Electric Vehicles

420 readers

223 users here now

Electric Vehicles are a key part of our tomorrow and how we get there. If we can get all the fossil fuel vehicles off our roads, out of our seas and out of our skies, we'll have a much better environment. This community is where we discuss the various different vehicles and news stories regarding electric transportation.

Related communities:

founded 6 months ago

MODERATORS

[email protected]

Best PHEVs in the US market? (self.electricvehicles)

submitted 4 weeks ago by twistypencil to c/[email protected]

10 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Considering Trump is threatening to pull EV subsidies, the time to take advantage is in the next three months, at minimum. Considering the fact that Elon is going to do everything he can to favor Tesla, the fact that the US tariffs prohibit any cars coming in from China, and the very real possibility that the US might take a step back from broad BEV adoption.... it feels like the safest bet is to get a PHEV for now. Especially considering it would be my only vehicle, and I need to occasionally take longer 5+hr trips, and charging infrastructure is dodgy at best still.

I want to avoid Teslas, and I want to avoid the Prius (had the Prime, too many issues with the air conditioning smelling like socks), what are good options that are actually available in the US? Does anyone have any first-hand experience to share?

top 10 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 weeks ago

I’ve got a Ford Escape PHEV. Handles like a boat. The steering is unnecessarily heavy. The auto liftgate is slow as hell.

I get 5.4 l/100km on hybrid mode and I usually get about 45km of electric driving. For around town it’s fantastic. Pretty comfy on road trips.

Charges 0 to full after 3.5 hours on a level 2 charger.

Most EV enthusiasts will yell and scream about how terrible PHEVs are because of “mUh 2 drivetrains n maintenance”. They’re viewing PHEVs from a BEV standpoint, when in reality you must look at a PHEV as a more efficient gas hybrid vehicle.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 weeks ago

BMW i3 if you don't mind a used car, has actual EV range which is nice

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 weeks ago

Depending on where you are, double check the chargers where you would need them. Plug share is useful for this, particularly in their trip planning mode (desktop only). I've found that there are a lot more chargers on my routes than I had initially thought, and it only required slight changes in my plans to use them.

[–] [email protected] -5 points 4 weeks ago (2 children)

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: hybrids are not EVs. Battery EVs are the only EVs in my book.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

Gatekeeping is silly over this. PHEVS are EVs with a hybrid gas engine. They are also mild hybrids with a big battery.

They have battery electric drivetrains. Splitting hairs over this is a colossal waste of everyone’s time.

[–] [email protected] -4 points 4 weeks ago

I respectfully disagree

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

The chinese agree and are calling them NEV's (new energy vehicles)

https://www.byd.com/uk/electric-cars/what-is-a-nev

Not to be confused with ‘neighbourhood electric vehicle’, NEV stands for ‘New Energy Vehicle’ and is a term used to describe all types of electric vehicles, from battery-powered fully electric vehicles to plug-in hybrid cars.

[–] Etnaphele 2 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

“The Chinese” is just BYD, to lump together EV and ICE plug-in-hybrid vehicle sales in a bigger sum. Purely marketing strategy.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

don’t think so, i don’t see anything to support that

like i’m sure byd are using it for marketing but i don’t believe the term is just byd, they are just the most popular

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plug-in_electric_vehicles_in_China

[–] Etnaphele 3 points 3 weeks ago

Ah, yeah you’re right. Always read about it in conjunction with BYD, as you say just because they are often in the news