What is a plug-in hybrid?
A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is a hybrid with a high-capacity battery that can be charged by plugging it into an outlet or charging station. It can store enough electricity to significantly reduce its petroleum use under typical driving.
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- Why you are seeing it
- It is in vehicle listings and on incentive and registration pages, for vehicles with both an engine and a battery that can be plugged in.
- Why it matters
- A PHEV can use electricity from the grid, so how much it saves depends on how often you charge it, and it still has a gasoline engine.
- What should I do?
- Check how the vehicle is charged and how much electricity its battery holds.
- Use the EV Charging Cost Calculator to see what a charge costs at your electricity price.
- Compare it with a regular hybrid, which cannot be plugged in.
- A common misunderstanding
- A plug-in hybrid is not the same as a regular hybrid: only the plug-in can be charged from an outlet.
A hybrid you can plug in
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are hybrids with high-capacity batteries that can be charged by plugging them into an electrical outlet or charging station. They can store enough electricity to significantly reduce their petroleum use under typical driving conditions.
A simple example
Charging at home
You plug the vehicle in overnight, as you would an electric car.
The electricity adds to the battery, and the vehicle can use it before it uses gasoline.
The cost of that electricity is your own price per kWh times the energy added; the EV Charging Cost Calculator works it out.
Two ways they are built
In a series plug-in (sometimes called an extended range electric vehicle), only the electric motor turns the wheels, and the gasoline engine generates electricity. In a parallel plug-in, both the engine and the motor can drive the wheels.
Try these tools
- EV Charging Cost CalculatorEstimate what a charge costs from the battery size and charge levels (or the kWh added) and your electricity price.
- Gas vs EV Cost ComparisonCompare the cost of owning a gas car and an electric car.