Featured Why Hybrids Are Beating EVs In The U.S.

These videos are not saying they are cheap for “you” as an individual.
They are saying they are cheap compared to the average new car price (about $47k as I recall) or possibly compared to the average EV sale price last year.

 

I guess you are right. But EV options are still limited.

Not including destination charges, a Nissan Leaf is $24,390 after the federal tax credit. In Colorado it's $16,890 with state incentives. That puts it right next to the soon-to-be-canceled Nissan Versa and Mitsubishi Mirage, but with EV "fueling" prices which are around 1/3 that of a typical gassser here (or even free in a lot of places).

 

I could buy a Model Y long range for about $7k after selling my 2019 Rav4 Limited loaded maintenance well documented hybrid. Home charger another $3k installed right.

But there is nothing wrong with my current car. It costs me little in depreciation and fuel cost is now up to an average 7.1 cents per mile at 39.2/38.2 lifetime of car MPG (car/fuelly).

What would I lose if I traded? Local repair capability 2 miles from home. Ability to carry specific cargo done on an every two week interval and even sporadic other loads. I'd gain from a bit of fun factor. The cost of my 5k oil changes.

My car just drove me 50 miles from the airport driving an eclipse viewer home. No monthly charge nor ridiculous FSD cost. Oh tough, I intervened on merges and lane changes. At least I didn't bump into curbs.

All bugs are worked out (this is a first of model year build and an early one so there were 3 or 4) and I don't worry about a ding or a scratch on a 4+ year old car. Well I do but not like I would on a new car.

Electricity is not cheap where I live and price depends on time of day quantity and peak use. 3 different rates and 3 different surcharges.

Son has a Y, loves it. I lust after one too. But it makes no sense for me.

 

Sure, options for EVs are limited.
Options for ICE vehicles are also limited.
As are options for Sedans, trucks, and hatchbacks.

No car has unlimited options. It is quite possible to have a car with limited options yet be priced less than the average car.

 

I wasn't talking about optional features but rather options of different makes and models to choose from, especially when examining the specific needs and budget of an individual. When options are limited sometimes you can run out of them.

 

you could have purchased a new bolt for $17,500. and you passed it up?

 

Oh, I did look! But here in Colorado I couldn't find any cheap enough, all LT2's. And it also had to take place in 2024, otherwise I'd get less than half the federal tax credit.

 

Every day we see shortfalls in EV sales stories, lay-offs at EV makers stories.

In my neck of the woods, Vinfast was building a majorly state subsidized plant just up the road...oops ...new story size being scaled down drastically.

OTOH, Porsche to bring out EV Boxster sports car. Sales of maybe 3.5k ICE versions sold in the US last year. If I were younger, I'd buy one. Boxsters are wonderful cars. Was fortunate to have owned 3 mid-engined Porsches.

 

FUD

 

The stats just partially Toyota has finally got decent hybrids across the models, and selling well..
Must have been 2003 Toyota had a Prius show-and-tell at our workplace and explained to me each model would be hybrid or ICE.
So I waited for Camry in 2006 but it was not attractive MPG/cargo space yet, and we went with Prius. Now we have a 2nd gen 2020 RAV4HV and it is impressive, but it took a long while to get good HV's in each model.

 

I like EVs. But when I apply the 20/4/10 rule to my yearly earnings it looks like I can only afford a $5,000 vehicle that needs to meet all our traveling needs. And a Nissan Leaf doesn't have enough range (I know, I already tried one).

 

These are the fastest-selling new cars of 2024 - Autoblog

 

While days to sale is a good data point for some things, I prefer actual sales to consumers/fleets.
You could have the best selling car, that also has the longest time to sale due to overproduction.
You could also have the worse selling car have the shortest days to sale, due to under production.

 

Or what about most sold car brand? The Tesla Model Y is the most sold car, but Tesla has only 5 models right now, and not that long ago it was only 4. And of the 4, only 2 are kind of affordable.

Toyota may have sold fewer Corollas than Tesla Model Y's, but Toyota, as a brand, is selling more cars in total. In total, they have some 20 models for sale in the USA under the price of a Model Y if you don't include any tax credits and around 13 that are cheaper than a Model Y with the USA federal tax credit.

I'm sure there are more examples, but I think going by car brand is perhaps more important, especially when you have the whole GM/Chevy/Buick line of vehicles that are the same vehicles with different badges on them.

 

You don't think that goes on between Toyota and lexus? Don't know if it's still the same but our first iteration of the Lexus RX Hybrid was pretty much the same car as the Highlander.

 

No, I'm sure it does. It even goes on between car makers when cars are rebadged (i.e. Toyota Yaris made by Mazda, Geo Metro made by Suzuki, etc.)

 

That really doesn’t address the thread topic
Although, I suppose if you look at fleet wide efficiency it could be a very, very rough estimate.

Highlights of the Automotive Trends Report | US EPA

So in the last 5 years, Toyota has made more improvement than any other company except Tesla.
They moved from the 11th most efficient fleet mpg (25.3) to the 5th (27.8).

I credit this to Toyota expanding their hybrid technology and a slight growth in PHEVs.

 

As for the thread topic, could hybrids having a decade long head start play a part?

 

Definitely, the question itself asks ‘why was the new, more expensive tech in the lead’?

Two factors come to mind. BEV innovation advanced far faster. Ot manufacturers of hybrids got complacent and are now kicking into a higher gear.

 

the fact that toyota has the most hybrids and is the largest carmaker may have something to do with it.