Edmunds: The pros and cons of buying a hybrid vehicle or plug-in hybrid

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Edmunds: The pros and cons of buying a hybrid vehicle or plug-in hybrid

2024-08-14 23:51 Last Updated At：08-15 00:00

If you’re ready to move on from a purely gasoline-fueled vehicle but you’re not ready to go fully electric, you have two choices. You can get a hybrid or a plug-in hybrid vehicle. But which one is best? The experts at Edmunds will help you decide.

A hybrid electric vehicle has a gasoline engine, a small electric motor, and a small battery pack that work together to improve fuel economy, enhance performance, or both. The best-known hybrid is the Toyota Prius, but they come in all shapes and sizes. From compact cars to full-size pickup trucks, there is a hybrid for just about anyone.

Improves fuel economy while reducing emissions

Sometimes improves acceleration and overall performance

Often provides electric-only driving at low speeds for short distances

Usually doesn’t reduce passenger or cargo space

Never needs to be plugged in

Small increase in price, if any

Reduced fueling costs

Cannot travel long distances solely on electricity

Cannot travel at higher speeds only on electricity

Overall, a hybrid electric vehicle is a great choice for anyone who wants better fuel economy, reduced emissions, and lower operating costs without any extra hassle or change in their daily routine. Hybrids are more commonly available than ever, and some automakers are rolling out new models only with hybrid powertrains. For example, every version of the 2025 Toyota Camry is a hybrid, and Honda offers certain versions of the Accord, Civic and CR-V only with hybrid power. Hybrid versions of many other popular models, such as the Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson SUVs, are also available.

A plug-in hybrid vehicle, often abbreviated as PHEV, is a hybrid that offers electric-only driving for a short range and can then be plugged in to recharge. They have a gasoline engine like a hybrid does, but thanks to a larger and more powerful electric motor and battery pack, they can travel at a wider range of speeds in electric mode, for many miles at a time. When the battery charge gets low, the gas engine turns on to continue the trip. You can recharge a plug-in hybrid using a household electrical outlet or a home or public charging station.

Electric-only driving for commuting, taking the kids to school, running errands, etc.

Gas-only driving for longer trips

Can charge the battery overnight using a household-style outlet or in a few hours using a more powerful charging station

The gas engine automatically takes over to power the vehicle when the battery charge is low

Can dramatically improve fuel economy, acceleration, and overall performance while reducing operating costs

Certain models may qualify for a federal tax credit of up to $7,500

May qualify for carpool lane access in certain states with only a driver aboard

A plug-in typically costs substantially more than a hybrid or gas-only vehicle

Plugging in each night can seem like a hassle

The larger electric motor and battery may reduce passenger or cargo space

The added weight of plug-in hybrid components can negatively affect the ride and handling

If you don’t make a habit of plugging in, it may be less efficient than a hybrid

Plug-in hybrids are perfect for people who want an electric vehicle but worry about driving range, public EV charging infrastructure, and the costs of installing a home charging station. They’re easy to recharge overnight, usually offer enough electric range for typical daily driving, and have a gas engine that eliminates the range anxiety common with driving an EV.

For example, you can drive a plug-in hybrid from Manhattan to Santa Monica and never plug it in. Or when you’re not taking a longer trip, you can plug a plug-in hybrid in every night and hardly burn any gas in everyday driving, especially if you choose a model with a generous electric-only range.

In short, a plug-in hybrid represents the best of both worlds, a perfect bridge from the gasoline past to the electric future. Examples of plug-in hybrids highly rated by Edmunds include the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, Hyundai Tucson Plug-in Hybrid, Toyota Prius Prime and Volvo XC60 Recharge.

Choosing between a hybrid vehicle and a plug-in hybrid vehicle comes down to three things. First, do you want the ability to drive only on electricity? Second, are you willing to pay more for a vehicle in order to get that? Third, are you willing to put up with some extra hassle to maximize electric-only driving?

If your answers to those questions are “no” and your only goal is to save money at the fuel pump, we recommend a hybrid. But if you want to eliminate as much gasoline use as possible without diving into the deep end of the electric vehicle ownership pool, a plug-in hybrid is perfect.

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

Christian Wardlaw is a contributor at Edmunds.

An American activist killed by Israeli fire is buried in Turkey as Israel strikes Gaza

2024-09-14 22:28 Last Updated At：22:31

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) — A Turkish-American activist who was killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank was laid to rest on Saturday in her hometown in Turkey with thousands lining the streets and anti-Israeli feelings in the country rising from a conflict that threatens to spread across the region.

Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old woman from Seattle, was shot dead Sept. 6 by an Israeli soldier during a demonstration against Israeli West Bank settlements, according to an Israeli protester who witnessed the shooting.

Thousands of people lined the streets in the Turkish coastal town of Didim on the Aegean Sea, as Eygi was buried in a coffin draped in a Turkish flag, which was taken from her family home. A portrait of her wearing her graduation gown was propped against the coffin as people paid their respects.

Her body was earlier brought from a hospital to her family home and Didim’s Central Mosque.

Turkey’s condemned the killing and announced it will conduct its own investigation into her death. “We are not going to leave our daughter’s blood on the ground and we demand responsibility and accountability for this murder,” Numan Kurtulmus, the speaker of Turkey’s parliament told mourners at the funeral.

On Friday, an autopsy had been carried out at Izmir Forensic Medicine Institute. Kurtulmus said the examination showed Eygi was hit by a round that struck her in the back of the head below her left ear.

The Israeli military said Tuesday that Eygi was likely shot “indirectly and unintentionally” by Israeli forces.

Her death was condemned by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken as the United States, Egypt and Qatar push for a cease-fire in the 11-month-long Israel-Hamas war and the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas. Talks have repeatedly bogged down as Israel and Hamas accuse each other of making new and unacceptable demands.

The war began when Hamas-led fighters killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in an Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel. They abducted another 250 people and are still holding around 100 hostages after releasing most of the rest in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel during a weeklong cease-fire in November. Around a third of the remaining hostages are believed to be dead.

Israeli airstrikes pounded central and southern Gaza overnight into Saturday, killing at least 14 people.

The strikes in Gaza City hit one home housing 11 people, including three women and four children, and another strike hit a tent in Khan Younis with Palestinians displaced by the Israel-Hamas war, Gaza's Civil Defense said. They followed airstrikes earlier this week that hit a tent camp on Tuesday and a United Nations school sheltering displaced on Wednesday.

The Israeli army on Saturday ordered Palestinians sheltering in the northern neighborhoods of Manshiyeh, Beit Lahia and Sheikh Zayed to evacuate south toward Gaza City. The order came after projectiles were fired from the area, the Israeli army said in a post on X. It remains unclear how many people are sheltering in those areas.

Meanwhile, a campaign to inoculate children in Gaza against polio drew down and the World Health Organization said about 559,000 under the age of 10 have recovered from their first dose, seven out of every eight children the campaign aimed to vaccinate. The second doses are expected to begin later this month as part of an effort in which the WHO said parties had already agreed to.

"As we prepare for the next round in four weeks, we’re hopeful these pauses will hold, because this campaign has clearly shown the world what’s possible when peace is given a chance,” Richard Peeperkorn, WHO’s representative in Gaza and the West Bank, said in a statement on Saturday.

The war has caused vast destruction and displaced around 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million, often multiple times, and plunged the territory into a severe humanitarian crisis. Gaza’s Health Ministry says over 41,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and militants in its count, but says women and children make up just over half of the dead. Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 militants in the war.

Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip. Associated Press writers Samy Magdy in Cairo and Sam Metz in Rabat, Morocco, contributed to this report.

Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war