While gas prices remain sky high, more Americans are considering making the switch to electric or hybrid. But which one is better?

Timothy Moore • July 29, 2022 • Advertising Disclosure

Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on The Penny Hoarder.

Gas prices are near an all-time high, averaging more than $4 a gallon across the U.S. The easy solution is to just drive less, but that’s not practical for most families. Instead, many drivers are considering switching to a hybrid or an electric vehicle to cut down their fuel costs — but how can you know which is right for you?

In this guide, we’ll explore hybrid vs. electric vs. plug-in hybrid cars — their advantages, disadvantages, and how to determine which is best-suited to your needs.

A hybrid car (or SUV or truck) is a vehicle that relies on both a gas-powered motor and an electric motor. You’ll still have to fill up at the gas station; in fact, running the gasoline-powered engine is the only way to power the electric motor.

Unlike true, 100% electric vehicles, hybrid models only have small lithium-ion batteries. When charged, these offer a short range of electric driving, but most of the driving done in a hybrid will come from the gas-powered internal combustion engine.

While driving, you can recharge a hybrid’s electric battery through regenerative braking. Every time you apply the brakes, the hybrid extracts and stores that energy and reuses it without gas power.

So while traditional gas cars are most efficient on the highway, with less stop-and-start driving, hybrid vehicles are actually more efficient in the city and in stop-and-go rush hour traffic, as they collect and reuse energy every time you brake.

The Toyota Prius is the most recognizable example of a hybrid, but nowadays automakers offer many of their popular gas-powered models as hybrid variants. Popular hybrid models include the Honda Accord Hybrid, the Toyota Camry Hybrid, the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid, and the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid.

An electric vehicle (EV) runs solely on electric power generated by a high-voltage battery pack. Because there’s no gas to back up the electric motor if the battery runs out of charge, EVs are made with much larger lithium-ion batteries than hybrids, allowing for much longer ranges.

Unlike hybrids, fully electric vehicles do not have tailpipe emissions.

Charging an electric vehicle takes a lot longer than filling up a tank of gas. EVs generally require anywhere from six to 12 hours for a full charge. Most EVs do offer DC (direct current) fast charging, which can charge a battery to roughly 80% in as little as 30 minutes, but doing this often leads to faster battery degradation.

To charge an EV at home, you’ll need to have a professional install charging infrastructure that can cost several thousands of dollars. On the flip side, most EVs are eligible for a significant ($7,500) one-time federal tax credit, which more than makes up for the cost of the installation.

Some of the most affordable electric cars include the Nissan Leaf, the Chevrolet Bolt EV, the Hyundai Kona Electric, and the Ford F-150 Lightning.

A plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) has a gas-powered engine and an electric motor powered by a battery. PHEVs have large enough batteries that drivers can rely on electric power alone without the help of a gasoline engine. When the charge runs out, the vehicle switches over to the gas engine.

For this luxury, PHEVs require charging, just like electric cars. (Remember: The batteries in hybrid vehicles are charged by the gas engine and don’t need to be charged in between drives.) Owners of plug-in hybrids will need to install the same charging infrastructure at home as they would for a traditional electric vehicle.

Popular PHEVs include the Hyundai Ioniq, the Toyota Prius Prime, the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, and the Ford Escape PHEV.

Hybrid vehicles have been on the market for several decades and continue to grow in popularity. In fact, in 2021 hybrid sales jumped 76% in the U.S., with a total of 801,550 sold, accounting for 5% of all light-duty vehicle sales, according to Reuters.

So what is drawing more people to hybrid models and what drawbacks should drivers anticipate?

Though hybrids are the most popular form of electrified vehicle, all-electric vehicles are gaining traction. Sales were up 83% in 2021, with a total of 434,879 EVs sold in the U.S. And with several automakers pledging to largely transition to EVs within the decade, they’re only going to grow in popularity. But there are advantages and disadvantages to them.

Let’s take a more in-depth look at the biggest benefits and drawbacks of electric vehicles.

As a combination of hybrid models and EVs, PHEVs would seem to offer the best of both worlds. And while there are a lot of pros to driving a plug-in hybrid, PHEVs have a fair share of cons as well.

Let’s take a more in-depth look at the biggest benefits and drawbacks of plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Hybrids, electric vehicles, and PHEVs all offer drivers a cleaner alternative to traditional gas-powered cars. But determining which one to drive off the dealer lot depends largely on your own budget, living situation, and driving needs.

Disclosure: The information you read here is always objective. However, we sometimes receive compensation when you click links within our stories.

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