Edmunds: Is it time for a plug-in hybrid vehicle?

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles — typically abbreviated as PHEVs — make up a very small percentage of vehicle sales, but they can be a smart pick for a certain kind of shopper.

Consider this scenario: You want to buy a significantly more fuel-efficient vehicle than what you have now but can’t fully commit to a pure electric vehicle such as a Tesla. Perhaps you’re worried about long battery charging times or have range anxiety. What should you do? A PHEV could be the solution.

A PHEV is essentially a hybrid vehicle — think a Toyota Prius — with two key modifications: a larger-capacity battery pack and a charge port that allows you to recharge the battery with a power cord. A PHEV still has a gasoline engine but is able to go a short distance on pure electric power without ever using the engine. That distance is typically 20 to 40 miles, depending on the vehicle.

This photo provided by Toyota shows the RAV4 Prime, a plug-in hybrid crossover SUV with all-wheel drive and a battery pack. It offers an estimated 42 miles of electric-only range, among the best in the class. (Courtesy of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. via AP)

The gasoline engine takes over when the battery runs out, giving a PHEV the flexibility of any other gas-powered car to take long trips and fill up at gas stations. While plug-in hybrids aren’t as efficient as electric vehicles, they do use less gas than their traditional gas or hybrid counterparts.

Buying a PHEV isn’t without downsides. They tend to cost more than traditional hybrid vehicles, even when you take local and federal tax incentives into account. And models that are based on existing gasoline-powered cars typically lose some utility or cargo space because of the larger battery pack.

Still, PHEVs can make sense for people who typically have short daily commutes and have the ability to plug in overnight at home. The more frequently you can recharge your PHEV, the more fuel-efficient it will be.

This photo provided by Volvo shows the Volvo XC60 T8, the plug-in hybrid variant of Volvo's midsize luxury SUV. It has both a gasoline engine and hybrid power and can drive on electricity alone for short distances. (Courtesy of Volvo Cars via AP)

Here are three of Edmunds editors’ favorite plug-in hybrids. Note that the prices below include destination charges but don’t factor in available federal or state tax credits or incentives, which can potentially save you thousands of dollars.

2020 CHRYSLER PACIFICA HYBRID

Starting MSRP: $41,490

EPA-estimated electric range: 32 miles

EPA gas engine estimate: 30 mpg combined

The name for the Pacifica Hybrid is a little misleading. It’s a PHEV, and there isn’t a regular hybrid version. Beyond that, it takes everything Edmunds likes about the regular Pacifica — a premium-looking and well-designed interior, a comfortable ride and great utility — and adds an estimated 32 miles of all-electric range. No other PHEV offers as much space for people and cargo as the Pacifica. The plug-in hybrid powertrain is smoother than the standard Pacifica’s and offers better fuel economy, even after the battery runs out of juice.

The top-rated Pacifica Hybrid isn’t perfect, however. It doesn’t have the regular Pacifica’s versatile Stow ‘n Go second-row seats that fold flat into the floor because Chrysler’s designers needed space for the hybrid battery. And when the gasoline engine is running, the hybrid is mildly louder than the standard model.

2021 TOYOTA RAV4 PRIME

Starting MSRP: $39,275

EPA-estimated electric range: 42 miles

EPA gas engine estimate: 38 mpg combined

The Toyota RAV4 Prime sits just below the Pacifica Hybrid in Edmunds rankings. The Prime designation means a plug-in hybrid powertrain. It offers an estimated 42 miles of electric-only range, among the best in the class. All-wheel drive is standard, which can give you extra traction on snowy or icy roads. The Prime is comfortable and practical, just like a regular RAV4. It’s also surprisingly quick to accelerate.

This electrified RAV4 does have slightly less cargo space compared to the regular RAV4 Hybrid because the battery pack takes up more room. Its brakes provide longer-than-average stopping distances too. And as with every vehicle on this list, expect to pay a premium for the efficiency.

2020 VOLVO XC60 T8

Starting MSRP: $55,590

EPA-estimated electric range: 19 miles

EPA gas engine estimate: 27 mpg combined

The Volvo XC60 is worth a look if you’re in the market for something a little more upscale. The standard XC60 is one of Edmunds’ top-ranked small luxury SUVs, and the plug-in hybrid, which Volvo calls the T8, is near the top of its respective list. It has a premium cabin, spacious seating, and long list of safety tech and driver aids. The T8 gets 19 miles of electric range and better fuel economy and better performance than the standard model.

Downsides are few. We think too many of the XC60′s controls are tied into the slick-looking but somewhat cumbersome touchscreen, and Volvo hasn’t quite sorted out how to smoothly tune the brakes, though emergency braking performance is fine for the class.

