Really appreciate Alex’s altruistic perspective on vehicle fuel consumption when talking about PHEVs. Thank you for reading between the lines - helped to shift my perspective on them. They’re not for everyone, but they definitely could serve a lot of consumers with certain use cases well. I’d take an Ioniq plug-in over a Prius Prime on looks alone. Probably my favorite affordable plug-in.
You really knocked it out of the park with your assessment of PHEVs at the beginning of this episode - I am the happy and proud owner of a Ford Fusion Titanium PHEV and I must say I had not heard the logic you put forth before - Bravo! You are SPOT-ON - my Fusion PHEV is a 2020 with a 9kWhr battery - its EPA rating is 26 miles on a charge but as an experienced EV driver (7 years) I easily get 30 miles out of it almost without fail. In my most recent test, I drove 176 EV miles out of 177 total miles, which is well over 99% EV usage. PHEVs may actually be the most efficient use of battery resources available today! In addition my boss pays for my electricity, and my commute is only 8 miles, so a PHEV is an incredible value for me - especially since I got this for a screamin' deal. I think you have the best reviews around - keep it up!
I’m on my second Clarity and love it. I first leased a 2017 Clarity BEV a few years ago and even with a short (89mi) range, found it to be a perfect commuter. As the lease came to an end, I had been 100 percent set on getting another EV (likely a Bolt), but having lived happily with a short range EV for a few years and absolutely loving the Clarity driving experience and interior led me to purchase a used 2018 Clarity PHEV. I don’t regret this at all...for the money, nothing comes close to the efficiency, comfort, and features of this car. We have taken a few road trips in it (something we could never do in the BEV version) and averaged between 54 and 56 mpg each time. And filling the tiny 7 gallon gas tank is always a surprise...even when it looks “empty” we haven’t filled with more than 5 gallons at a time, so it’s super cheap to run. Charging is easy at home (240v) or work (110v) and the car is always charged up. For us, it was the perfect solution, and as Alex says, by us getting a PHEV with a smaller battery pack, it frees up resources to build several more battery electric vehicles, which is a net gain for society. This was a huge factor in our purchase.
Got this car recently. Absolutely love it. Compared to the Prius Prime, it’s cheaper, has better warranty, is sportier, has a better range, and drives more efficiently on highways due to the Dual Clutch Transmission. Not to mention dealers are adding ludicrous multi thousand dollar market adjustment markups on Prius Primes right now. It’s a no brainer to get this instead.
Asking as someone who isn't big on mechanical knowledge: how does a DCT make the Ioniq more fuel efficient on the highway than the Prius Prime and its CVT? My understanding is that the advantage of choosing a DCT over a CVT was primarily for making it easier for drivers moving from a conventional ICE car to a hybrid car, because the majority of automatic ICE cars don't have a CVT (like the Toyota and Lexus hybrids) and may be put off by the droning CVTs are notorious for under hard acceleration.
@@henryviiifake8244 Dual-clutch transmissions are generally more efficient than traditional automatics due to their lack of torque converter, and the mechanical losses associated with that. Toyota/Lexus hybrids don't use a CVT, even if they choose to call it an "eCVT". Their hybrid systems, along with some hybrids from Ford and Chrysler, utilize a planetary gear set that drives a motor generator unit, which then powers the wheels, sometimes in-conjunction with the engine. It's a difference in engineering philosophy and how they want to achieve peak efficiency between Hyundai/Kia & Toyota/Lexus.
@@henryviiifake8244 my understanding is with the Prius eCVT, the engine has to work less efficiently at highway speeds because the eCVT is unable to create the ideal gear ratio for these scenarios. The electric motors can’t reduce enough load from the engine without drawing too much power from the battery. DCT can produce a more ideal gear ratio for highway speeds, which means the engine works more efficiently.
a used volt has twice the battery and is 1/3rd the cost. I wonder how these newer PHEV's will age given they are only keeping a 10% state of charge buffer at the bottom end. 120k miles on my 14 year old volt, getting 45 miles of range. cells are still perfectly balanced showing full capacity. in response to the points raised in this video, you buy a PHEV to be an EV 100% of the time, except for when they would be very inconvenient, so why would you care that the volt engine only gets 32 mpgs... the fact that it has twice the battery means there are significantly more scenarios when this doesnt matter, and given the larger battery you have no real degradation in my and other volt owners experiences. commuting 160 miles per day right now, getting 82 mpg. If I owned this car it would be about the same. that means you have to commute more than 160 miles for the previous argument to make sense. I dont think many people do that. every commute shorter than 160 miles, and higher than 56miles, you will burn more gas in this car. and thats assuming zero battery degradation.
Very helpful video in comparing the Prius w/ the Ioniq. I think I am leaning towards an Ioniq PHEV over the Prius PHEV, for a few reasons. As you mentioned the Prius utilizes electricity in order to heat the cabin, where as the Ioniq utilizes its gasoline engine to heat the cabin, although fuel efficiency is maximized in the Prius, it might be less efficient or functional/operational in cold weather climates. Cold weather climates cause a reduction in battery efficiency and range. When its -10 F or even -20 at times here in MN I wouldn't want my vehicle trying to start cold and then try to heat the cabin on electricity, that would only further reduce the already reduced battery output, and would pose greater risk on starting and operating the vehicle at sub zero temps. Also I noticed in your Prius video the PHEV has only 121 HP, where as the Ioniq has 156 HP which is a significant difference. In a Prius it would pose greater risk escaping a heavy snow storm, or may have greater tendency to slip on ice. Amazingly the Ioniq at 156 HP is actually more HP than a standard gas powered 2022 Elantra at 147 HP. So as far as a winter car in the Midwest & Western mountain region where snow, ice, and below zero temps occur I would trust the Ioniq over the Prius, also considering the higher cost of a Prius's currently Ioniq looks like a no-brainer here as far as purchasing if you are in colder climates. Overall phenomenal video though, Alex on Autos continues to be the leader in car reviews here on RUclips.
11:05 Dunno if someone mentioned it already, but there's a split screen mode for the infotainment screen accessible in the settings menu. It'll let you have a larger split for Android Auto/Apple Carplay/etc, and a smaller split that can show a clock, compass, navigation info, battery/range info, bluetooth media/radio, etc. Great review, btw. I've driven this car and it's a good buy.
Just bought a 2022 Ioniq plug-in hybrid and I love it to death! It looks way better than the Prius and in our area they don’t sell the Clarity… definitely worth every penny.
I own a 2018 Honda Clarity and I absolutely love it!! Living in upstate NY, I get 55 miles in the summer on the battery then in winter I get around 35 miles on the battery. I live the styling of the it exterior and interior and if you know the function of the exterior styling it helps you like it more. The car is so well made and the quality interior is miles better than the Prime or Ioniq. I would highly recommend looking at the Clarity. It is a mid-sized sedan, but I think the one size bigger than compact isn't too different and isn't a deal breaker. Crazy good looking, fuel efficiency, and spacious vehicle.
