About the plug
A friend passed along a New York Times article titled Should I Get a Hybrid or Go Full Electric? The title is linked. After reading it, and combined with additional information that was already running around my head, I emailed him back remarking that its all about the plug!
Two hybrids
The article explains the two types of hybrids: conventional and plug-in. Conventional hybrids have a battery that powers an electric motor to augment the gasoline engine. It also incorrectly seems to suggest that energy from braking alone charges the battery, when in fact the gasoline engine charges the battery continuously.
A plug-in hybrid has a larger battery that can powering car solely with electricity for short distances, on average 40 to 50 miles. And they can be charged using the same Level 1 or Level 2 chargers that EVs use. High power Level 3 charging is off the table, which the article misses.
But this is not intended as a critique of the article…
So, back to the point. The battery in a plug-in hybrid will be charged by the gasoline engine if its power is drained, operating exactly as a conventional hybrid.
Imagine you are the owner of a plug-in hybrid. Theoretically, if you drive less than the battery’s range, you can go indefinitely with using any gasoline. What’s needed now is a convenient place to plug in, and the willingness to, in effect, manage an EV!
Further, in the scenario described, a plug-in hybrid needs to be plugged in daily. A full EV only needs a charge maybe once or twice a week!
This is what was rummaging through my mind. The European auto market is down, way down, and only one segment one segment is up, albeit slightly. And its the conventional hybrid market.
Its all about the plug!
Plugging in is the change. As a people, we’ve grown accustomed to driving and stopping randomly for a fill-up. The plug is the change of religion. Everything else is essentially the same: a steering wheel, accelerator pedal, brake pedal, and on and on and on.
In the interim, the EV market continues to grow, and despite problems in Europe, faster than anyone imagined, exposing more and more drivers to the “new” religion.
The last hurdle will ultimately be more places to actually use the plug!
Heck, even EVs have warning lights. Lots of them. See our page here.
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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.
These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.
Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.
The author has 25 years of automotive experience and has assembled the most extensive collection of symbols and warning lights anywhere (over 1,000!) and can help you open and start any keyless start car with a dead key fob battery. BA, St. Joseph’s College, ME: MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY
Can zero-emission vehicles hit the California 35% by model year 2026? Toyota NA says no!
Zero-emission vehicle sales in California
As reported by InsideEVs, zero-emission vehicle sales in California is mandated by the state’s Air Resources Board’s Advanced Clean Cars II to reach 35% of new vehicle sales by model year 2026. Toyota Motor NA’s (North America) chief operating officer says the EV regulations would be “impossible” to meet, despite the fact that the standard can include a mix of plug-in hybrids, hydrogen fuel-cell models as well as battery electric vehicles.
Not just EVs! In fact, EVs alone in California currently hold a 22% share of the new car market. So far through September. Two years to 35% seems quite doable once hybrids and fuel cell models are included. Not to mention the fact that the EV share is double what it was in 2022.
EV Resistance
Legacy manufacturers remain resistant to the changeover to EVs. There are several reasons for this, not the least of which is the lack of service revenue. I personally have not spent a nickel in a dealership service department in going on four years.
Another large bit of resistance comes from sales people, who despise spending time with customers after a sale to explain new technology — even in internal combustion powered vehicles. Salespeople want to move on to the next sale.
Elon Musk was right to avoid the traditional dealership model in favor of direct Tesla sales. Further, Tesla pays little or no commission on sales, leaving well paid personnel to spend all the time in the world helping new EV owners.
Unfortunately resistance is likely to continue and its difficult to see where the tide tide truly turns. One would think the lack of expensive required maintenance and the ability to leave every morning with a full “tank” would be more than enough. Certainly, coupled with current incentives, it seems to us that major inroads have been made.
Cars are changing, and among those changes is the growing number of symbols and indicators that will invariably show up on your dashboard or instrument panel. Every year, new features are added to vehicles, each of which is accompanied by a new symbol or symbols and likely a new acronym.
At DashboardSymbols.com, our aim is to help you understand what is happening to your vehicle at the first sign of trouble – a new warning light illuminated on your instrument panel. Its all here on this website. Our first intention is to bring the latest technologies down to earth and understandable for everyday drivers.
InsideEVs’ X post on the subject can be seen here.
——————————————————————-
Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.
These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.
Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.
The author has 25 years of automotive experience and has assembled the most extensive collection of symbols and warning lights anywhere (over 1,000!) and can help you open and start any keyless start car with a dead key fob battery. BA, St. Joseph’s College, ME: MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY