Why Hybrids Are Beating EVs In The U.S.

When Japanese automaker Toyota first brought hybrids to the U.S. in the early 2000s, they were at the cutting edge of green transportation. But soon after, EVs stole the spotlight. Elon Musk-led Tesla disrupted the auto industry and nearly every major legacy automaker scrambled to take part in the coming EV revolution. With almost no fully electric vehicles, the once vanguard Toyota looked behind the times. However, as of early 2024, EV sales are leveling off and hybrids are making a comeback. Automakers such as Ford, BMW, Mercedes, Hyundai and General Motors are all either pulling back on EV production or boosting the manufacture of the humble hybrid. The vast majority of hybrids are standard ones - with an engine and backup battery. But plug-in hybrids are a growing category. Automakers such as GM are reintroducing them to North America.

Chapters:
00:00 – 01:55 Intro
01:56 – 05:42 The hybrid surge
05:43 – 09:36 EV troubles
09:37 – 14:46 What’s next

Producer: Robert Ferris
Editor: Darren Geeter
Animation: Jason Reginato
Senior Managing Producer: Tala Hadavi
Additional footage: Getty Images, Toyota, Tesla, Ford, Volvo, Hyundai

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Why Hybrids Are Beating EVs In The U.S.

[magsteel]

Toyota didn't "miss out" on anything. They are selling hybrids and ice cars like crazy.

[bryanpascual]

I drive a 2012 Camry hybrid. It’s been driven hard for food delivery and has gone 30, 000 miles in under 2 years. Not a single problem. Oil changes every 5k miles.

[TejasShinde]

Calling a Mustang Mach-E “acclaimed” is an overstatement.

[adampowell]

The Toyota executives are the only ones that earned their millions of dollars by seeing this pull back in electric vehicles ahead of time.

[pofyyid]

Had a gen. 2 Prius. Best car I ever owned in over 50 years of driving experience. Ordered a Rav4 XSE Prime in Nov. 2023; arrived 1st week of Jan. 2024. This car is amazing. Works perfect for where I live in a rural area of Oregon. Driving in EV mode, I can make 3 trips into town and back just on the battery alone. But when I need longer commutes, I have no range anxiety as this car fully charged and fully fueled has over 600 mile range. Amazing.

[chrisfrancis]

Have a Hybrid for 14 years and have 205k miles on it. My next car will most likely be a hybrid, it just makes sense

[KillroyX]

I think the big mistake is to assume that one technology will take over the whole auto industry. We are going to see a diverse landscape of gas cars, hybrids, plug-in, hybrids, and EV’s.

[tonytripp]

I just got my first Hybrid and I am totally impressed. It is amazing and the best choice for most Americans. People just don't have the ability to own an EV. It's not just price or infrastructure, but housing that determines what car is driven. I have a townhouse and have no ability to have a charger. In addition, my commute can be unpredictable with accidents and traffic. The hybrid gives me the fuel economy I need without the worry or stress of needing to "charge" my car. I can drive hundreds of miles on a single tank and fill up in minutes when I need to refuel. I know many Tesla owners who say that the "not needing maintenance" line is a scam. ALL cars need some kind of Maintenance. The dirty little secret of evs is that they burn through tires and breaks especially if you commute. The tire shops say they love EV's because their tires need to be changed every 12-18 months or so. Again, I love my Hybrid and I suggest you consider one before getting an EV. It just makes more sense.

[davik]

Prius has been kicking ass since the second gen came out, sounds to me like the general public is just now realizing what amazing vehicle they are.

[paranoidhumanoid]

Prius Prime and RAV4 Prime both offer 45 miles on pure electric for daily short range commute and seamlessly switches to hybrid ICE when the battery runs dry with total combined 500mi range. You can plug it in at home and it'll be full by the time you get up for work the next day. It's the smartest way over going full electric.

[nicholas]

Hybrid sales are higher partially because some model lines/trims are now hybrid only. The Toyota Sienna is only available as a hybrid. The upcoming Camry will also only be available as a hybrid. Basically, in some cases, buyers only have the option of buying a hybrid and nothing else.

[vueport]

One thing on PHEV, under regular daily use, I only have to fill up the tank once every 3 months. Oil change once a year isn't a big deal compared to having to wait 3 hours to charge the car and forget about the pain of long trips on long weekends when everyone is clogging the charging stations!

[alansnyder]

My wife drives a Chevy Volt, a plug-in hybrid. It is I think the best choice right now. She gets 50 miles on the battery and that is all she needs to get the kids to school, shop, and get home on a weekday. And on the weekend, it can go an unlimited range without needing to stop anywhere to charge up.


Plug-in hybrids are the BEST of both worlds. Not the WORST as implied in this story.

[leroy]

Toyota is playing the long game with their Hybrid cars and Solid state battery research. Everyone else is chasing trends hoping to find a pot of gold at the end. I think Toyota has the right idea and is focused on the customer.

[letsgocapsbeatpens]

I live in an Apartment with no chargers. I have nothing against EV's, but I'm not going to drive around and wait at a charging station. Also, I like to take long road trips, EV's would add A LOT more time for driving.

[seikocitizenwatches]

I’ve just bought a flawlessly running 2012 Toyota Prius Hybrid with 230K miles on its original engine and battery for mere $3000 cash. The beautiful Prius Hybrid gets 45-50 miles per gallon and will last for another 20 years without new car payments for me.

[alexasanchez]

Love my Toyota Corolla Hybrid - reliable, great on gas (fill up once a month for ~$30), and I never have to worry about plugging it in. Gas stations are everywhere, chargers not so much.

[Fitforacting]

0:59 I blame a few factors for this is I worked for 3 years in the Industry

1. Software issues
2. Service issues
3. Markups at non Tesla locations
4. Employees not knowing benefits enough to sell more
5. So many newer models coming out that people are and were waiting (Cybertruck, Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, etc)
6. Charging infrastructure for non tesla can be sketchy and plain out not work
7. People can’t qualify for higher monthly payments even if it might end up being less when you factor in maintenance and gas saving
8. They don’t own homes to charge at or live in an apartment
9. Not all companies get the Federal $7500 back so some are waiting for manufacturing in the US. By 2026, Hyundai will make their cars in GA
10. Some EV companies choose not to sell a lot since they are losing money with each sale
11. Dealerships markups for ALL cars

[jamesamber]

Hybrids are the sweet spot. No range issues, great mpg and somwhere in the middle when it comes to pricing. Also Toyota.... so reliable!

[Muricans]

Their CEO was more than right about bridging with Hybrids. The charging infrastructure in the US is embarrassing .