I’m second to Clarity recommendation. One feature often overlooked when compared was the climate precondition. I’m in TX with 3 months of 100 degree summer, being able to cool down the inside temp by just a tap on my phone is the blessing in disguise.
Budget matters though. Some people can only afford to pick something on the cheap end. At that $26.5k starting price before $6k in state and federal incentives, nothing seems to come close in purchase cost.
This is the first time I've come across your channel, and it was exactly what I needed. A calm, practical, and thorough review of a normal car. Thank you!
Love the math Alex. I'm also from New Mexico and a pure EV is basically a no-go if you want to make major trips within state or to other states. Denver is 450 miles away from Albuquerque and so is Phoenix. Plus, if you're making a round trip to somewhere in state, you're not going to find chargers.
I miss my Chevy Volt so much, it was such a great PHEV saved me tons of time & money by visiting the gas station, if I knew the gas price would go rocket high today, I would have bought it back instead of lease returned back then, sigh! Hopefully Chevy could bring the 4th Gen Volt back to the game someday!🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞
Wish the plug-in version of the Ioniq was more widely available (in FL). Ended up going with the standard hybrid version because I love the look of this car! Plus it is way more fun to drive than the Prius C it replaced. Your previous review of the standard Hybrid version of the Ioniq played a big part in the decision, so thanks!
I can't imagine myself buying the all electric version with that low of overall range. Having a plugin hybrid ensures that you can drive this thing short range and long range without feeling of range anxiety. This little guy just came on my radar and can't wait to buy it.
Speaking as a Prius Prime driver, I absolutely agree that it’s about efficiency above all else. I perceive it to be as much about overall flat-out efficiency as it is about being a good PHEV. That is, you may rarely but occasionally use gas in-town, but it’s so efficient in hybrid mode, that you’ll still use almost none. It sounds like you’re also right on the nose that Ioniq is designed to sacrifice a little bit of that efficiency to be slightly cheaper, more sporty, and have a bit more interior room.
I've owned a full electric Ioniq now for a year and a half (first gen) and I love it. Took it to Switzerland for the first time last weekend and what a joy a car like this is when going down a mountain road. Full-on regen mode and driving with just the throttle pedal down the hills.
Excellent review and overview of the compact PHEV / Hybrid segment - so useful - thank you! I own a Tesla M3 which I love and am exploring hybrid / more traditional and more affordable options for my daughter. Great information, Alex - I realize this review is a couple of years old but keep up the great work!
The troubles is: Buying an Ioniq PHEV or Prius Prime requires a different outlook on the move towards sustainability and alternative fuels. This is about consumption mitigation rather than going cold-turkey on the pump. This doesn't seem to be as "sexy" as cold turkey however...
Thanks Alex for your fantastic channel! Question? In Maryland our gas is still substantially under $2.00, access to reasonable or free charging stations seems to be withering away and with local power companies raising rates, and more dealer discounts seem available on HEVs vs PHEV/EVs, wouldn't the Delta lean more towards a hybrid vs a PHEV?
Joe Lowe actually when it comes to lowering gas price it’s the least efficient vehicles that take the highest savings, so in reality the phev fuel economy penalty is reduced due to lower gas prices. Say you travel 15k miles @ 55mpg on a Prius hev it would use 272 gallons of gas Compare that to a Volt or Clarity phev unable to plug in operating only on hev traveling 15k miles @ 42mpg it would use 357 gallon of gas @ $2.3 per gallon hev uses $625 worth of fuel vs $821.1 on phev basically $196 saved on hev But if gas slashes to $1.7 hev consumes $462.4 vs $606.9 on phev basically $143 saved on hev A ~25% lower penalty for the phev system running on hybrid mode Essentially your delta of lost fuel efficiency & cost for lugging a heavy phev system while running on hybrid mode is reduced thanks to the lower gas price and if gas prices sky rocket and the delta becomes bigger well you have a phev! Plug in potentially allowing you to avoid buying pricy gas altogether! And sure electricity prices can rise too but now more than ever they seem to have a rough limit thanks to solar panels. Now I don’t advocate purchasing a phev knowing you will never plug in as it’s still wasteful to haul something you never used no way around it but when it comes to advantages on both fuel prices extremes phevs generally take a bigger slice than hevs.
You have a Bay Area perspective though. Try living with an all-electric in the vast open deserts of the western US. I live in the mountains near Salt Lake, drive 400 miles south during winter and have a cabin in Wyoming. I visit family/friends from San Antonio to Seattle. Between the Mississippi and the Sierras, lifestyles are vastly different. We still lack enough infrastructure for all-electric vehicle lifestyles, except in large cities like Salt Lake and Denver.
My main focus is cleaner air. I'm chemically sensitive, so fumes from fuel/exhaust can make me really sick. Somehow a benign component called Co2 has become the main focus, which has nothing to do with health.
I own the Prius Prime. I think these are necessary vehicles to help most of us transition into the electric world. Also, there are not enough plugs to charge at in my area to commit to a full electric vehicle. I asked my job (which is a major corporation across the USA) if they could install a charger and they said no. We are even being penalized for driving plug ins. Extra$$ at registration and possibly later if they vote for it. Apparently we are not contributing enough because we don't use gas and gas tax goes towards road repairs
It is always appreciated when we hear from an owner sharing their actual experience. Alex has gone to great lengths to provide very rational arguments on the benefits of PHEVs.
Your company should look into the federal rebates for installing one!! It’s pretty substantial... sure they’d have to pay some... I think it’s somewhere around $2500 out of their pocket but I believe the government pays about $8500... anyway, Utah has started a new program called Drive Usage and uses a the DriveSync app and device... essentially you only pay for the miles you drive... if your dollar amount goes over the normal registration fee you do not pay more! It’s for All Hybrids and electric cars. We shall see how it works!
It's sad too. I like the new Prius (2016+), but the styling details are a bad joke. The Ionic is a good car, but to me it looks boring and unsubstantial on the road. If I were buying right now, I'd go with an Ionic PHEV Limited.
Digestible made me smile. It's absolutely right. The Ioniq is a cleanly attractive hatchback that looks more like the second generation Prius. The current Prius is a swoop mess of clashing lines, and the interior is no better.
@@markmiller3279 The Ioniq is so normal looking most people not in the market for a hybrid would just think it is an Elantra. I do love the normalness of my Ioniq!
