Hybrid cars aren't a novelty anymore. They've achieved that great mark of automotive success: becoming so commonplace that they're unremarkable. With car charging stations proliferating in parking lots everywhere, plug-in hybrids are quickly gaining traction in the automotive market. Right now, a plug-in hybrid offers all the advantages of both electric and ICE cars, including the instant torque of an electric motor and the engine rumble that so many people don’t want to leave behind in history. For those buying a new car right now, a plug-in hybrid is an excellent choice.

Related: 10 Plug-in Hybrid Cars With The Most Electric Range

What Is A Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle?

2023 Tucson PHEV
Hyundai
Tucson PHEV plugged in and charging

A plug-in hybrid vehicle (or PHEV) is exactly what the name suggests: a hybrid car that can be plugged in for charging. There are two types of plug-in hybrids: series and parallel. A series plug-in hybrid (also called an extended-range EV) is an electric car with a gasoline engine that charges the battery while driving. Essentially, it’s an EV that can charge itself with its own engine. The engine is not connected to the wheels, but instead powers a generator that charges the battery. Only the electric motor is connected to the wheels.

Series PHEVs are often sold as EVs with “range extenders.” Stellantis is doing this in the advertising copy for their hybrid Ram trucks. While the Ford F-150 Lightning made electric vehicles look cool to those who thought a Tesla would destroy their manliness, so far no automaker has managed to make hybrids similarly brawny-looking. Calling the Ram an "electric truck with a range extender” instead of a plug-in hybrid allows Stellantis to avoid the dreaded “H-word” that would make people associate their burly truck with a Prius.

A parallel PHEV, the other type of plug-in hybrid, is the type of hybrid car that has become familiar over the past two or so decades with an additional electric charging port next to the fuel tank inlet. The electric motor and the engine both directly power the wheels of the car, trading off with each other as driving conditions and battery charge levels demand. This is what most people think of when they hear the term “plug-in hybrid.”

Related: The 10 Best Hybrid SUVs Of 2023, Ranked

Plug-In Hybrids Have Longer Ranges

Mercedes-Benz GLE Plug-in Hybrid
Mercedes 
Mercedes-Benz GLE Plug-in Hybrid on the road

The biggest advantage of a PHEV is its range. Electric cars tend to have driving ranges of around 200–250 miles per charge (though longer ranges are available if more money falls out of your wallet). By contrast, PHEVs can routinely drive 400–500 miles without recharging or refueling. This eliminates the need to keep a constant mental tally of miles driven versus remaining power in the battery (unless one’s commute crosses multiple state lines). Additionally, when severe cold weather causes the battery to lose capacity (as happens to all-electric batteries), the engine can make up for the shortfall of stored electricity.

Related: 10 Things You Need To Know About The Kia Sorento Plug-in Hybrid

Plug-In Hybrids Free Drivers From Planning Around Charging Times

2023 Hyundai Tucson PHEV Dash
Hyundai
Close up of 2023 Tucson PHEV dash display showing drive modes

Plug-in hybrids are an excellent choice for the many people who can’t charge an electric car overnight. Only the most dedicated electric car enthusiast would snake an extension cord through their apartment’s balcony railing and across the parking lot below. A plug-in hybrid eliminates the need to sit somewhere and wait for the car to charge. A plug-in hybrid’s versatility gives the owner the advantages of an electric car and additional peace of mind. If someone else takes one of the charging stations at their workplace’s parking lot, there’s no need to worry about finding somewhere to charge the car before going home.

Related: Top 10 Plug-in Hybrids To Watch Out For In 2023

Plug-In Hybrids Get The Most Out Of The Motor And The Engine

BMW Plug-in Hybrid range
BMW
A top-down shot of all of BMW's PHEVs

By now, everyone knows that hybrids (plug-in or not) use the engine more efficiently than traditional engine-powered vehicles. The engine only runs if it’s actually doing something for the car. Most notably, the engine doesn’t waste fuel while idling. However, a PHEV uses the engine even less than the so-called “traditional hybrids.” Whether the car is a series or parallel hybrid, plugging in the car means the car doesn’t need to recharge itself with its engine as much as a hybrid that can’t plug into anything. Among other benefits, this reduces emissions. Granted, not everyone cares about emissions. But everyone cares about money, and plug-in hybrids demand less of it at the gas pump.

For short commutes, it’s possible to completely eliminate engine use altogether - especially if one can charge the car while at work. On top of that, a plug-in hybrid frees one from tightly planning every drive down to the last electron in the battery. If unexpected traffic lengthens a drive, the car can charge itself with its own engine. You won’t be worriedly watching while your charge indicator drops if someone ahead of you gets in a wreck and clogs up the highway.

The savvy car-buyer may correctly point out that car engines need to regularly run lest they develop expensive problems. To prevent this, many plug-in hybrids automatically turn the engine on while driving if it has been out of use for too long - regardless of the battery’s state. The car owner doesn’t need to keep track of how long it’s been since the engine last ran and remember to start it once a week - the car does that automatically.

Related: 10 Plug-In Hybrid SUVs With The Most Electric Range

Plug-In Hybrids Are Perfect For Today

White Color Kia Sorento
Kia
Side profile of Kia Sorento plug in hybrid

Today, it’s hard to believe how wary the press and the public were of the first Prius. Only twenty years ago, hybrids were too new, too weird, and too kooky to trust. But now, people barely notice the many hybrids they pass on highways. This is an amazing feat in the world of cars, and proof of hybrids’ success. It’s true that in the future, plug-in hybrids may be viewed in the future as a step in the transition from engine to motor in the same way people today see gas lighting as a bridge between oil lamps and light bulbs. However, that time is not here yet. Today, a plug-in hybrid is one of the best options one can drive off a dealer’s lot.