Do People Really Want Hybrid Cars? | Starring Jeep 4xe 

The toyota hybrid systems have been proven over the last 25 Years to be extremely reliable and cost of maintenance even for batter replacement isn't insane. I get much better fuel efficiency day to day than anything else in that price range and i dont have to plug in. The problem is with any vehicle, if a manufacturer doesn't dedicate the time, money and effort into creating a dedicated platform it will always be inferior. i.e: Electric cars based on gas powered cars, gas powered vehicles with a 'hybrid add on'. This is why I respect Toyota so much is that they do the long term R&D and pass on the reliability to the customer. While most manufacturers pass on the testing to the customer and get them to pay for its failures.

The montage of Jack getting his corvette was truly inspirational lol

I like PHEVs, at the cost of complexity, they also give me the best of both worlds for EVs and ICE cars. I can drive back and forth to work everyday on battery only range, but when I make a weekend trip somewhere, I can just drive it like a normal car and not have to worry about finding a charger and then waiting for it to charge

You are 100% right about the complexity and the possibility of reliability issues for PHEVs. They are extremely complex. The Jeep 4xe has 3 separate cooling circuits. And when they have issues they will be way more difficult than a regular ice Jeep to fix.

For me, a PHEV is nearly perfect for my needs. I commute about 25 miles each way, and have free charging at work. I'm allowed to use the carpool lane with zero passengers in an EV/PHEV so this saves me about 5 minutes of travel time. I still have the range for weekend trips without paying big bucks for an EV with long range. For an EV, I will need to wait until there is much, much more availability of DC fast charging to have the same practicality as a PHEV.

This is the perfect vehicle for someone who wants to project to others a sense of ruggedness and eco-consciousness while actually accomplishing neither.

I picked a PHEV because charging infrastructure is still abysmal for any long trip in my area. Even most of the fast chargers are 50kw, so they would take forever. I regularly beat the advertised EV range and as long as I don't need heat I regularly get between 100-150mpg in the city, around 70mpg in the city when I need heat, and about 60MPG on the highway on long trips where I can gas and go in a couple minutes. Definitely the best of both worlds for my usage pattern.

I actually think plug-in hybrids are going to be play a pretty big part going forward. You kind of get the best of both worlds - for around town errands and commutes, bringing kids to school, etc. (basically 90% of driving that most people do day-to-day), they can go full electric, and then you still have the gas engine for longer trips that alleviates range anxiety that a lot of people still have regarding EVs given the infrastructure still isn't up to par. I'm definitely eyeing a PHEV for my next car purchase.

Owner of a PHEV for now 6 years, been a brilliant ownership, can get away with staying level 1 charging at home, topped off the battery every morning, brakes will last me all the way to 80k miles if not more, oil changes every 2 years despite only using maybe 1-2k miles of actual range extender. Cheap to buy (2017) and operate, still able to take road trips without any drama. This is the transition vehicle we need before the infrastructure catches up.

A hybrid 4-popper that gets 18 MPG? Stunning!

I'm really surprised there isn't more pushback from the automotive industry on the forced electrification, hybridization, etc. It leads to higher prices which leads to less sales. Same goes for the states that are banning ICE vehicles in the future.

I still have a 19 year old 4Runner in my family. Good on you for thinking of longevity as far as maintenance goes.

I’ve been saying for years that normal people as a whole are more likely to buy a hybrid or plug in before full EV. So I think those would become the default first. ALSO the gov def seems to be causing a lot more problems by mandates that create worse reliability & longevity

I do, I think they are more practical than EVs, at this point in time.

It’s not what the customer wants… It’s what they want the customer to want.

The future of cars is that everyone will be rollerskating to work because of sticker shock. 😂

I wish you would talk about this for days. It’s so interesting.

I believe that a full EV future is unrealistic. Imagine how long and difficult it would be to have EV cars everywhere on the planet. And we’re (the US) is having a tough time building infrastructure. I truly think a hybrid setup with synthetic fuels makes the most sense. Use both technologies. Best of both. No plugs ins either. Just a smaller combustible engine and better battery EV technology.

I love my wrangler 4xE. Fits me perfectly. I drive less than 25 miles a day and almost never touch the gas motor. I fill up about ever 1000 miles.

I know you're busy asf, but you guys could have a killer podcast. Have on guests from different industries that all have a relation to the auto industry. It would take some extra effort and probably hiring another person, but maybe something for considering. I imagine you already have though. Hoping for SavageGeese success and growth going forward! I love the information in the discussions.

I am staying out of the market until things settle down, cause I don't think anyone knows where it is going. Good assessment on where you think it's going!

A PHEV will fit my lifestyle for the next decade+ perfectly. I want to drive for short errands, long trip flexibility, convenient recharging via limited EV chargepoints in my apartment garage or filling at the gas station. I think having a overall battery state makes the car more interesting for a spirited/occasional performance driving If I wanted a off-road-lifestyle car, this wrangler 4xe would be something I aspire to own. But my tastes aren't really what makes brands money, and my next car shortlist is a weird mix of the BRz, Mini 3dr, and a Mustang.

Love my Rav4 hybrid and I’m still waiting on the ford maverick that I ordered back in November. The hybrid vehicles meet my family’s needs. Love your videos . Keep up the great work.

I agree with Mark. These stopgap vehicles are disposable and long term do more harm. The best thing you can do in my opinion, is to keep whatever you have for as long as possible and wait for the technology to mature. That’s one of the ways I try to be environmentally friendly. I just don’t see myself getting a pure ice vehicle whenever my current car is no longer able to run.

I think a big aspect too is the used car market. Most people aren’t going to be able to afford new cars(if they can’t already), and a used battery pack on a 8yr old electric car is gunna be a piece

I bought a PHEV SUV a little over a year ago (BMW X5 45e); as others have also said, it fits my use-case well. I can't imagine only have EV's, although I could imagine having one EV and one PHEV (2 vehicle family). As typical, ideologically-driven government mandates are getting very out of line to pragmatic and practical concerns, and I also anticipate a push-back of some sort. If I were a manufacturer, I'd be investing in making good PHEV's...

Savage Geese is the only one in the RU-vid car review circle who cars enough to tell us the truth about the financial sustainability of the modern car market.

It took the auto industry 15-20 years to fully adapt to 70's smog, fuel economy, and crash standards. This feels similar.

I live in a rural area of the US. Charging infrastructure in rural areas of the US is not ready for full EV vehicles. There are only three EV chargers within 75 miles of my home right now, and one is inside of a Chevy dealership garage and is off limits to EVs not getting sold or serviced there. PHEVs are a much better choice right now for rural areas; charge at home overnight and don't worry about charging again until you get home again.

For the wrangler specifically, this would be a great vehicle to have if you owned property or hunt. Drive on gas to get there, be able to ride around quietly on the property in electric mode as if it were a big atv/golf cart. Basically a bigger, more expensive, more practical toy. Gladiator version would be sweet.

Something I seldom see mentioned about hybrids is the potential _benefit_ to reliability. A lot of people use their cars for short trips around town, to the store, etc. By reducing how much the ICE engine is used for these short trips and heat cycled, wouldn't wear and tear on it be reduced?

I love the conversation videos. Keep them coming.

Hybrid cars - at least where I live - eat up all - for most people - all the possible cost savings by being more costly. And that is factoring the maintenance of the hybrid battery, replacement in X years. You have to drive a LOT of miles, like a taxi driver would, to have any meaningful amout of fuel cost savings if you factor the initial investment.

Jeep's 4XEs are compliance cars. Regular hybrids are great and can last a very long time (Prius, Escape)

Owner of a 2013 Prius here. 200k miles on the clock. I live in Vermont, so cold climate. Still on its original battery and gets 50 mpg. I trust Toyota completely with this technology. Cost of ownership has been very low, all I’ve done to it is regularly scheduled maintenance.

I've had a Honda Accord Hybrid for 10 years now. I regularly hit 800 miles on a single tank of gas in the summer months...drops to 500 miles in the New England winters. Bought it specifically for the range and fuel economy. But you are right about the crappy gas engines these hybrids have. They clatter and rev highly at seemingly inappropriate moments. I also dread the hybrid system failing but when it does I'll probably move on from it. With these hybrids and especially plugin hybrids with larger battery packs you have to watch out for weird high-rating tire requirements....can get very expensive when they need replacing and/or snow tires.

