Plug-in cars are an often overlooked alternative to full electric vehicles. But will they help the warming world? It's controversial.
Jorge Cortés loves his 2021 metallic gray Toyota Prius Prime. It’s a plug-in hybrid car, with a small battery and a gasoline engine, and he runs it on the battery whenever he can. “It’s a great vehicle,” he said.
To many consumers, plug-in hybrids fall on the gas-battery spectrum somewhere between hybrids and all-electric vehicles. Plug-in hybrids made up only about 3% of automobile sales in California for the first half of 2023, compared with about 21% for pure electric cars and trucks. But sales are growing. Customers have wide choice: Atare available for lease or purchase in the United States, with EV-only ranges between 17 and 44 miles. Americans drive cars an average ofSurprisingly, perhaps, plug-in hybrids play an essential role in California’s plan to ban new sales of internal combustion cars.
The cars are several thousand dollars more expensive than regular hybrids because of the larger battery and the parts and engineering required for recharging. Some of the cost can be offset through tax breaks, government rebates and other incentives that are income based. A new Toyota Prius Prime, with a 44-mile battery range, carries a $32,350 base price, almost $5,000 more than the regular Prius hybrid.Plug-in hybrids qualify for HOV lane decals, again depending on income.
Automakers will be required to sell electric vehicles in increasing numbers over the next decade or so. The zero-emission mandate moves from 35% in 2026 to 76% in 2030 to 100% in 2035. Cost and quality issues could impede EV development. With a surge of new battery plants in the pipeline, the rapid pace of construction and the arrival of untested players lured by government subsidies, there’s plenty of room for inefficiency.
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