison, some of the best selling BEVs are the 

Both PHEVs and BEVs qualify for government incentives, with the federal credit depending on various factors such as where the EVs are manufactured, the sources of their battery components and minerals, the vehicle cost, and the buyer’s income. Typically, PHEVs qualify for around $3,750 in incentives, while BEVs can get up to $7,500.

What to expect over lifetime – pros and cons of a PHEV

To truly compare a PHEV to a BEV we need to look at the whole EV ownership experience. This includes not only the upfront cost of purchasing the car but also the cost of charging and refueling it over its lifetime, along with maintenance expenses.

Cost

The price of an electric vehicle is significantly influenced by the size of its battery, which can account for up to 30-40% of the total vehicle cost in the case of a BEV. Since PHEVs have a much smaller battery (usually about a ninth of a BEV), they tend to be cheaper initially to purchase despite including both an electric motor and an internal combustion engine.

Maintenance

 So, while PHEVs may initially be somewhat cheaper, their long-term maintenance costs can be higher than those of BEVs. This is mainly because PHEVs rely on both electric and internal combustion engines, requiring maintenance for both systems. Oil changes and other maintenance tasks are still necessary for a PHEV, so you don’t see many of the ownership savings that you would with a BEV. Depending on how much you use your PHEV in electric mode, the cost of gasoline over time can also contribute to increased overall expenses compared to a BEV version.

Environment

One of the main reasons many people opt for a BEV today, in addition to performance and cost savings, is the environmental aspect. There have been several lifecycle studies showing that even with the average American power grid today, operating a BEV is more environmentally friendly in terms of CO2 emissions than a gasoline car. But does this also apply to a PHEV? Well, that largely depends on how you plan to drive your PHEV. As discussed in detail below, most PHEV drivers do not actually charge their cars. So they use their PHEV mostly like a gasoline car, meaning that the economic and environmental benefits are much lower than initially expected. But more on that later.

Overall, if a PHEV or BEV is the better choice ultimately depends on your personal situation and driving habits. So let’s take a closer look at who is the ideal PHEV driver.

Who is the ideal PHEV driver? 

Short-Distance Driver

Here’s something that might surprise you: The ideal PHEV driver primarily travels short distances. While you might assume that a PHEV is best suited for someone who does a lot of long-distance driving and hence does not want to go all in on a BEV, it’s actually the opposite. PHEVs perform best on short trips where you can rely solely on electric power. The additional cost of the battery compared to a conventional combustion engine vehicle needs to be offset by plugging in overnight and driving in pure electric mode during these short trips.

Regular Charger

The ideal PHEV driver charges daily: Since PHEVs only have an electric range of about 20-40 miles, you’ll likely need to charge your car almost every night to make the most of the pure electric mode. Therefore, the ideal PHEV driver is able to charge either at home or at work most probably on a daily basis. 

No public infrastructure

The ideal PHEV driver doesn’t have a dense public charging network in their region. The allure of a PHEV over a BEV is that you can still drive it like a gasoline vehicle when you need to go on long trips. A PHEV is suitable for you if you mainly have short commutes but also need to regularly travel long distances and don’t have charging infrastructure in your area. If you had good charging infrastructure today, you could already switch to a BEV. You can’t charge a PHEV on a road trip as it doesn’t have fast-charging capabilities. For example, let’s say you have a cabin where you need to get to most weekends but there aren’t any charging stations along the way and the trip is longer than the range of a typical BEV.  

Surprising facts about PHEV drivers

Here are two interesting facts that might influence your decision when choosing between a PHEV and a BEV.

 

Most PHEV owners don’t plug in their cars. 

Studies in Europe and the US found that many PHEV owners don’t plug in their cars much. This means they don’t use the electric mode enough, losing out on the expected benefits over regular hybrid cars. For them, this means the extra money spent on a battery isn’t worth it in the long run as it is not offset by the savings you see by fueling your car with electricity, largely at home.

Most PHEV owners switch over to BEVs.

People often see hybrids or PHEVs as a middle step before going fully electric. If you read a bit in forums and consumer studies online, you’ll find two main groups of PHEV drivers.

The first group regrets buying a PHEV because it’s not what they expected. They initially hoped to experience the feel of driving an electric car, but a PHEV doesn’t really offer that unless you only use it for short commutes. Road trips have to be taken like a gas car as PHEVs don’t have fast charging capabilities. A PHEV driver with longer commutes than 20-40 miles still has fuel expenses they had before with a gas car as well as the typical maintenance costs. In this case, we’re talking about a PHEV that combines the worst of both worlds.

The other group really likes their PHEV because they mainly use it in electric mode for short commutes but still rely on the gas car for occasional longer trips. In this case, a PHEV combines the best of both worlds. Interestingly though, most of these people will have a BEV as their next car, and some report that in hindsight, they would have bought a BEV anyway. 

Now, should you get a PHEV or a BEV? 

Both PHEVs and BEVs have their own advantages and disadvantages, so it’s important to consider your own needs and preferences before making a decision. While PHEVs have often been seen as transitional vehicles for people who are not yet ready to fully switch to electric drive, for example in areas where public charging infrastructure is insufficient, we have found that most people who bought a PHEV for the right reasons are interested in fully transitioning to a BEV. 

So, ultimately it comes down to what is best for depending on your personal driving needs. We at Motor are happy to assist you and provide expert advice on if an EV, and which one (PHEV vs. BEV) is right for you!