I just bought a wrangler 3 weeks ago and the sales guy told me to steer clear of the hybrid. That told me all I need to know

I got a 2020 4 runner, trying to get a gas burner that lasts 20 years. Hopefully by the time I have to get a new one, the EV/hybrid issues will be sorted. I suspect pure EVs with be mainly used and sold in more urban areas, with a mix of hybrid and gas burners in more rural areas. There ain't a 1 size fits all solution for the US.

My coworker leased a brand new 4xe Wrangler last year. It's first check engine light came on with 25 miles on the odometer. Currently it's been sitting at the dealer for 4 months under repair. The dealer have been replacing as many parts as they can think of, but my coworker has been waiting that long and now has no faith that any repair will fully fix the problem. I agree with your assessments of plug in hybrid systems. They are just a stop gap. There isn't any reason in my mind to get one over a traditional hybrid system.

One aspect that isn't really talked about is the relationship between law makers, regulators, lobbyists, manufacturers, activist groups, etc. Cars are expensive, complicated, and more disposable in large part due to the fact that idiots who know nothing about cars are the ones deciding what the regulations should be. Mandatory TPMS, mandatory back up cameras, unrealistic economy targets, etc. It all adds up to the mess we find ourselves in.

After speaking with an electrician, he told me the real problem will be with infrastructure. Most apartments and subdivisions are maxed out in their electrical services. This is the main line on the street to service the whole subdivision or block of apartments. You can not add hundreds of charging stations to homes without millions and millions of dollars and decades of work. People will be freaking out when their electricity and tax bills double or triple to pay for these upgrades and they will simply not be able to afford to do this in the time that has been dictated.

The 4xE drivetrain is a Rube Goldberg of half-assery.

I sold my 4XE back to the dealer. Multiple problems. If they could fix it this week under warranty, I might have been more patient. Last problem was the Hybrid Coolant Heater failed , October of 2022. First Jeep dealer I called had appointments in March 2023, for diagnosis. Next dealer was February. The third said “that’s normal, it locks itself out in cold weather” (no, cold weather is why it’s there). Forth had an appointment the end of December. They diagnosed the failure and yep, two more month for an appointment to fix (part was there in two days). So a $65K vehicle and five month to fix a known issue. That was just one issue fighting for simple service.

I think the supply resources issue is across the board with ICE, PHEV, and EV's. They want you to upgrade your car every few years just like the iPhone model. I bought a 4xe Rubicon, fully embracing the fact that I'm going to trade it in one day. I had a '13 JK Rubicon and everything was plastic in the engine bay besides the block, even the Intake Manifold, I would touch the wiring harness when I was replacing spark plugs, and the conduit was disintegrating in my hand after only 5 years of ownership. If you want something that's you want to keep around for a long time, get a classic car that has a solid aftermarket that makes new parts or a cheap 4 banger that you can cannibalize other cars for years to come.

An extra $10-15k for an extra 1-2mpg. Lmao

I purchased a 4xe Rubicon, and it fits my needs perfectly. I am a very VERY outlier case, but I went from an Audi E-Tron to this, and couldn't be happier.

The new 23’ Prius is a pretty incredible product TBH… AWD, 200hp, 0-60 in a respectable 7 seconds, $36k CAD, and >50mpg. That is incredibly appealing… no other AWD could achieve anywhere near that mileage w/out hybrid tech. I have no problems with hybrids now that they are no longer anemic (:

Took me a while to realize this wasn't an ad for Patagonia

Long time (30 year) Jeep owner. My last Jeep 07 Rubicon JK was super reliable, 4in lift, 35s, etc. However, in town the 3.8 got 10-12 MPG. Fast-forward to end of 2021, sold it an bought a Sahara 4XE. Rubicons were to much of a price hike, so with $7500 tax credit I paid (before taxes) $46,000. I'm a big time 4x4 guy, installed a 2 in Mopar lift (only mfg. that build a lift for the extra 700 pounds). All the goodies I've added, winch, bumpers, rock sliders, arb locked, CB, 35x12's, etc. Anyway, I bought it because I work 7 miles away. Calculating manually(it doesn't calculate MPG in electric), I've gotten as high as 41 mpg. 90% of the time I'm pure electric, engine hardly even gets used (4XE has 3 buttons that help with this). I've been 4x4ing all around AZ, and as far away as Montana. I don't think of it as a compliance vehicle and I love it! The dark side. My heat/cooling battery pump has went out, so now driving around primarily on GAS, but compared with my JK, I'm getting right around 22MPG. A 2X bump! No ETA from Jeep on when the 20+ backordered parts will get in. You are correct the engine sounds terrible, along with the 300v A/C pump. Saying that, this 2.0 liter engine is unbelievably powerful! 35 in tires, hardly even notice. Will I keep it 14 years, hell no, but it's a good stop gap to start using electricity. Cheers!

The one thing I will say is I'm more inclined to buy a hybrid like a Toyota hybrid before I would ever consider a full on EV.

I'm glad there's someone out there in the car blogger sphere who isn't so deep in the echo chamber that they can still see we're not ready to go all electric. If someone made something like the Honda CRZ that lived up to the sporty styling, and didn't cost as much as a decent Corvette, I might be into it.

I have a 4xe and mostly drive around town its basically an EV in my case. I love it… only issue was a very long service experience.

Long live the V8! No hybrids or EVs for this guy

I do think the hybrid/plug in hybrid model makes a lot of sense. Given the reality of mostly 4 cyl turbos now, I think that the hybrid models are the most realistic purchase for those that cannot live the EV lifestyle and you are not giving up much on the current sparse engine choices. As a frugal car enthusiast, I am looking forward to the day I can buy a hybrid sedan or hatch with the sport suspension as it makes the most sense for my commuting needs. I may still keep a V8 for the weekends, but affordable v8s are going away regardless.

I agree about hybrids. With so many great EVs and old school ICEs available, why would you want an inbetweener? EVs vs ICE is like flat panels vs CRTs.. I remember some people were saying CRTs were better, but no one can remember why 😸

I just can’t over the fact that this plug in hybrid gets 18MPG. That is actually ridiculous in a world where most hybrids are in the 40s and 50s.

I'm in my late 50s and have bought every vehicle I've had so far. Most of them I kept for over 8 years. I'm due for a new vehicle and will seriously consider a lease this time. Vehicles are now filled with too much crap to keep them long-term. I'd consider a plugin hybrid if there was an obtainable, interesting one available. I'd probably already have one if the supply chain problems didn't exist.

My Wife loves her Sahara 4xe. Her daily drive to drop off kids, go to work, and back home can be done entirely on EV. In fact, she's on EV so much, the Jeep will enter a "refresh mode" where it runs the gas engine to burn off old fuel and lubricate the engine every ~800 miles or so. That will vary though, depending on how much the gas engine gets used. And it's surprisingly quick with EV+Gas and is easily the best riding Jeep I've ever been in (battery weight settles things down). But yeah, it's still a Jeep. Lots of wind noise on the highway, you can hear the buzzy engine and other electric noises when they run, and it's still not exactly the most comfortable vehicle out there. Basic seats, not ventilated, etc. Overall, for the use case, it's still great.

Imagine buying an ICE car and it was guaranteed the the motor would blow within 10yrs - 15yrs. The battery pack scenario seems to now bake that into the purchase of the vehicle. Fixing these things seems like a nightmare. The 10yr old used market is going to be crazy. Depreciation will have new metrics. Cities tell you it is too hot or too cold and you can't charge your car to go to work. All seems crazy to me.

I think PHEV's cover a great "inbetween" (with the huge complexity increase in mind) Long-distance travel in an EV is still a pain. I'll do it, but it adds time (especially with the limited DCFC charger availability). Having a full EV, and a PHEV is going to make sense for a lot of folk.

Hybrids are the way to go. EV's can get fucked. You need to be able to recharge quickly (refuel). I can drive 600 miles in a Sienna and then spend 5 minutes refilling before going another 600 miles. I know they want us to live in the pod, but I still live in a place where trees exist, and I'd like to keep it that way.

I love the idea of hybrids. Compliance or not it's a step in the right direction and gives you the torque that a smaller displacement engine can't provide. I don't believe plug in hybrid is the way to be. Use the onboard energy-generating implements to charge the battery. Don't make us plug stuff in. (Bad segue) and that's only part of my problem with PHEV and EVs. At least with hybrid when you run out of battery you can just keep driving. It'll recharge eventually. EV? Stranded or waiting a half hour or more for a charge

I really enjoy these style of videos. I hope you do more of them.

