I’d love to love the idea of a hybrid vehicle, but I just can’t get there. After years of using and being around electric forklift trucks I’m a fan of what electric drivetrains can achieve, but I can’t help but feel they’re a bit Betamax or HD-DVD. You can almost smell the obsolescence on them already. As the posts above reference, they don’t really make sense for most people, at least not in the way that IC engines or proper EV’s do. The people they most make sense to are the manufacturers. They need PHEV’s in the short term to avoid massive bills around non compliance of EU emission targets, and they can build them easily enough too. Same production line, same chassis, use an existing old spec IC engine, etc. There is much argument that a PHEV will actually be less beneficial to the environment, costing a higher carbon footprint initially, then relying on people being routined with their charging habits. If you have a proper EV you HAVE to charge it, even if it’s raining and you want a cup of tea after getting back home! If our mobile phones ran on a little fuel tank we kept in our pocket as well as battery power, I’m sure we wouldn’t be as habitual about charging them. And if you don’t charge a PHEV properly then you’re just lugging around a spare engine and being less efficient than an IC engined car. Sure, they’ll be some who have the discipline for it, and also have the home environment that allows easy charging, have the balls to run the risk of it depreciating like a lead balloon, and also travel less than 30 miles a day. But, that’s not me. And I bet it’s not most people either.
Nope, it’s good old IC engines for me this time around.