Ten reasons plug-in electric hybrids (PHEV) don’t stack up against BEVs (battery-only electric vehicles)

This is the big one! With so much criticism of BEVs for their range limitations (when compared to an internal combustion engine (ICE) car), the biggest drawback of a PHEV is that the electric drive is only good for a few miles/kms every day.

That’s fine if all you ever do is drive in the city and charge every day at home. That’s when a PHEV “might” make sense (but wait for the other nine reasons before putting down your money!).

Despite what critics say, one of the main advantages of BEVs is their ability to travel long distances on electric power alone.

So… PHEVs have a limited electric-only range, which as soon as the battery is depleted, must rely on their ICE to continue driving. Not only are PHEVs not ideal for long-distance driving, once the battery is empty, the smaller-than-normal gas-powered engine will now be dragging around the dead weight of a lifeless battery and a dead motor. And that’s NOT good for economy, or zippy driving!

PHEVs may be more fuel-efficient than a traditional ICE vehicle, but they still emit more greenhouse gases than BEVs. Relying on their combustion engine for part of their power, they consume gas which is burned to produce power… which produces emissions.

Pure BEVs are entirely emissions-free to run (nothing is burned to make the power and there is no exhaust system) and send no climate-damaging CO2 or toxic carbon monoxide into the atmosphere. You can sit in your garage with the door closed and your BEV running with no ill-effects. Please do not try this in your PHEV…

In a nutshell, PHEVs have both an electric motor and an internal combustion engine, which inherently makes them far more complex than BEVs.

• PHEVs are more expensive to manufacture and maintain.
• PHEVs have a higher risk of mechanical failure.
• The average standalone ICE has over 2,000 parts in the drivetrain alone, whereas a BEV has around 20.
• So, when you add the two together and you have a more complex system by default.
• Any routine servicing and maintenance (whether do-it-yourself or at the dealer) require the diagnostic systems, equipment, and skills for two very different drivetrains.
• Hundreds of complex parts in a limited space means you need special tools.

One last thing: Your dealer may not employ technicians with specialized EV expertise (though to be fair, this is also a growing issue for BEV owners – look for dealers who have onsite, trained techs who are fully conversant with the unique needs of a BEV).

The beauty of a BEV lies in its simplicity. Electric motors have few moving parts needed to get that rotation energy delivered to the wheels, and next to no gearbox (usually just single-gear ratios). This means they are less prone to breakdowns and are generally regarded by experts to be significantly more reliable… don’t listen to the nay-sayers!

Because PHEVs rely on both an electric motor and an ICE, they cannot convert energy with the same efficiency as a pure BEV. A great deal of energy generated by burning gas or diesel in any ICE is lost during the conversion process, which puts a big dent in the vehicle’s overall effectiveness. It is estimated that only somewhere between 12% and 30% of the energy stored in petroleum products delivers power at the wheels.

Whereas a BEV can convert over 77%* of the energy fed to the battery from the grid (or solar, wind, or other sustainable source) into usable power on the road. That’s between 250% and 600% more efficient.

Source: US Government: https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/evtech.shtml 

A PHEV running on batter power and ICE deceptively shows your “range” and overall economy has been improved. But, once you have run out of battery power, and any time you run on gas-only, expect the fuel economy to be worse than the corresponding ICE equivalent.

Why? Because you are dragging a far heavier load: the ICE motor PLUS the extra electric motor and battery adds significant mass.

While PHEVs may be more fuel-efficient than traditional ICE vehicles, they still burn gasoline to run their combustion engines. So PHEV owners will still have to pay for expensive gasoline, especially if they frequently rely on their ICE due to longer trips.

Generally, BEVs are much cheaper to operate because they can tap into multiple sources of power – the cheapest is when you charge at home, which is where 80+% of electric cars are charged. But even if you don’t (or can’t) charge at home, mile-for-mile comparisons have the BEVs ahead on “fuel costs”… and this is even calculating the cost based on using the most expensive fast chargers (which is something almost no owner does exclusively).

