Next to Tesla, Plug-In Hybrids Are an Illusion of Eco-Consciousness

[question everything]

AS I WAS RAGING NORTH toward Switzerland in the 986-hp Ferrari SF90 Stradale in July, I was feeling pretty good about myself. After all, I was saving the Earth. The Stradale is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV)—powered by a twin-turbo V8 (about 780 hp) assisted by three electric motors and a lithium-ion battery pack. The idea is that Juan-Philippe Cliente, or his manservant, will plug in the Ferrari at night so that it may provide electric-only driving range in the morning. Notionally, the Stradale’s hybrid design will allow it to operate in European cities’ low-emission zones.

With its battery fully charged (7.9 kWH), the Stradale can achieve admirable efficiency of 51 mpg-e, according to the EPA. But penny-pinchers need to check the fine print. That applies only to the first 8 miles. Practically within sight of my hotel in Maranello, Italy, the Stradale had devolved into its baser, grumbling, gas-powered nature—albeit with a kind of Prius-of-the-gods electric torque assist.

The Stradale has plenty of company in Crazytown. The PHEV version of the Bentley Bentayga can waft silently only about 18 miles, officially; the Jeep Wrangler 4xe, 21. Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid, 17. These short electric legs—combined with powerful internal combustion (IC) engines—do almost nothing to improve overall fuel efficiency. Why do manufacturers even bother? Like most PHEVs—only slightly more so—the Stradale is a compliance baby, with a powertrain designed to meet soaring vehicle emissions/consumption requirements in major vehicle markets, using de minimis electrical systems added to IC powertrains. In some respects PHEVs are a technical echo of a time not long ago—2010—when such machines were being showered with public money and held to wildly unrigorous standards.

(snip)

In November the environmental pressure group Transport & Environment published a study of the emissions of the popular BMW X5, Mitsubishi Outlander, and Volvo XC60 plugins. The study observed that, even with a fully charged battery and in optimal conditions, the emissions of these vehicles were 28-89% higher than the official value. In cases when the battery went flat, emissions jumped three to eight times higher than listed. And, as when a PHEV runs the gas engine hard to charge the battery, the report says emissions were up to 12 times higher.

(snip)

You might be wondering how it all could have gone so wrong for PHEV, a powertrain architecture that once seemed so logical as to be inevitable? In brief, there are two kinds of PHEVs: short-range and long-range. PHEVs with more than about 37 miles of EV range—like the Chevrolet Volt (2011-2019)—do meaningfully displace gasoline-driven miles, reduce emissions and save consumers money, according to a 2019 report by UC Davis International EV Policy Council. But short-range PHEVs—the vast preponderance on the market—don’t, except in limited conditions. Why? It’s behavioral. Studies show that the shorter a vehicle’s all-EV range, the less likely owners are to bother charging overnight. And, when owners don’t charge overnight, PHEVs calculations of efficiency go upside down in the morning. Actually, a short-range PHEV with a flat battery is lugging around a lot of useless weight.

More..

https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-plug-in-hybrids-are-an-illusion-of-eco-consciousness-11630688831 (subscription)