PHEV – Car-ED.com

2018 Kia Niro PHEV

2018 Kia Niro PHEV This subcompact crossover helps take plug-ins mainstream. By Cherise Threewitt, Contributor, Car-ED.com | August 2018 What is this vehicle? The Niro is a subcompact SUV that was added to the Kia lineup for 2017. The first Niro to roll out featured a super efficient hybrid powertrain, and this year, Kia added the PHEV plug-in hybrid model to the Niro family. There isn’t anything quite like the Niro PHEV on the market right now, but it’s fair to expect that rivals might follow suit in the near future as small crossovers continue to dominate the market and automakers invest more in electric and hybrid technology. The Niro is an affordable and practical path to better efficiency. Who is this vehicle for? Take a look at the Niro PHEV if you want a new, modern subcompact crossover with great technology features and excellent efficiency. The Niro does have some drawbacks, namely that it is not available with all-wheel drive and that it isn’t especially fun or interesting to drive. However, if those factors don’t matter to you, the Niro PHEV could be a very good choice for a subcompact SUV or crossover. Furthermore, not all potential buyers will necessarily see a benefit from the plug-in hybrid drivetrain, because the hybrid Niro is already super efficient. Why is this vehicle important to you, the buyer? Plug-in hybrid vehicles are becoming [...]

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles: What You Need To Know

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles: What You Need To Know By Randy Lioz, Editor, Car-ED.com | July 2018 2011 Chevy Volt, photo credit: GM General Motors introduced a radical new idea into the marketplace with the debut of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt. While some brands, like Nissan and Tesla, wanted to move forward with an all-electric future as quickly as possible, GM recognized that few consumers had full confidence that a pure EV would fit their lifestyles well. Electric vehicle range was still well below that of the typical gas car, and the charging infrastructure wasn't built out to support a fleet of electric cars, giving rise to the phenomenon termed "range anxiety." The solution for this was a car that would combine the advantages of both EVs and gas-powered cars: the plug-in hybrid. The idea behind the Volt was that it would act as a pure EV for the first 40 miles—GM's research had told them that nearly four out of five commuters had a round trip of under 40 miles—but then rely on a small gas engine, dubbed a "range extender," to allow the owner to keep driving even when there was no place to recharge. The final electric range turned out to be 38 miles, however. With the Volt's launch, GM created an entirely new sales category. The company had hoped to replicate the runaway success of the Toyota Prius, which [...]