Here's the Mid-2024 List of All the New Plug-In Hybrids You Can Buy in the US (Part 2)

Let me repeat what I stated in the first part of this article: EVs don't have such a "plan B powertrain" as plug-in hybrid vehicles do, thanks to their ICE-based hybrid system. Therefore, an EV seems "condemned" for short-distance usage, while a plug-in hybrid promises to be a "two-in-one" superior all-rounder.

If we reduce all the debate to "Which one is better for long journeys?" the plug-in hybrid definitely has an edge. On the contrary, if the basis for the discussion is the idea of a zero-emission vehicle, the winner is the electric vehicle.

But what if the most important decision-maker is neither the range nor the lack of pollution but simply how much it costs to own such a car? That is, compared to other types of powertrains, mainly fully electric or non-plugin hybrid.

The most affordable plug-in hybrid vs. the most affordable (comparable) EV

Toyota Prius Prime is the most affordable plug-in hybrid, at around $33,000, and weighs around the same as the most affordable electric car, the 40-kWh battery Nissan Leaf, at around $28,000. Prius Prime's electric motor is a little more powerful, while its battery capacity is just a third that of Leaf's, and so is the EV range compared to the maximum Leaf's range.

In this example, the plug-in hybrid model is obviously the better choice, thanks to its good EV range for short commutes, on the one hand, and its hassle-free usage on long journeys because of its ICE, on the other hand. Oh, don't forget that Leaf is kind of old today, while the fifth generation of Prius is quite a star.

Now let's see what the numbers objectively say about the break even. Firstly, let's see how the Prius Prime fairs against its full hybrid Prius "non-Prime" brother. Considering that both cars are used solely as hybrids, the Prius Prime will never break even because it's $5,000 more expensive and 5 mpg less fuel efficient. This is not a likely scenario.

The opposite scenario is to use the Prius Prime solely as an electric car, which is simply a laughable scenario: why would you go for a more than $32,000 "electric car" with a less than 50-mile range? Well, besides being a fool, maybe the average electricity rate of 17 cents/kWh in the US could be an incentive compared to the average price of $3.5/gallon in the US.

Luckily, there's no need for rocket science because EPA gives you the MPGe value, which basically means converting the electricity consumption into mpg equivalent. The most efficient Prius Prime has an estimated fuel consumption of 127 MPGe in the full-electric mode, while the non-plugin Prius has a 52-mpg fuel consumption.

The Prius Prime will need roughly 126,000 miles to break even when the internal combustion engine will never be used. I know it sounds crazy, but at least this value is a starting point. Every gallon you burn in the Prius Prime will only increase the break-even mileage.

So, it's clear that the plug-in hybrid would only make sense for a high-mileage use scenario, well over the 15,000 miles/year the Federal Highway Administration states regular Americans drive yearly. The Prius Prime is also better suited for areas where gasoline is expensive, and electricity rates are very low.

Otherwise, the Prius Prime is not worth it over its non-plugin sibling, as the break-even over the normal Prius is at least three-fold that of the 50,000 miles necessary for the Corolla Hybrid compared to its gasoline sibling. Oh, and the non-plugin Prius gives you the all-wheel drive option, which is not the case with the plug-in Prius.

Now it's time to compare the Prius Prime to the electric Nissan Leaf. Let's start with the 40-kWh battery Leaf, sporting a theoretical maximum range of 149 miles, three-fold the 44 miles the 13.6 kWh Prius Prime's battery is capable of.

Of course, we should compare apples to apples—or should I say MPGe to MPGe? According to the EPA, one gallon of gasoline contains around 33.7 kWh energy. Now, get this: the 40-kWh Leaf is credited with 111 MPGe, while the Prius Prime has 127 MPGe.

Wait a minute – how come the plug-in hybrid has a better MPGe value than the full electric opponent? Interestingly, the Prius Prime's electric motor is almost 20 hp more powerful, but the car also weighs nearly 100 lbs. less than the Leaf. After all, it's all about efficiency, and Toyota seems to fare better.

Still, the outcome is not what you would expect because, in this comparison, the plug-in hybrid would need more than 1.2 million miles (!) to break even. This basically means the Prius Prime can't beat the 40-kWh Leaf, especially if it uses its internal combustion engine – in which case the break-even mileage only goes up.

Do things change if we choose the 60-kWh Leaf, which is $3,200 more expensive than the Prius Prime? It depends; if the Prius Prime is used solely in EV Mode, the 60-kWh Leaf needs around 700,000 miles to break even.

Conversely, if you use the Prius Prime as a hybrid, the EV will need around 90,000 miles to break even. The best-case scenario for Leaf is that you benefit from the $3,750 Tax Credit, making it $500 more affordable; in the worst case for the Prius Prime—when it's used only as a hybrid—it will need at most 15,000 miles to break even.

It seems that Toyota's plug-in hybrid is quite interesting in terms of ownership costs compared to its older Japanese fully-electric rival. So, is it better than the current lineup of EVs in the US market? Not so fast.