And remember, with a PHEV, you have two “tanks” to keep topped up…

The design of a PHEV by default makes it heavier than the equivalent ICE, and with space limitations (to fit both ICE and battery), both power sources are weaker than either their ICE or electric peers. And because only one source operates at a time, even if driving in pure electric mode, the sheer weight the electric engine has to get moving means any PHEV will not be anywhere near as spritely as its BEV companion.

One the of the clear advantages of BEVs is their instant torque and acceleration – and with bigger motors and plentiful energy storage, getting a safe getaway from an intersection or navigating traffic feels more assured.

And if you’ve run your PHEV out of electric power, don’t expect its inferior ICE power train to beat anyone off the lights…

This is a minor problem, but for some it could be a deal breaker. The engine and motor for PHEVs take up extra space. The PHEV is built on an ICE platform (naturally, since it has a combustion engine, with all the associated gearing, transmission, and exhaust requirements), so the addition of the electric drivetrain has to be built around the existing ICE fittings.

This may make working on the car awkward due to restricted access, plus… that battery has to go somewhere! Interior space will be compromised in some way, whether the floor is raised in the rear, or trunk/boot space is partly reduced to fit the battery in.

Electric motors, on the other hand, are not as large as an ICE-vehicle’s engine. By default, one excellent pro for almost all bespoke-designed BEVs is the maximization of interior cabin space (and sometimes trunk or boot space).

Remember, the BEV’s battery is a large, flat rectangle that is stored in the chassis floor – so, there are no gearboxes and no transmission tunnel here.

Tip: Make sure you measure up.

This problem affects both PHEVs and BEVs. However, because a PHEV’s electric range is very limited, you may not find a charger within a reasonable distance, and you’ll be forced to use the ICE powertrain… which defeats the object.

If you want to capitalize on the electric-only capabilities of a PHEV and minimize burning fuel (which is probably why people buy them in the first place) you will be faced with far more frequent charging-stops than a pure BEV.

Besides, modern BEVs now have a range comparable to a normal ICE vehicle, and it’s improving every year. A BEV in many instances can be a far more practical option than a PHEV (despite the manufacturer’s claims that “you’ll never have to fill up”!).

Until you have an EV or PHEV, most of the practicalities of charging are a little mythical. It’s not the case that any charger will fit any vehicle. And on top of that, there are varied speeds you can charge a car. It depends on BOTH the car AND the charger available.

Currently chargers run from speeds of 50kW – 350kW, and while fewer electric cars on the market can take full advantage of the highest speeds, this situation is improving with every model release.

BEVs have the upper hand here because they are always designed to be able to be “fast-charged” by a public. However, high-speed DC charger PHEVs often can only be charged by level 1 or level 2 AC chargers, which restricts charging speeds to 11kW (and increases time to charge). But more importantly, this restricts the availability of public chargers.

Bottom line: despite PHEVs being touted as range-anxiety solutions, once you’ve run out of battery and are running around on expensive gasoline lugging a heavier vehicle with poorer fuel economy, you will probably find yourself travelling more miles just to find a suitable charger.

Recommendation? Always carry a “granny charger” cable and/or a level 2 cable with you. And maybe a 15A power cord extension!

When it comes to cost, PHEVs sit in between a standard ICE car and a full BEV. PHEVs may be cheaper than full BEVs, but they are more expensive than traditional combustion engine vehicles (remember the complexity and weight of that added drivetrain, plus the addition of a battery, which is a high cost).

Don’t be fooled by the “savings” over a full BEV – all you are buying is a compromised solution to solve “range anxiety” – and in today’s world of sophisticated BEVs—decent and improving charging networks, and home charging solutions—“range anxiety” is a thing of the past and really just a ploy manufactured by the fossil fuel industry to scare people away from what is surely an inevitable transformation!