самые классные обзоры из американских что видел у вас, все четко и по делу, и разбор цен, и конкуренты, экстерьер, интерьер, салон, посадка, багажник, шумоизоляция, двигатель, коробка, эргономика, молодец большой, с удовольствием смотрю ! ионик понравился, классная машина =)
It’s worth pointing out that the Prius Prime’s heat pump cuts down the impact of heating the cabin considerably - to a little bit more than that for running the air conditioner, which is not much. However, on sufficiently cold days, I usually warm up the cabin while it’s still plugged in, then just turn off the cabin climate control entirely, and use only steering-wheel and seat heaters. It sounds like, on the Ioniq, the engine has to run to heat the cabin. However, the P.Prime’s heat pump does lose efficiency as the outdoor temperature drops, and IIRC, below some temperature, the engine kicks in. I don’t know what that threshold temperature is; perhaps around 0F.
I was one of those who didn't care much for the Clarity rear end but got over it and bought it because of the excellent engineering that went into it. In EV mode which I mostly do, it feels refine like (or more than) a Lexus ES but cost much less. On the long distance trips, it feels almost as refined in HV mode and I have to listen carefully to hear the engine. Where it can sound like a bit rough is when you climb a steep mountain live Grapevine in HV. In that case, I keep some battery available to climb and regen going down and it is smooth as butter.
Great review Alex and great analysis of the PHEV v full EV...I own both; a TESLA Model 3 and a Kia Niro PHEV w/26 miles of pure electric range. We have over 2000 miles on the odometer on the Niro already and we just filled up for our second tank of gas. My goal is to sell my TESLA and get the RAV4 Prime as I am in the camp that more PHEVs are better than fewer EVs with larger batteries. At least until we get the battery tech to be more efficient and more recyclable. That said, I love both my cars. The TESLA is a blast to drive, and the Kia is actually pretty fun with the DCT!
I choose the Clarity and I love cuz i get 50 miles electric and about 50 mpg as long as I stay below 70mph on highway. To me all of them were same price, so clarity was the "clear" winner. However, my friend wanted something similar but more like SUV. I recommended the niro and she loves it too. Currently I put 30k miles on my clarity and averaging 85 mpg. Also, 3 of my friends bought it too after they tried mine :)
Mek J this is 50mpg calculated from the pump? Or what the car computer is reporting? It is contrary to what fueleconomy.gov website reports for the Clarity. www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=39768&id=39882&id=39782&id=39190
You have hit the nail on the head. For the next 5 years, If the govt. required fuel efficiency as in this car, it would be much better to build hybrids. Electrical infrastructure, is still not fully in place, battery production will not be able to handle a fully electric marketplace for years. The EV market needs to figure out what it is going to do with all the batteries that will come out of the EVs as well.
High value information as always. I’m considering the Ioniq and Niro plugin. Hard to find the Ioniq out here in SoCal…best bet will probably have one from east coast shipped out. They are a little less attractive to me than the Niro, but more efficient and a bit cheaper.
Agreed. Alex is a smart and thoughtful guy. There is a lithium shortage and a battery production capacity shortage so maximizing the utility of that resource makes a lot of sense. Zealotry is never good. I have an EV and a PHEV. They don't have charging at my office at the moment but I am not commuting at all because of Covid. The PHEV is there so I can make an 800 mile journey, something I now do more regularly than I ever imagined.
👍🏻 exactly... wish there was more attention to this fact, but there seems to be too much emphasis on BEV or nothing. If only rational thinking like Alex’s was more prevalent, we’d be in a better place
Excellent video, t I’m considering the Hyundai as my wife commutes about 45 miles a day and this would use so little gas as we can plug it in at home. Eventually we hope to get a second BEV, but this might be the perfect transition vehicle until more BEVs come to market
One of main benefit of having a full EV is no oil changes. Fewer moving parts means less chance of things breaking down. That's why I bought a 2017 Ioniq EV and I love it. BTW one of the main motivation to buy was the $15K Canadian govt. EV incentive.
I love your altruistic approach. In an economy where there is a shortage of car batteries, can that logic be extended to using standard hybrids instead of plug-in hybrids since standard hybrids tend to have smaller batteries than plug-in hybrids?
Looking at the company website, this MY also comes with standard Lane Following Assist like in the Sonata and Palisade. Essentially, giving you partial level 2 autonomy by jeeping the car center on the lane combined with ACC.
Hyundai's lifetime battery-pack warranty is a big selling point. My '07 Camry Hybrid battery went bad around 160k miles. I spent almost $3k last year on an aftermarket battery-pack with "all-new cells" and it's already had to be replaced under warranty. I'm still about $5k ahead of where I would have been if I bought the same car with a regular gas engine. I've saved about $8k on fuel since '07. I've also still not had to replace brake pads the first time. On a conventional Camry, they would've had to be replaced twice or three times by now. Other than the battery, the only out of pocket repair I've had to do is replace the driver's side sun visor, for $130 - installed it myself. It's still been cheaper to own and maintain than my Lexus ES was. Per mile, it's been the cheapest car to maintain, that I've ever owned.
Excellent review as always, couple things to add, this ioniq’s factory driver assistance especially lane centering is great plus it supports comma ai’s openpilot very well, 2. Hyundai’s warranty on this is much better
Great review! Thank you for showing that the car does switch on the engine to heat the car as this is a deal-breaker for many who live in cooler climates; for after all, why pay extra for a plug in hybrid if you can't use the electricity to run the car, if its too cool outside.
This is different to what we get in the UK. Why? We have one of those stupid foot parking brakes. When I looked in the boot I saw no cooling. There was no info on the touchscreen of the hybrid, maybe because it wasn't plugin version? But I love all that geeky stuff, range, mpg, how much power I used etc.
I wish these were more available. They’re sold in like 3 states in the US, and most dealers will refuse to service them in others. The Prime is a bit more spread out, but I prefer the looks of the Ioniq. The Volt had a really good distribution and servicing network at Chevy dealerships - sad they discontinued it. I don’t think we’ll ever make large moves towards electrification regardless of charging infrastructure if the vehicles themselves are not available or practical to maintain. :(
Well good news Jameson Ioniq is going to be a brand sold under Hyundai. Much like the Genesis line. However it is going to be an all electric line of vehicles. The Prophecy, the Ioniq 5 and I am unsure what the last car/truck name is.
It all depends on usage! With a plug-in, I would not need to buy gas for commuting to work at all! Zero! A tank of gas will last me more than a month with added functionality of road trips out of town!
I add about 300 lbs of tools to my Ioniq per day as an electrician and still get 60 mpg (measured at the pump), but I drive like an old fart at about 65 on the highway, I drop to about 50 mpg doing 80.
oh you're one of those farts that blocks and stays on the fast lane taking ages to take over while people are waiting for your slow ass to move over. GET OUTTA THE WAY !}|. but good choice ioniq over any prius any day.
@@hdidane00 I doubt itsMike drives in the "passing lane" as he and I drive similar and I don't but to be fair all lanes are equal. Maybe, however where you live it is against the law to pass on the right. Where I live there is no such law.