With similar prices, the plug-in hybrids don't stand a chance in front of EVs

As you know, both EVs and plug-in hybrids benefit from the Federal Tax Credit, but most of the time, the EV tax credit is double that for plug-in hybrids: $7,500 against $3,750. Of course, not all EVs you can buy today in the US can claim that governmental incentive, but their number is steadily increasing.

Toyota's plug-in hybrids aren't eligible for the Federal Tax Credit, giving some EV models an opportunity. For instance, the most affordable Volkswagen ID.4 is $6,760 more expensive than the most affordable Toyota Prius Prime.

The small electric SUV needs between 235,000 and 1.3 million miles to break even, so it's no sweat for the Japanese midsize car. However, things change 180 degrees when factoring in the $7,500 EV tax, which makes the ID.4 cheaper than the Prius Prime!

This time, the plug-in hybrid needs at least 140,000 miles to break even – in the unlikely scenario of being used solely in EV mode all the time. In fact, a real-life scenario for plug-in hybrids is more like 50:50 - driving the car half of the time in hybrid mode and the other half in electric mode.

This means the official EPA MPGe values for plug-in hybrids should be halved, which favors more EVs. Of course, the maximum theoretical range of EVs is around 10-15% less in real life, but this affects the MPGe values very little.

Let's compare the entry-level Chevrolet Equinox EV to the Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid. They're both 2WD small SUVs with similar capacities, if not a little better for the Chevy. They benefit from tax credits, have MSRP starting prices of around $40,000, and sport over 100 MPGe.

If no incentives are applied, the EV takes more than 600,000 miles to break even in the unlikely scenario where the plug-in hybrid is driven solely in EV mode; in the more realistic 50:50 scenario for the plug-in hybrid usage, the electric SUV needs only 37,000 miles to break even.

Now, if we also add in the incentives ($7,500 for the EV and half of this sum for the plug-in hybrid), the Equinox EV becomes $2,350 cheaper, and a better offer than the Escape plug-in hybrid.

How about a more premium duel in the $50,000 area between the Audi Q5 55 TFSI e and the Cadillac Liriq AWD? With no incentives, the $3,600 more expensive Liriq breaks even in almost 200,000 miles in the EV mode all-the-time scenario for the Q5, but it only takes around 46,000 miles in the 50:50 scenario for Q5.

When you consider the incentives both models are entitled to, their starting prices are almost the same: around $54,000. Because Liriq's 89 MPGe is better than Q5's theoretical 61 MPGe (but remember that in the 50:50 scenario, it's more like 30 MPGe), the electric SUV has a clear edge over its plug-in hybrid rival.

There are more examples of comparisons between comparable fully electric models and plug-in hybrids that favor EVs' win than the other way around. Of course, there are also examples of avoiding fratricide – for instance, KIA Niro is available both as an electric small SUV and, get this, a plug-in hybrid small station wagon (EPA's technicalities…)

Niro's electric version is about $5,200 more expensive than its plug-in hybrid sibling, and neither is eligible for tax credit. This way, in the best-case scenario, the EV variant could break even in at least 125,000 miles. Of course, when (if) the tax credit will apply, Niro EV will take less than 50,000 miles to break even.

So, are the plug-in hybrids the perfect answer? Not in a million years

I won't pretend that I undoubtedly proved that most of the plug-in hybrids on sale today on the US market aren't worth it. But a simple break-even calculation should make you more aware of the choice you're going to make.

As plug-in hybrids are advertised as the bridge between full hybrids and fully electric vehicles, maybe the fair question is this: aren't you better with a proper hybrid car or an EV? As I doubt that plug-in hybrid customers really care about slashing pollution, I find hybrids more budget-friendly for what you expect to be an all-rounder vehicle.

On the other hand, if range anxiety, EV station infrastructure, and around a half-hour of fast charging don't give you headaches, and if not spewing pollutants out of the car's pipe is one of the top priorities, why bother with a plug-in hybrid?

I mean, the only serious argument destroying any break-even and operation cost math is the emphasis on range anxiety fear. That's all; plug-in hybrid proponents don't have any other aces on their sleeves, except the nice-to-have scenario where you charge the battery daily, struggling not to use the internal combustion engine…

Look at Nissan's answer to the question of why the Japanese company does not have a hybrid or a plug-in hybrid vehicle in the US. As a parenthesis, the new Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid is actually a Nissan Rogue, as Mitsubishi is part of the alliance with Nissan and Renault.

But let's get back to the answer: "100% electric vehicles offer high performance, quietness, low maintenance, incentives and benefits, burn no gas, produce no fumes, and emit no tailpipe emissions." It's as simple as that.

Plug-in hybrids can do that, indeed, but only for a very limited time and with strict usage, which basically messes up your comfort of mind, just as planning a long journey with an electric vehicle supposedly does.

But hey, who knows? Maybe I'm wrong, and plug-in hybrids truly can convince people to shift to EVs (that is, if plug-in hybrid tech is not just a useful tool to keep customers focused on range anxiety…). If you drive a plug-in hybrid or intend to buy one this year, let me know if you're going to replace it with a fully electric one, or you'll be stuck with "I can't imagine a car without an ICE!".