Are EVs fatally flawed or have Hybrids had their day? And what are HEVs, PHEVs & EREVs anyway?

There's no doubt that hybrid vehicles have been a huge sales success over the last quarter of the century, but what does the next 10 years look like? While battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have definitely disrupted the market, do plug-in hybrids play and extended range EVs (EREVs) still have a significant role to play? Fully Charged Show CEO, Dan Caesar, discusses these different technologies and the most likely direction of travel.

Dan Caesar is also the launch CEO of Electric Vehicles UK; a collective of EV industry and drivers founded to help build consumer confidence in battery EVs. Through tackling misinformation and highlighting the many benefits of BEVs. EVUK's activity will include working with Government, Media, Industry and EV Drivers and it will deliver a comprehensive programme of digital and physical activities. For more info visit ElectricVehicles.UK and sign up to our EV Industry, EV Driver or EV Curious e-newsletters.

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[melonmelon]

Prius is an "EV", the same way a catfish is a "cat"

I need that on my shirt 😂

[randomjasmicisrandom]

I have a Skoda Enyaq from the Mobility scheme and my wife has already said if the DWP decide I am miraculously no longer disabled and take the benefit off of me (which they regularly do, my favourite example being the chap who had to go for a meeting to prove his amputated legs hadn’t grown back) then we will buy a second hand EV to take its place. Being able to charge at home has saved me an absolute fortune and means I don’t have to struggle to use a petrol pump any more. Not having to mess around with gears and regen braking doing most of the work for me helps me with my disability as well.

My sister on the other hand has said she hates EVs because they are too quiet and might run over deaf people. She reads the Daily Mail.

My brother drives an EV, is almost completely deaf and has to use hearing aids. So far his car has failed to run him over.

[craigcampbell]

People only talk about the cars themselves but never mention their fueling infrastructures. To me part of the point that everyone misses is that EVs can eliminate the need for tens of thousands of semi trucks being on the road every day transporting oil to refineries and gasoline to gas stations (and that’s just in the USA). Hybrids don’t eliminate that need. They still require oil fields and oil refineries and semi trucks bringing them fuel and oil changes etc. They don’t really solve any of the problems EVs solve. The only time they’re even more convenient to own than an EV is on a long road trip going at least 2-300 miles from home, but how many times does the average person do that a year?

[michaelfields]

100% BEV in this house! NEVER going back to ICE.

[carstenjunge]

If you cannot charge at home or you are going places, where you cannot easily find a charger but there are plenty of gas stations, then yes: Something running on fuel is still attractive.

[dalroth]

I'm all-in BEV and wouldn't contemplate going back to any form of ICE vehicle. I got my first EV in 2021 and was "converted" within the first 3 months!

[suprPHREAK]

I bought a Chevrolet Volt in 2016. I guess it counts as an EREV as so long as the battery has charge, it's a full EV. It was the best of what was available at the time, and I quickly learned that it's 85km battery range was enough for 99% of my usage. I typically got 3000km to a 30L fill up, which only told me that I would not need much range to comfortably go full EV. So now we have an Equinox EV in the house and never ever have range anxiety.

[keithwillis]

All in on BEV for the last 8 years. Since my first 20 minute test drive in 2016, driving back home in my ICE car was like stepping back in time.

[meloccom]

Before buying my Tesla Model S, I test drove a Holden (Chevrolet) Volt. The dealer hadn’t bothered to charge it so we started off in extended range mode with the ICE droning in the front. After we had generated some energy from regenerative braking the engine switched off. The car was transformed, faster, smoother and blessedly quiet.
That test drive convinced me that BEV was the only way to go, despite it being in 2013 with virtually no public charging stations available.
About a year later in late 2014 I took delivery of a Model S which I continue to drive today with 265, 000Kms on the clock.

[dianecox]

Got my first BEV this year, secondhand low mileage at a good price. It has 250+ range, reasonable charging speed, easier to drive as well. Charge at home so very cheap to run except for occasional long journeys which are still cheaper than ICE. I love it and it will probably be my car for as long as I am capable of driving. We can all see the climate writing on the wall now, so I also feel I am doing my bit not for 'the planet' but actually for all of our children and grandchildren. Air quality too. Older people like me and others who have the resources to make the change to BEV should ignore the FUD and just go for it !! I'm not going back.