@@oloilmann4288 Where I live it's illegal to stay in the left lane, it's for passing only and the cops don't enforce it unfortunately, passing on the right is dangerous and if you sit in the left lane on a highway forcing cars to pass you on the right regardless if it's legal or not you're the problem
How is the breaking experience? I'm not interested in 1 pedal driving but I'm very curious to know if when you break you're regenning, and if so, is there an indication on the screen to tell you when you start using breaks? Is regenning strong enough to bring you to a stop?
@@Iamallwaysright1 If I press the brake about 25% it shows full regen, but no way it will come to a stop completely. There is a display to show, Regen, Eco, and Power. The car says EV in green when gas motor is off. The car has 70k miles on it now and brakes still look brand new. My friend changed his 1st set of brakes out at 150k on his Prius. I'm still getting 60 mpg, with all my tools (trunk is full, backseat is full, and even more on my passenger seat). You just have to learn how to drive the car. However, new ones you don't get lifetime battery warranty like I have.
The Ioniq PHEV is very good if you're travel distance is within 30 to 40 miles a day. You'll never have to use the gas engine other than very long drives. This is not currently offered in the Philippines. Only hybrid and electric versions.
Larry Feig Same price? The Ioniq plug in is $26,500, and the Clarity plug in is $34,330. For the price of a Clarity plug in, you could buy the Fully electric Ioniq.
Thanks for another great review. I would have chosen the Honda Clarity over the Ioniq last year but this new Ioniq has really up the game especially with the better interior treatment. I really hope that Honda will make some updates to the Clarity like they often do to their other models with mid-generation refreshes.
Thanks for another great review! Full of information and non biased. Your reviews are helping me decide between a pre owned Plug in or a new plug in and going with a tax credit. Which would you choose? A 2019 Chevy Volt premier or a new 2022 Hyundai Ioniq limited plug in? I drive 39 miles to work and have 2 small children ( car seats). I can plug in to recharge at work and live in the southeast so no mountains where I am. What are your thoughts?
Nobody seems to be talking in detail about Hyundai's hybrid implementation. You can find several sources explaining Toyota's planetary gear drive train which can operate both as parallel or serial hybrid, or Honda's pure serial hybrid, but absolutely none on Hyundai's solution. Yours is the closest to explaining it but still no specific details on how this purely parallel hybrid is assembled. Could you elaborate?
My understanding (which at some point I learned from an article that I can no longer find) is that the electric motor in the ioniq sits behind the engine, where the flywheel would normally be. There is a clutch between the engine and the motor. The motor is directly coupled to the input shaft of the DCT. So all power is routed through the DCT. When in EV mode, the clutch between the engine and motor is opened. That clutch only ever has to endure the load of starting the engine. The DCT functions normally, using the two clutches and gear sets to shift between gears. With the engine running, the clutch slip would be used to get the car moving, but, importantly, in normal hybrid or EV mode, when the engine shuts off at a stop, the electric motor can get the car moving from zero rpm with clutches closed before the engine is kicked back on, resulting in no clutch wear from EV stop/start.
Styling-wise I like both Ioniq and Prius Prime, though I do see that the Ioniq’s looks might be more appealing to most. As for the review, I think it’s great overall and mentions many interesting informations and comparisons. There’s only one point concerning practicality of Ioniq vs. Prime, which, at least for me appears to be a major one that might make the choice pretty simple for some (including me): the Ioniq seats 5, the Prime only 4
Love mine. It's an entirely different size class than this and joy to drive and own. If it had a hatch (doesn't because of fuel cell version) it would be absolutely unbeatable. But the trunk is huge, so no big deal.
Within a 5 mile driving radius of my apartment, I have four Starbucks, a Target, Walmart, Costco, HEB grocery store, and numerous places to eat. Also a major upscale shopping center. This would perfect for me. My current ride is a Honda Accord. (The Hyundai dealership is also nearby)
Drive a lot of miles for work and love the idea of a phev. Used Volt, Ioniq PHEV, or Prius Prime? Like the look of the volt and the Ioniq. The volt seems like the most fun. Have 2 small kids and the volt also seems like it has the least amount of room in the back.
For ~$15000 you can get a very lightly used Volt, which is arguably better in nearly every way. Range we get 50-60 Spring thru Fall, and 44 in the Winter. MPG is about 40-42. We live in the Portland, OR area (For weather/traffic). We've got about 25k miles on ours that we bought brand new in July 2016. We have used battery 78% of those miles. That means we used about 137 gallons of gas for a cost of around $400. Where a Prime is technically more efficient in every way, it's range is only 25 miles. I can tell you for a fact for us that is not enough. We owned a 2013 Leaf before the Volt and thus we knew we needed a Volt sized range to hit the vast majority of all our travels. It will take something significantly better then the Volt for us to consider switching, even with all of it's flaws. It is just such a good bargain, esp now at its used prices. Also we have had 0 issues with ours.
Thank you for an in-depth video on the segment even thas its is 2021 and already a bunch of new features are available in the newer models along with updated exterior and interior. I will probably go with the IONIQ for this year because of blue link and remote CC. That is a huge feature and something I have been waiting on in this price range for many years already. Envious of Tesla cars of curse who had this already 10 years ago. Please share if you know of any other brands and cars with this feature. Another must-have feature for me is lane assist and adaptive crouse control. _Not that the feature alone are very impressive but they enable you to add the comma ai to the car harness and literally turn it into a self-driving car just like the Teslas but for a 10x cheaper price.
Good report Alex. Two questions: If you use the electric side of the car most of the time, should you put some sort of fuel preservative in your tank with the gasoline? I read of some Prius Prime drivers who never use their gas engine, so would the fuel deteriorate? Secondly, my wife is thinking of getting a Ioniq PHEV. She has a 8 mile return commute to work. In Kansas City, where we live, the temperature gets well below freezing every Winter, so would she ever be able to use electric only on that sort of drive, as the engine would need to be running all the time to keep the heater and heated seats going. Is that correct?
Has anyone had their Ioniq Phev for a year or so? Just wondering how you are liking it as we are looking at purchasing a 2021 Ioniq Phev ultimate. Any thoughts? Great review, very detailed.Any other Phev or Bev suggestions if this isn’t a good purchase for long term?
I've had mine for two years and it works great. It's a slower more boring car but it serves it's purpose with a very usable cargo space. I get gas only on long trips .
@@SCfan84 Thank you so much for responding. We actually just bought the 2021 ioniq ultimate phev 2 weeks ago. We have put on 590 km and still have 3/4 of a tank of gas. I wanted a larger vehicle with more power like the Rav prime. Three year waiting list and $15,000.00 or so more. I was skeptical getting a car as I had a large suv and a truck but I must say I am loving the car. Very comfortable to sit in and love all the gadgets but haven't figured them all out yet. Lol! Enjoy plugging it in to see how far we will get on our first tank of gas. Thank you again.