EDMUNDS SAYS: A PHEV isn’t quite a “best of both worlds” solution to having to choose between a conventional gasoline-powered vehicle or an electric vehicle. But it’s close.

This story was provided to The Associated Press by the automotive website Edmunds.

Reese Counts is a vehicle test editor at Edmunds. Twitter: @rmcounts.

Related links:

—2020 Chrysler Pacifica review: https://edmu.in/2Q5DYwg

—2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime review: https://edmu.in/34eMnpn

—2020 Volvo XC60 Hybrid review: https://edmu.in/2CLQTAy

NEW YORK (AP) — A New York City Council employee detained in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown is an asylum-seeker from Venezuela, according to a court petition seeking his release.

Rafael Andres Rubio Bohorquez was arrested Monday at a scheduled immigration check-in, enraging city leaders and drawing protesters Tuesday to the Manhattan federal building where he is being held.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Rubio Bohorquez had long overstayed a tourist visa, had once been arrested for assault and “had no legal right to be in the United States.”

City Council Speaker Julie Menin disputed that, telling reporters that Rubio Bohorquez, a data analyst for the city legislative body, was legally authorized to work in the U.S. until October.

Menin, a Democrat, said the council employee signed a document as part of his employment confirming that he had never been arrested and cleared the standard background check conducted for all applicants.

The court petition, reviewed Tuesday by The Associated Press, said Rubio Bohorquez — identified in the document as R.A.R.B. — had always been seeking asylum and was arrested at a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services asylum office in Bethpage, on Long Island.

Menin called it a regular check-in that “quickly went awry.”

The document, known as a petition for writ of habeas corpus, said Rubio Bohorquez has no criminal record — no arrests, charges or convictions. A hearing on the petition is scheduled for Friday.

ICE confirmed Rubio Bohorquez’s name. Menin said she wanted to protect his identity and referred to him only as a council employee.

“We are doing everything we can to secure his immediate release,” Menin told reporters Monday. She decried the arrest as “egregious government overreach.”

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a Democrat, said he was “outraged” by what he called “an assault on our democracy, on our city, and our values.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul referenced Rubio Bohorquez’s arrest in her state of the state speech on Tuesday, asking: “Is this person really one of the baddest of the bad? Is this person really a threat?”

“I will do whatever it takes to protect New Yorkers from criminals, but people of all political beliefs are saying the same thing about what we’ve seen lately: Enough is enough,” said Hochul, a Democrat.

Menin said officials were attempting to reach Rubio Bohorquez’s family and obtain contact information for his immigration lawyer.

The nonprofit New York Legal Assistance Group filed the habeas petition on Rubio Bohorquez’s behalf. The organization’s president and CEO, Lisa Rivera, said it represents dozens of people who have been wrongfully detained by ICE and hundreds who are following immigration procedures in hopes of staying in the U.S.

“This staffer, who chose to work for the city and contribute his expertise to the community, did everything right by appearing at a scheduled interview, and yet ICE unlawfully detained him,” Rivera said in a statement.

According to ICE, Rubio Bohorquez entered the U.S. in 2017 on a B2 tourist visa and was required to leave the country by Oct. 22, 2017. He has been employed by the City Council for about a year, Menin said. His position pays about $129,315 per year, according to city payroll data.

“He had no work authorization,” ICE said in a statement confirming Rubio Bohorquez’s arrest. The agency, part of the Department of Homeland Security, said that under Secretary Kristi Noem “criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States. If you come to our country illegally and break our law, we will find you and we will arrest you.”

Several dozen people protested Tuesday outside the Greater New York Federal Building, where Rubio Bohorquez was being held. Some carried signs that said “Abolish ICE” and “No Human Is Illegal.”'

Venezuela, whose former President Nicolás Maduro was seized Jan. 3 by U.S. forces, has been roiled for years by violence and economic instability. Nearly 8 million people have fled the South American nation since 2014, according to the United Nations refugee agency.

Last year, President Donald Trump's administration ended Temporary Protected Status that had been allowing hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan refugees to live and work in the U.S. without fear of deportation. It wasn't clear from court papers whether Rubio Bohorquez had been a part of that program.

Disputes over an immigrant’s work authorization have arisen before, in part because many employers rely on E-Verify. The system compares information provided by employees with records available to the government but doesn’t automatically notify an employer if an employee’s right to work is later revoked.

Matthew Malloy, Executive Board Member with the Association of Legislative Employees, speaks during a news conference outside Greater New York Federal Building, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Alexa Avilés, New York City Council member, speaks during a news conference outside Greater New York Federal Building, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Chi Ossé, New York City Council member, speaks during a news conference outside Greater New York Federal Building, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Carlos Calzadilla, President of Brooklyn Young Democrats, speaks during a news conference outside Greater New York Federal Building, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

People raise signs during a news conference outside Greater New York Federal Building, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)