I've heard a lot of people say that the 4xe never swaps over to electric power in cold weather. Which seems like it defeats the purpose because for a lot of people a Wrangler's only true purpose is a 'safe' commuter in the snow. But if you drive it in the snow you never get the 'benefits' of the electric power so what's the point? I'll stick with my JK's 3.8L. It has a history of sucking but at least it has a history.

Most gas engines are getting 30+ mpgs anyhow, so I'm not interested in the extra money and upkeep for a hybrid or EV. It's not worth it to me.

The unfortunate thing is enough consumers have bought into the "save the environment" fallacy component of the EV push, to the point where I don't even think the industry will reset from an economic standpoint until it's in some very dire straights.

I'm very excited about plugin hybrids. Full electric isn't practical but a plugin hybrid has incredible potential to reduce gasoline consumption while still offering the ability to take long trips with good convenience. I think my next car purchase will be a Grand Cherokee 4xe, although that's a few years out.

As a weekend car camping warrior, I love the functionality and utility of a hybrid Jeep that gives you hours of air con when you sleep at night.

The very long wait lists in this and every other PHEV make it clear that yes people do.

Sick cobalt mine labor bro. Sick gains, +1mpg for the small price of endless human suffering. True Americana heritage timepiece. **yawn** Wake me when this gets 40mpg+ and utilizes a solid state battery.

We loved our Pacifica Hybrid (when it worked), the problem is it spent 3 months in the shop during its first year. We ended up selling it and making money thanks to the crazy car market last year

I just did Phoenix to Vegas on half a tank in our Hybrid Cayenne. My Landcruiser would drink 3/4ths of a tank by Kingman. Obviously different vehicle sizes, and there's no way I'm stuffing a Porsche with the number of items the Toyota can haul. The fuel efficiency is real, and really enjoyable as the extra boost that hybrid provides is pure driving exhilaration. That drive was fun. FUN! What's that fun worth? I can't fathom going full electric, as this Plug-In has opened our eyes to the challenges of Charger Station searches. That said, we're now addicted to the extra power the electric engine adds....dang it.

I want hybrids. I like having the options of a gas car with really good fuel economy and hybrids make that happen. Plug In Hybrids are nice but they don’t get as good MPG as normal hybrids which adds up in the long term. Especially if you drive a lot.

As someone who always buys used I can't see myself ever being in the market for a first gen stellantis hybrid product in any vehicle as the years pass and they fall into my budget range.

I think we are about 2 years from the average consumer realizing what a cluster owning these new integrated technology cars is going to be. Thousands in repair bills for something that isn’t a German sports car is going to be a very tough pill to swallow. Just wait for the insurers to catch on and start denying coverage for EV or PHEV due to the astronomical cost of repairs.

I'm opting out of our drive-by-wire future. When I put my car in park and yank the E-brake, I expect it to be a reliable mechanical function

Every time I see that clip of Mark throwing up into the trash I bust out laughing. I need a gif of that 😂😂😂 Also with all the ev/hybrid push I guess I'll be driving my old ice cars until I die 🤷🏾.

PHEVs dont make much sense to me but strong hybrid commuters like the prius makes sense

I really like the concept of Phevs, they solve a lot of issues with EV and ICE designs .

Offroad with a friend who has a 4XE Rubicon. He loves it. The lack of engine noise while off-roading is admittedly nice. Not for me, but that’s primarily because I can’t bring myself to rub a $60,000 vehicle with shiny new paint on rocks. 25 year old Jeep works for me.

Respectfully, you're mostly wrong. This is absolutely the right time to own a PHEV. The charging network (other than Tesla) is not ready for full EV yet. I own a Pacifica plug in hybrid and we average 90-100 mpg because it's mostly driven around town and almost always on electric. Then when we go on a road trip, we just fill it with gas and it gets 28-30 mpg in our 7 passenger vehicle. It's the best of both worlds.

The upside is this is going to dramatically extend the time that people keep cars. Simple, old cars from ‘89 and earlier are going to keep going up in value.