I got a Ioniq PHEV.....better incentives and warranty......Toyota looks like an alien and the sales people were jerks. I love my new car I named her Dorothy. I get to charge for free at the local college and so far I have put 7 gallons of gas in since I picked her up March 11
So if there was no gas in the tank would this vehicle still do the functions that it is said to use gas for? Such as going up a steep hill and heating?
Alex, You are really agonizing over the choice at the end. That's what I call suffering for your art. ;) If I had to choose something in this segment it would be the eAWD Prius. Nickel hydride batteries have proven their long term reliability but Lithium ion is still too new to know. If it absolutely had to have a plug, the Prius Prime's efficiency makes it the clear choice.
I’m kinda looking forward to more performance oriented plug-ins to come about on the market (at least more reasonably priced ones). After seeing the RAV4 plug in, I started to lust after a similarly powered Corolla plug in with 300hp on tap and a small pure EV range.
Dungsta you using CAD or US dollars? XSE starts at $26k USD and I find it hard to believe there’s $13k worth of package available for it. Edit, it actually starts at $23k, so that would need $16k in packages.
Ioniq vs Prius prime vs clarity I did buy one (last year) Before that, Exterior looks I don’t like the Ioniq, it’s the worst of the 3, next up the prime which I quite like for most it’s angles, the clarity is #1 for me. Next up, interior, now it was nearly a tie for me last year between the ioniq & Prime, but I think the new ioniq would now edge it out. Clarity again though being the nicest to me. But, that said, considering efficiency, safety, reliability, features (that mattered to me), environmental friendliness, & value, I couldn’t help but get the Prime Advanced. And quite happy with it. Though I’ll jump to a full EV Tesla one day eventually.
Looks wise I prefer the Niro to the Ioniq, but they are both more attractive than the Prius Prime or the Honda Clarity. If I were to go for a plug-in hybrid, I would likely forgo the performance value of the Clarity and the BTTW efficiency factor of the Prius for either the Niro or the Ioniq. Handling is good enough in either the Kia or Hyundai and I love the DCTs, and either would reduce my gas consumption to zero in all but a couple of drives a month . . . and those drives would completely drain any of the choices and then some. I believe that Americans can be convinced to purchase plug-in hybrids because of their more traditional feel than EVs. Americans live away from their jobs and need more range for their daily commute . . . and we certainly are a driving nation when it comes to leisure trips. I would have trouble managing a few of my longer trips each year with an EV and a plug-in hybrid would certainly be the way I would go. I agree that the the finite resources used in the production of the batteries are better used, at least in America, for plug-in hybrids than for full-blown EV''s. I like the Niro better for looks, wagon-like utility, entry (bad back) and upright seating . . . but the Ioniq is probably the better choice due to cost and efficiency and, I'll be honest, the cargo are with the seats down would handle nearly all of my needs.
Reasons why I think PHEV's make a lot of sense right now and will for the next 10 years until EV tech has reached major status. Youre only filling the gas once every several months and in terms of battery range yeah, not great compared to EV's but being able to fully charge with a level 1 charger no problem is awesome! dont have to purchase a 1000$ + Level 2 charger for your home. If you live in a super condensed big city like new york or toronto of course get an EV, that makes the most sense. For someone like me in Alberta where everything is really spaced out, I could get to work and back on just battery and then if i wanted to go to the Rocky mountains Id have absolutely no problem doing so with the engine. EV charging stations are no where near developed here so EV is out of the question. Also EV's are like $15-20 K more expensive so NO THANKS. Another thing to think about is how does your city get its energy? If its from fossil fuels then having an EV is not as green as you think it is. Also PHEV's are super cheap to maintain, only slightly more than BEV.
One thing to consider is that 240v charging is substantially more efficient than 120v. I've measured this to be 86% vs 70% in my ioniq phev. Could also charge from a dryer plug if you have one
Do remember that an electric vehicle powered by a power grid that runs 100% on coal power plants, is still cleaner than a gas car. I don't know the exact mix of energy in Alberta, but it's definitely cleaner than 100% coal, and with more wind and solar energy coming online, it'll only get cleaner with time, meaning electric vehicles will get cleaner and cleaner. Meanwhile, gas cars are as clean as they're ever going to get. For every gallon of gas you burn in the car, you also need the equivalent of 7 gallons worth of energy of gasoline to extract that oil, refine it, store it, and transport it to the gas station, before you can burn it. Any and all hybrids and electric vehicles are going to be cleaner than pure gas vehicles. If we want to reduce our emissions, we must make a change to hybrid and then electric vehicles. For most of Canada there's just no charging infrastructure, so hybrid or plug-in hybrid is the way to go.
If I’m not mistaken, this car depends on engine heating for interior heat, which means one either needs to learn to love the cold, or to kill one’s fuel savings in colder parts of the country.
Nah I mean the fuel burn rate is like 0.4 gallons per hour for the heater if it's running all the time. The heater ends up turning off too after the temperature is set so it's probably more like 0.2 gallons an hour. If you drive 30 miles in an hour that's like 150mpg. Also the engine is used to charge the battery while it's also being used to make heat. This is why the Ioniq has basically no winter range loss in ev mode.
Great review alex as always, thank you. I would love to get one of these but I live in NYC where convenient/affordable access to charging is close to zero. Say if i were to run it 90% of the time in hybrid mode and just let the battery charge from normal driving, and just use the EV whenever there's enough charge. Can you or anyone on this channel comment on how much could the battery charge up on regenerative mode, and how long would it take to come to a full charge? Thanks in advance.
my understanding is that for the Ioniq there are separate batteries for the hybrid electric/gas engine and the pure electric engine. You can only charge the battery for the pure electric engine from a power outlet and not with the brakes or gas engine. Not sure about the prius prime. The Clarity is a different animal.
Considering how quickly price goes up for better equipped trims and the fact that liftback does not have resale value, a SUV has better cargo practicality and longer pure EV range I would chose Ford Escape PHEV since Toyota RAV4 Prime will have dealer markup due to scarse availability.
Our family kind of needs two new cars in the next few years, ugh. Would love to go all electric . . . but road trips, it is just hard to beat a plug-in hybrid for around town electric frugality, along with near 500 mi range and instant fill ups on the road. May well end up with one pure EV and one plug-in hybrid. Tired of our Prius so would not go for the new rather odd looking one. Also, sorry Honda Clarity, just too weird looking and bloated. Yes you want superb efficiency but you want a nice pleasant car too, so, leaning toward either the Niro or the Ioniq.
Alex, I am driving roughly 500 miles a week. I am driving a 2008 Camry xle hybrid that is very comfy but yielding about 35mpg average. Was looking to move up to something in the mid 40’s mpg. My question is what would you pick, 2017 Kia Optima plug in or the Hyundi Ionic or Ionic plug in?
