Plug-in hybrids on the decline - should you buy another one now?

Created: 07/09/2022 06:07

By: Marcus Efler

Cars with the plug-in hybrid drive, which was just as popular, are losing favor with buyers.

For whom the petrol-electric combination is still worthwhile.

Flensburg – The plug-in hybrid is currently the most controversial and discussed form of drive in cars – even ahead of the diesel engine, which continues to have loyal customers even after the exhaust gas scandal (and, under pressure from customers, also in the next VW Passat again will be available).

Cars that can drive both with a combustion engine and with electricity are still officially electric cars and are subsidized by the state - but this will be the end of next year.

Because users of company cars in particular are suspected of taking the tax benefits with them, but then preferring to burn fuel at the company's expense than to charge the batteries at home.

And then even more than would be the case with a (lighter) pure combustion engine.

Plug-in hybrids on the decline - should you buy another one now?

The car manufacturers assess the two-engine technology differently: while for BMW it is still part of the electrification strategy until the EU-wide ban on combustion engines in 2035, it is considered by others, such as Audi, as a bridging technology whose time has already expired - even if The VW Group has already developed the new generation of its plug-in technology with an electric range of up to 100 kilometers to such an extent that it will still be able to bring it onto the market.

Controversial: Plug-in hybrid drive like the Audi A3 here.

(Iconic image) © Auto-Mmedienportal.Net/Audi

Plug-in hybrids in descent - clear minus in the approvals

However, given these doubts, customer interest is already falling sharply.

While PHEV (for "plug-in hybrid electric vehicle") had recently overtaken the diesel engine as the most popular form of drive after decades, registrations are now falling - and recorded a drop of 16.3 percent in Germany in June.

Pure Stromer, on the other hand, are just really taking off.

However, for many drivers, the petrol-electric combo still represents the optimal compromise between fast long-distance driving and clean city traffic. The question now is whether they should buy another one.

also read

Woman brings extremely littered car to workshop: "Is that legal?"

Mercedes GL X166 towers over tanks: "Great car"

This still speaks in favor of buying a plug-in hybrid:

• Clean driving in the city.

• Electricity is currently cheaper than fuel.

• More future-proof than pure combustion engines if cities set up zero-emission zones.

• Faster refueling over long distances than pure electric vehicles.

• The financial advantage in vehicle tax compared to pure combustion engines remains due to the low official consumption.

This speaks against buying a plug-in hybrid now:

• Purchase bonus is running out - due to long delivery times, most models will probably go away empty-handed.

• Purchase price higher than with pure combustion engines.

• Higher weight than pure combustion engines increases fuel consumption.

• Probably high depreciation.

You can find even more exciting automotive topics in the free newsletter, which you can subscribe to right here.

Plug-in hybrids on the decline – they are still worthwhile for these drivers

Basically, there are two main customer groups for whom a plug-in hybrid is still an option: First, company car users who want to take the last tax advantages with them (from 2023 for PHEVs that can drive 80 kilometers electrically).

And secondly, private buyers who use the same car for city driving and long-distance journeys - and want to drive it for so long that the residual value only plays a minor role when it is resold.

Everyone else should choose between economical combustion engines and pure electric cars.