My company went full hybrid drivetrains for our current cars. 😮 It's been a great move if you ask me. 😊 Considering the amount of miles we put on our cars daily. Having hybrid vehicles is great for business. 50 MPG yes please. 🎉I hope we keep at this pace for several years.

Much as I love cars, I think the incredibly rapid push to electrify them shows how unsustainable it is to essentially require everyone to own a car. Getting to jobs, going shopping, meeting friends; in 99% of the country--really everywhere outside NYC--you need to spend thousands and thousands of dollars every year just to participate in the American economy, and it's really not fair to expect that from people who, if they didn't NEED a car, don't care enough about them to have one of their own. An auto-centric transportation paradigm was an experiment of the 20th century. In every way--individual consumer cost, government infrastructure failing, environmental destruction, and most importantly, the demonstrably-workable alternative way of building cities that Europe and East Asia are showing us--the 21st century is showing us that that experiment was a mistake. Cars shouldn't be a requirement to be a part of society; leave them for people who want them. Even as an auto enthusiast, I know I hate driving to work every day; it's not fun. For the first time in 6 years I'm having to drive to work, and for the first time in those 6 years I'm really not enjoying driving during my off hours, either. There's just no reason for us to keep doing things this way. The only groups auto-centric transportation infrastructure benefited in an unqualified way were the automotive industry and all the industries associated with it; now that even they are complaining about how unsustainable the future seems, it's inescapably obvious that we need to stop doing it this way.

I like diversity in vehicles & power-trains. Although not trendy, the hybrid and PHEV are practical solutions for a lot of people. I have owned them (Toyotas) and like them. I do believe that they work better if the power-train was originally designed to be a hybrid, versus being a "hybrid kludge" added to a traditional ICE power-train. Keep up the great work, guys.

I think people just want something that makes them feel like they're making a difference, and saves them money at the pump. Avg consumer probably doesn't give a hoot about bejng environmentally conscientious, and just want to feel good and feel they're perceived as "cool" or "hip" for having a Hybrid/EV vehicle

I own a 4xe Wrangler. It's definitely not a vehicle for everyone - but happened to fit my use case exactly. I live in a cold and snowy place, so I need a 4x4. Work is 12km each way, so unless it's colder than -12 C (seems to be a programming thing) I can get there and back (including running HVAC) on only electric. In fact I only buy gas if I'm headed on a road trip, or it's winter. When it comes time for a road trip, it runs just like an ICE Wrangler - which is still much better for mountain travel. It also manages easy trails and rough gravel roads exactly as delivered from the dealer, so I can easily and reliably get to the camping and biking spots I enjoy. Downsides? It is extremely complicated. I have some concerns about what will happen when the extended warranty runs out. Also, when the regen braking is set to "max" it makes the already clunky powertrain even more clunky in stop and go driving. Then it also has all the Jeep things - solid axles, wobbly on road feel, noisy (I actually prefer those "bugs" but a lot of people complain). Upsides: I buy very little gas. When I do have to run on gas, it's much more fuel efficient than an ICE Wrangler (keep in mind you can buy it with that 2.0L engine, and no electric gear so it's a good comparison). The torque is amazing - even at 0% displayed battery charge it keeps some charge for hybrid use. The weight balance is great. Selectable 2wd, AWD, 4wd. If you know what you're getting into and understand the limitations and features this can be a terrific vehicle. Or it can be an overcomplicated, overpriced disaster in the making. I think it depends on the buyer.

PHEV's are about a lot more than compliance. Half the fuel, reduced maintenance, almost no brake wear on the commute, but I can still make a cross country road trip with decent mileage. The batteries are cheaper than people think and they last much longer than people think. On top of that you generally get better performance. They're simply better than ICE or EV's for the average consumer and stand to last twenty years easily with the right platforms. Long term the replacement batteries only get cheaper, lighter and better. It's not just marketing.

Nearly 1000 comments in the first 4 hours of this video going live, wow! The main thing I gleaned from this video is the fact that on second glance and seeing it onscreen, the new Accord doesn't look as bad as I thought it did on first viewing. As for cars going forward, I think that the idea is to create a new era of domestic manufacturing jobs without taking into account the environmental impact of extracting all the resources necessary to sustain such an industry. Time will tell, but by then I'll probably be dead anyway and in the grave no one will force me to buy a BEV which I can't afford anyway.