[BobQuigley]

Went 100% electric home around 2 years ago. We live near lake Erie in a 72 year old home in cold region. So far working well. Our former gas supplier charged $49 a month regardless of how much gas used. Money was to replace the ancient leaking piping in Ohio. That's nearly $600 which now goes to higher electric bills. Our state government is extremely corrupt and controlled by dark money from fossil fuels interests. By law methane is "green" energy. Every environmental requirement for utilities and homes scrapped. Any attempt by local government to go green outlawed. Majority of citizens oblivious to the realities of our times.

[tonig]

Had a prius and the head gasket failed. I learn the hard way that hybrid motorisation is tough on the ICE system. All electric now and never going back.

[solentbum]

I had a choice of three EVs when I decided to stop burning the planet. The Zoe, The BMWi3 or the LEAF. I was quite taken by the BMW with range extender but in the end went for LEAF, the Renault salesman was hopeless. The first LEAF was ex demo, I went for a new one after a few months. I came to the conclusion that for my lifestyle 200 miles was the optimum. When the 2.0 LEAF came along I brought one, it did all that I required although it did not have the 200 mile range I wanted. Two years ago I added a 64kwh LEAF to the family. It easily manages the required 200 miles, in the cold, wet and winter.
There are now three BEVs in the family, a 64LEAF, a 40LEAF and a MG4.
I have never seen the point in a PHEV, my BEV does all that I need, including long trips across country(2042 miles around Scotland, etc) AS for 'light hybrid' please don't make me throw up!
I can see a plug in hybrid for someone like my brother who has time constraints for his works journeys, I suspect that he could go full BEV if he was not constrained by his employer, Toyota. Meanwhile my LEAF has only managed 49k miles in 25 months of use by a retiree. (The biggest problem I have with owning a BEV is that with very low fuel costs I like driving places)

[MattAldridgeNottinghamUK]

Great video Dan! 👍. We're all-in on BEVs. Our Ioniq 5 charges so fast you barely have time to relieve yourself before you need to go and move it off the charger! 😃🤦‍♂👍

[robinbennett]

We've got the poor man's hybrid that no one ever mentions - a LEAF, and our old diesel for long trips, or when we really need two cars.
We both prefer the LEAF, and it does nearly all our miles. We only buy about 4 tanks of diesel a year. When it dies, we'll go all EV.

[winfriedtheis]

All in! 3 years and not going back! Best long distance car I have driven! And it does feel good to be able to produce the energy required myself! 😊

[kevmeister]

I’m all in BEV and have driven it the length of the country. Even in north wales and the Scottish highlands there are places to charge. It really isn’t a problem. Wouldn’t it be nice to see a positive media report from the mainstream media on how good our charging infrastructure is!

[EpicFailfun]

I recently bought Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid Plugin and I have to say, hybrids are not so stupid as one may think but they are advantege over a current EVs if you have specific needs for it to fit in and they require more effort to use efficiently. For example after over 6k km in 6 months my average fuel consumption is 1.6l/100km and I fill up the tank every 2-3 months and charge 2-3 times per week with pure electric range of 60km which is more than enough for my daily needs and when time comes (approx. 3 times a year) to drive 2500km in one go I'm not worried about sometimes problematic charging infrastructure and travel quick and efficiently. In addition the only EV which could offer me at least chance to travel such a disctance comfortably was Model 3 LR which has too small trunk opening to fit big items and was 2x more expensie or Model Y LR which is perfect but was 3x more expensive. So In my opinion, attempt to convert all people to EVs and demonizing all other methods of propultion does more bad than good at this point because I managed to lower my fuel consumption from 8l/100km to 1.6l for half price of an EV. If that's not profit for me, society and environment then i don't know what is.

[BattNW]

Just sold my 2014 i3 REX...ahem E-REV this month, as it has been replaced by full BEVs with more inherent reliability, larger range and less maintenance. I did love that little car, though. It really was my gateway drug to full BEV. I'll never go ICE again, and cannot wait for all of the equipment and tools in my shed/shop/barn to be electric.

[alaneasthope]

I complained to the Advertising Standards Agency about how "Self Charging Hybrids" broke the laws of thermodynamics, but they had already been suckered by Toyota and wouldn't withdraw the adverts.