It's also where there's the greatest potential to save gas. Increasing the efficiency of a low efficiency vehicle by 10 mpg saves more fuel than increasing an economy car by the same amount. If we want to get serious about saving fuel we should be making hybrid pickups and larger SUVs.
@@markmiller3279 I agree. I drive a compact SUV now and am waiting for the options. The newly announced Tucson sounds like the ticket, but I'm curious to see what the Kia sister will look like. I prefer the cleaner exterior lines of Kia vehicles, but the next gen Tucson interior is stunning.
It's a sedan with a hatchback boot mechanism, like the Audi A7's boot mechanism. It's not a hatchback in the traditional sense because it doesn't denote the body style, it just denotes the boot style.
Hey Alex on Autos I like your reviews! I was curious about something you said near the end of this video. You say the Clarity can get over your 2200 ft pass in EV, and the Ioniq couldn't. Did it run out of EV or did you press the accelerator past the ECO area and start the engine. I may not have a 2200ft pass to traverse but every 6 degree hill near me the car can drive up in EV mode. So could you clarify why the Ioniq needed the engine?
How practical is the cargo area compared to the regular prius? I have a '14 prius and love that I can fit 2x8' sheets or a dishwasher in the prius (seriously). What are the width/height dimensions of the cargo opening?
I had a Prius and switched to an ioniq phev. Both can haul a dishwasher because the hatch opening is greater than 25 inches at its lowest point. Ive taken a new dishwasher home in it's original box from IKEA in my Ioniq. Hatchbacks are the best
Really appreciate Alex’s altruistic perspective on vehicle fuel consumption when talking about PHEVs. Thank you for reading between the lines - helped to shift my perspective on them. They’re not for everyone, but they definitely could serve a lot of consumers with certain use cases well. I’d take an Ioniq plug-in over a Prius Prime on looks alone. Probably my favorite affordable plug-in.
You really knocked it out of the park with your assessment of PHEVs at the beginning of this episode - I am the happy and proud owner of a Ford Fusion Titanium PHEV and I must say I had not heard the logic you put forth before - Bravo! You are SPOT-ON - my Fusion PHEV is a 2020 with a 9kWhr battery - its EPA rating is 26 miles on a charge but as an experienced EV driver (7 years) I easily get 30 miles out of it almost without fail. In my most recent test, I drove 176 EV miles out of 177 total miles, which is well over 99% EV usage. PHEVs may actually be the most efficient use of battery resources available today! In addition my boss pays for my electricity, and my commute is only 8 miles, so a PHEV is an incredible value for me - especially since I got this for a screamin' deal. I think you have the best reviews around - keep it up!
I’m on my second Clarity and love it. I first leased a 2017 Clarity BEV a few years ago and even with a short (89mi) range, found it to be a perfect commuter. As the lease came to an end, I had been 100 percent set on getting another EV (likely a Bolt), but having lived happily with a short range EV for a few years and absolutely loving the Clarity driving experience and interior led me to purchase a used 2018 Clarity PHEV. I don’t regret this at all...for the money, nothing comes close to the efficiency, comfort, and features of this car. We have taken a few road trips in it (something we could never do in the BEV version) and averaged between 54 and 56 mpg each time. And filling the tiny 7 gallon gas tank is always a surprise...even when it looks “empty” we haven’t filled with more than 5 gallons at a time, so it’s super cheap to run. Charging is easy at home (240v) or work (110v) and the car is always charged up. For us, it was the perfect solution, and as Alex says, by us getting a PHEV with a smaller battery pack, it frees up resources to build several more battery electric vehicles, which is a net gain for society. This was a huge factor in our purchase.
Got this car recently. Absolutely love it. Compared to the Prius Prime, it’s cheaper, has better warranty, is sportier, has a better range, and drives more efficiently on highways due to the Dual Clutch Transmission. Not to mention dealers are adding ludicrous multi thousand dollar market adjustment markups on Prius Primes right now. It’s a no brainer to get this instead.
Did you buy new? how much was it if I may ask?
Asking as someone who isn't big on mechanical knowledge: how does a DCT make the Ioniq more fuel efficient on the highway than the Prius Prime and its CVT?
My understanding is that the advantage of choosing a DCT over a CVT was primarily for making it easier for drivers moving from a conventional ICE car to a hybrid car, because the majority of automatic ICE cars don't have a CVT (like the Toyota and Lexus hybrids) and may be put off by the droning CVTs are notorious for under hard acceleration.
@@henryviiifake8244 Dual-clutch transmissions are generally more efficient than traditional automatics due to their lack of torque converter, and the mechanical losses associated with that. Toyota/Lexus hybrids don't use a CVT, even if they choose to call it an "eCVT". Their hybrid systems, along with some hybrids from Ford and Chrysler, utilize a planetary gear set that drives a motor generator unit, which then powers the wheels, sometimes in-conjunction with the engine. It's a difference in engineering philosophy and how they want to achieve peak efficiency between Hyundai/Kia & Toyota/Lexus.
@@henryviiifake8244 my understanding is with the Prius eCVT, the engine has to work less efficiently at highway speeds because the eCVT is unable to create the ideal gear ratio for these scenarios. The electric motors can’t reduce enough load from the engine without drawing too much power from the battery.
DCT can produce a more ideal gear ratio for highway speeds, which means the engine works more efficiently.
a used volt has twice the battery and is 1/3rd the cost. I wonder how these newer PHEV's will age given they are only keeping a 10% state of charge buffer at the bottom end. 120k miles on my 14 year old volt, getting 45 miles of range. cells are still perfectly balanced showing full capacity.
in response to the points raised in this video, you buy a PHEV to be an EV 100% of the time, except for when they would be very inconvenient, so why would you care that the volt engine only gets 32 mpgs... the fact that it has twice the battery means there are significantly more scenarios when this doesnt matter, and given the larger battery you have no real degradation in my and other volt owners experiences.
commuting 160 miles per day right now, getting 82 mpg. If I owned this car it would be about the same. that means you have to commute more than 160 miles for the previous argument to make sense. I dont think many people do that. every commute shorter than 160 miles, and higher than 56miles, you will burn more gas in this car. and thats assuming zero battery degradation.