The less government in my life, the better. So these moves are not welcome.

There's always going to be a pretty large market segment, like, in the millions, that needs to tow heavy things fairly far. EVs and the supporting infrastructure for them are nowhere near where they need to be in order to be competitive in that space. PHEVs, MIGHT technically work, but honestly a gen-electric a la diesel locomotives are possibly a more sensible setup, and potentially creates less complications in the drivetrain. PHEVs are really pretty awesome in many respects, but I am highly skeptical that they are going to be the answer for anything long-term given their complexity. You guys are right on, as usual.

Thoughts from a car guy.... I have a 19 Charger Scatpack, my wife has a 21 Venza. I work for a car rental company, and have driven rentals for my company car over the last 12 years (F150, Silverado, Caravans, 200s, Avengers, Fusion, Sportages). For the last year, I have been driving a Kona EV for my company car, and I love it. Its great as a daily (I have level 2 chargers at my office, so I am lucky that I dont have to deal with the public infrastructure). I love my Charger and drive it all the time, nothing beats the sound of a v8. I know I am spoiled to be able to choose what I want to drive on a given day, and a lot of times I choose to take the EV over my Charger. I can see the writing on the wall, and while I do not think we are ready for the EV revolution quite yet, it is coming. My next personal purchase will hopefully be a Gladiator EV in 2028 (a gift to myself for my 45th bday). PHEVs are a bit gimmicky in my eyes, a "stopgap" as you mentioned. Toyota hybrids are great, we love our Venza. With some time, true investment and innovation, EVs will get to where they need to be for mass adoption, but we aren't there yet. Keep up the great work on your videos.

There’s no way by 2030 that they will only sell EV. I saw one video and they said there isn’t enough resources in the world to produce the batteries and it’s also terrible for the environment. The other thing is that in a lot of the country, people can’t afford these new cars or used because they are too expensive to fix. So you have those people driving 20+ year old which are inefficient until the cars die and then they get another old car

If they could improve the electric range up closer to 100 or more it’d be very compelling. 25 miles is just not good enough. But at least in my personal use case, I work from home and on average drive 109 to 200 miles a week. So getting 100 miles on one charge would effectively meet my needs while giving me the flexibility of gasoline should I need it for longer trips.

I have a 15 mile commute and regularly visit family 300 miles away in a place with freezing winters. The electric vehicle will let me down on max range. But I'd love a gas free commute. It's a compelling offer. Once 300 mile cold weather electric vehicles that can haul a bit of stuff exist are somewhat affordable, I'll reconsider.

PHEV are probably the best solution for "one car" owners. Commute on electric power, travel on hybrid power. If you live within 50 miles of your workplace, it's another great way to reduce your cost of living. Now if you own "multiple cars" PHEV are moot point.

Appreciate the candid discussion. It's getting pretty rare to hear someone acknowledge EV isn't everything they are made out to be (at least not yet). EVs are fantastic for some people and the way they use vehicles, but there are definitely obstacles still to be overcome before we get to truly mass adoption.

This makes me think. With the EV's of today, as battery tech improves, who is going to want them? Battery charging and capacity will be old and the battery itself may need replacing. So, does that mean EV's will have a much shorter life than their ICE brethren? I can see people ditching cars sooner because they cant or dont want to afford changing a battery pack on a 10yo car. Just seems there is a push for more disposable appliances. As usual, great video!

As soon as it was clear emissions were going to become a large issue in the industry, governments should have started incentivizing kei car type vehicles. Cheap to build, operate, repair. Easier on roads, lower emissions...

I think car manufacturers need to pivot to supercapacitors with a gasoline generator. Supercapacitors come with a few real drawbacks; the pure electric range is not good (it must be paired with a gas generator for more than 20-40 miles of range) and they don't retain charge well if you park your car for a week. But they will actually last a decade of daily use in hot and cold weather. Realistically, most people only commute about 50 miles, so a pure electric range close to that will achieve all the benefits of a pure EV at a fraction of the complexity. There is absolutely no way we are going 100% dinosaur-free. The backbone of our food transport chain is the refrigerated semi trailer. A refrigerated semi trailer either requires diesel or a small nuclear reactor; electric just won't cut it. The government may as well mandate that the sky turn green.