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Cars are like horses: people will soon realise EVs are just better, claims VW boss
(www.autoexpress.co.uk)
this post was submitted on 05 Jun 2026
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Not OP, but conventional hybrids are alright. Plug-In hybrids are kind of a waste, and really only see benefits in very niche situations.
Plug-in hybrids fail because of people. They could cover most or all of a typical commute on battery, but there was that recent study saying people don’t use them that way. If you’re going to treat it like an ICE car, it’s just an ICE car with more weight, that costs more.
the problem with PHEVs is the battery is very small, which is a longevity concern. Batteries lose charge capacity based on how many charging cycles they go through. So if you are discharging most of the battery on a daily commute you’re going to kill that battery’s capacity within a few years (like a cell phone).
A great use for the new sodium batteries, assuming they pan out as expected and can scale up quickly. While I still think the PHEV strategy is most appropriate for last decade before batteries were sufficiently developed, a cheaper, longer lasting battery can make them more compelling
The situation where you commute 25 miles or less, where national average is 16 miles.
Just get an EV then. Why lug around a gas motor that you don't need?
For those times where you do need to go 1000mi without wasting time at a charge station for hours
Use a conventional hybrid for that, and you won't need to lug around a lot of extra battery.
In contrast to an extra 250 miles worth of batteries that you don't need?
You can get a shorter range EV if that fits your needs. Gas engine just adds weight and complexity.
That's good, until you need to take a longer trip. At which point you can either have the extra batteries or a gas engine. There are arguments for either solution.
In that case, it's better to just run a conventional hybrid if you frequently need to take long trips.
Unless you can do most of your day-to-day tasks within the electric range of the PHEV, only needing gas for the infrequent long trips
yes, extra battery capacity does not require extra maintenance or fossil fuel like an ICE engine does.
There are trade-offs to both extra batteries or an ICE engine to drive a PHEV.
There is no one-size-fits-all, so people will have to evaluate which solution they prefer on a case by case basis. EVs are often (but not always) the better solution, and the market agrees with this on both number of models available and number or units sold.