Very helpful video in comparing the Prius w/ the Ioniq. I think I am leaning towards an Ioniq PHEV over the Prius PHEV, for a few reasons. As you mentioned the Prius utilizes electricity in order to heat the cabin, where as the Ioniq utilizes its gasoline engine to heat the cabin, although fuel efficiency is maximized in the Prius, it might be less efficient or functional/operational in cold weather climates. Cold weather climates cause a reduction in battery efficiency and range. When its -10 F or even -20 at times here in MN I wouldn't want my vehicle trying to start cold and then try to heat the cabin on electricity, that would only further reduce the already reduced battery output, and would pose greater risk on starting and operating the vehicle at sub zero temps. Also I noticed in your Prius video the PHEV has only 121 HP, where as the Ioniq has 156 HP which is a significant difference. In a Prius it would pose greater risk escaping a heavy snow storm, or may have greater tendency to slip on ice. Amazingly the Ioniq at 156 HP is actually more HP than a standard gas powered 2022 Elantra at 147 HP. So as far as a winter car in the Midwest & Western mountain region where snow, ice, and below zero temps occur I would trust the Ioniq over the Prius, also considering the higher cost of a Prius's currently Ioniq looks like a no-brainer here as far as purchasing if you are in colder climates. Overall phenomenal video though, Alex on Autos continues to be the leader in car reviews here on RUclips.
11:05 Dunno if someone mentioned it already, but there's a split screen mode for the infotainment screen accessible in the settings menu. It'll let you have a larger split for Android Auto/Apple Carplay/etc, and a smaller split that can show a clock, compass, navigation info, battery/range info, bluetooth media/radio, etc.
Great review, btw. I've driven this car and it's a good buy.
Just bought a 2022 Ioniq plug-in hybrid and I love it to death! It looks way better than the Prius and in our area they don’t sell the Clarity… definitely worth every penny.
I own a 2018 Honda Clarity and I absolutely love it!! Living in upstate NY, I get 55 miles in the summer on the battery then in winter I get around 35 miles on the battery. I live the styling of the it exterior and interior and if you know the function of the exterior styling it helps you like it more. The car is so well made and the quality interior is miles better than the Prime or Ioniq. I would highly recommend looking at the Clarity. It is a mid-sized sedan, but I think the one size bigger than compact isn't too different and isn't a deal breaker. Crazy good looking, fuel efficiency, and spacious vehicle.
I’m second to Clarity recommendation. One feature often overlooked when compared was the climate precondition. I’m in TX with 3 months of 100 degree summer, being able to cool down the inside temp by just a tap on my phone is the blessing in disguise.
Nice Voltec hardware! The Chevy Volts have proven to be over engineered and will last a very long time.
Budget matters though. Some people can only afford to pick something on the cheap end. At that $26.5k starting price before $6k in state and federal incentives, nothing seems to come close in purchase cost.
This is the first time I've come across your channel, and it was exactly what I needed. A calm, practical, and thorough review of a normal car. Thank you!
Love the math Alex. I'm also from New Mexico and a pure EV is basically a no-go if you want to make major trips within state or to other states. Denver is 450 miles away from Albuquerque and so is Phoenix. Plus, if you're making a round trip to somewhere in state, you're not going to find chargers.
I miss my Chevy Volt so much, it was such a great PHEV saved me tons of time & money by visiting the gas station, if I knew the gas price would go rocket high today, I would have bought it back instead of lease returned back then, sigh! Hopefully Chevy could bring the 4th Gen Volt back to the game someday!🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞
Wish the plug-in version of the Ioniq was more widely available (in FL). Ended up going with the standard hybrid version because I love the look of this car! Plus it is way more fun to drive than the Prius C it replaced. Your previous review of the standard Hybrid version of the Ioniq played a big part in the decision, so thanks!
I'm considering buying this car and driving it home. It's not illegal to register the vehicle in FL (or my state of GA), they just don't sell it.
Subbed. This guys reviews are great and with all the extra info shown on the screen makes it so much more useful than a demuro video.
I can't imagine myself buying the all electric version with that low of overall range. Having a plugin hybrid ensures that you can drive this thing short range and long range without feeling of range anxiety. This little guy just came on my radar and can't wait to buy it.
Speaking as a Prius Prime driver, I absolutely agree that it’s about efficiency above all else. I perceive it to be as much about overall flat-out efficiency as it is about being a good PHEV. That is, you may rarely but occasionally use gas in-town, but it’s so efficient in hybrid mode, that you’ll still use almost none.
It sounds like you’re also right on the nose that Ioniq is designed to sacrifice a little bit of that efficiency to be slightly cheaper, more sporty, and have a bit more interior room.
Own a Clarity myself: great car, great handling, great range, fully equiped even for the base model. 10 000$ less than a EV here in Quebec.
I've owned a full electric Ioniq now for a year and a half (first gen) and I love it. Took it to Switzerland for the first time last weekend and what a joy a car like this is when going down a mountain road. Full-on regen mode and driving with just the throttle pedal down the hills.
Excellent review and overview of the compact PHEV / Hybrid segment - so useful - thank you! I own a Tesla M3 which I love and am exploring hybrid / more traditional and more affordable options for my daughter. Great information, Alex - I realize this review is a couple of years old but keep up the great work!
The troubles is: Buying an Ioniq PHEV or Prius Prime requires a different outlook on the move towards sustainability and alternative fuels. This is about consumption mitigation rather than going cold-turkey on the pump. This doesn't seem to be as "sexy" as cold turkey however...
Thanks Alex for your fantastic channel!
Question?
In Maryland our gas is still substantially under $2.00, access to reasonable or free charging stations seems to be withering away and with local power companies raising rates, and more dealer discounts seem available on HEVs vs PHEV/EVs, wouldn't the Delta lean more towards a hybrid vs a PHEV?
Joe Lowe actually when it comes to lowering gas price it’s the least efficient vehicles that take the highest savings, so in reality the phev fuel economy penalty is reduced due to lower gas prices.
Say you travel 15k miles @ 55mpg on a Prius hev it would use 272 gallons of gas
Compare that to a Volt or Clarity phev unable to plug in operating only on hev traveling 15k miles @ 42mpg it would use 357 gallon of gas
@ $2.3 per gallon hev uses $625 worth of fuel vs $821.1 on phev basically $196 saved on hev
But if gas slashes to $1.7 hev consumes $462.4 vs $606.9 on phev basically $143 saved on hev
A ~25% lower penalty for the phev system running on hybrid mode
Essentially your delta of lost fuel efficiency & cost for lugging a heavy phev system while running on hybrid mode is reduced thanks to the lower gas price and if gas prices sky rocket and the delta becomes bigger well you have a phev! Plug in potentially allowing you to avoid buying pricy gas altogether! And sure electricity prices can rise too but now more than ever they seem to have a rough limit thanks to solar panels. Now I don’t advocate purchasing a phev knowing you will never plug in as it’s still wasteful to haul something you never used no way around it but when it comes to advantages on both fuel prices extremes phevs generally take a bigger slice than hevs.
You have a Bay Area perspective though. Try living with an all-electric in the vast open deserts of the western US. I live in the mountains near Salt Lake, drive 400 miles south during winter and have a cabin in Wyoming. I visit family/friends from San Antonio to Seattle. Between the Mississippi and the Sierras, lifestyles are vastly different. We still lack enough infrastructure for all-electric vehicle lifestyles, except in large cities like Salt Lake and Denver.
My main focus is cleaner air. I'm chemically sensitive, so fumes from fuel/exhaust can make me really sick. Somehow a benign component called Co2 has become the main focus, which has nothing to do with health.
I mean.. ioniq isn’t so sustainable with its choice of all the leather they added though. Darn shame
I own the Prius Prime. I think these are necessary vehicles to help most of us transition into the electric world. Also, there are not enough plugs to charge at in my area to commit to a full electric vehicle. I asked my job (which is a major corporation across the USA) if they could install a charger and they said no. We are even being penalized for driving plug ins. Extra$$ at registration and possibly later if they vote for it. Apparently we are not contributing enough because we don't use gas and gas tax goes towards road repairs
It is always appreciated when we hear from an owner sharing their actual experience. Alex has gone to great lengths to provide very rational arguments on the benefits of PHEVs.
Your company should look into the federal rebates for installing one!! It’s pretty substantial... sure they’d have to pay some... I think it’s somewhere around $2500 out of their pocket but I believe the government pays about $8500... anyway, Utah has started a new program called Drive Usage and uses a the DriveSync app and device... essentially you only pay for the miles you drive... if your dollar amount goes over the normal registration fee you do not pay more! It’s for All Hybrids and electric cars. We shall see how it works!
Did you ask them to put a regular outlet in as it wouldn't cost as much and if you work 8 hours that should do the trick.
No heated steering wheel?
@@zrandy no not in base model
Take note Toyota, styling does matter. I love the ioniq styling. It's more digestible.
So much better than Prius stuff!
Rav4 prime or bust
It's sad too. I like the new Prius (2016+), but the styling details are a bad joke. The Ionic is a good car, but to me it looks boring and unsubstantial on the road. If I were buying right now, I'd go with an Ionic PHEV Limited.
Digestible made me smile. It's absolutely right. The Ioniq is a cleanly attractive hatchback that looks more like the second generation Prius. The current Prius is a swoop mess of clashing lines, and the interior is no better.
@@markmiller3279 The Ioniq is so normal looking most people not in the market for a hybrid would just think it is an Elantra. I do love the normalness of my Ioniq!
самые классные обзоры из американских что видел у вас, все четко и по делу, и разбор цен, и конкуренты, экстерьер, интерьер, салон, посадка, багажник, шумоизоляция, двигатель, коробка, эргономика, молодец большой, с удовольствием смотрю ! ионик понравился, классная машина =)
It’s worth pointing out that the Prius Prime’s heat pump cuts down the impact of heating the cabin considerably - to a little bit more than that for running the air conditioner, which is not much.
However, on sufficiently cold days, I usually warm up the cabin while it’s still plugged in, then just turn off the cabin climate control entirely, and use only steering-wheel and seat heaters. It sounds like, on the Ioniq, the engine has to run to heat the cabin.
However, the P.Prime’s heat pump does lose efficiency as the outdoor temperature drops, and IIRC, below some temperature, the engine kicks in. I don’t know what that threshold temperature is; perhaps around 0F.
I was one of those who didn't care much for the Clarity rear end but got over it and bought it because of the excellent engineering that went into it. In EV mode which I mostly do, it feels refine like (or more than) a Lexus ES but cost much less. On the long distance trips, it feels almost as refined in HV mode and I have to listen carefully to hear the engine. Where it can sound like a bit rough is when you climb a steep mountain live Grapevine in HV. In that case, I keep some battery available to climb and regen going down and it is smooth as butter.
Great review Alex and great analysis of the PHEV v full EV...I own both; a TESLA Model 3 and a Kia Niro PHEV w/26 miles of pure electric range. We have over 2000 miles on the odometer on the Niro already and we just filled up for our second tank of gas. My goal is to sell my TESLA and get the RAV4 Prime as I am in the camp that more PHEVs are better than fewer EVs with larger batteries. At least until we get the battery tech to be more efficient and more recyclable. That said, I love both my cars. The TESLA is a blast to drive, and the Kia is actually pretty fun with the DCT!
I choose the Clarity and I love cuz i get 50 miles electric and about 50 mpg as long as I stay below 70mph on highway. To me all of them were same price, so clarity was the "clear" winner. However, my friend wanted something similar but more like SUV. I recommended the niro and she loves it too.
Currently I put 30k miles on my clarity and averaging 85 mpg. Also, 3 of my friends bought it too after they tried mine :)
Mek J this is 50mpg calculated from the pump? Or what the car computer is reporting? It is contrary to what fueleconomy.gov website reports for the Clarity. www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=39768&id=39882&id=39782&id=39190
Honda has ended the Clarity, which is a shame. I was looking at getting one.
You have hit the nail on the head. For the next 5 years, If the govt. required fuel efficiency as in this car, it would be much better to build hybrids. Electrical infrastructure, is still not fully in place, battery production will not be able to handle a fully electric marketplace for years. The EV market needs to figure out what it is going to do with all the batteries that will come out of the EVs as well.
High value information as always. I’m considering the Ioniq and Niro plugin. Hard to find the Ioniq out here in SoCal…best bet will probably have one from east coast shipped out. They are a little less attractive to me than the Niro, but more efficient and a bit cheaper.
Brilliant review and excellent commentary regarding the rationale of PHEV > EV.
Agreed. Alex is a smart and thoughtful guy. There is a lithium shortage and a battery production capacity shortage so maximizing the utility of that resource makes a lot of sense. Zealotry is never good. I have an EV and a PHEV. They don't have charging at my office at the moment but I am not commuting at all because of Covid. The PHEV is there so I can make an 800 mile journey, something I now do more regularly than I ever imagined.
👍🏻 exactly... wish there was more attention to this fact, but there seems to be too much emphasis on BEV or nothing. If only rational thinking like Alex’s was more prevalent, we’d be in a better place
Love your channel Alex, your detailed analysis is appreciated.
I agree with you on your argument on plug-in hybrids on environmental impact!!!
Excellent video, t I’m considering the Hyundai as my wife commutes about 45 miles a day and this would use so little gas as we can plug it in at home. Eventually we hope to get a second BEV, but this might be the perfect transition vehicle until more BEVs come to market
Have had this car for two years and love it. it's extremely efficient. If your wife can plug in at work then you don't even need any gas
One of main benefit of having a full EV is no oil changes. Fewer moving parts means less chance of things breaking down. That's why I bought a 2017 Ioniq EV and I love it. BTW one of the main motivation to buy was the $15K Canadian govt. EV incentive.
I love your altruistic approach. In an economy where there is a shortage of car batteries, can that logic be extended to using standard hybrids instead of plug-in hybrids since standard hybrids tend to have smaller batteries than plug-in hybrids?
Looking at the company website, this MY also comes with standard Lane Following Assist like in the Sonata and Palisade. Essentially, giving you partial level 2 autonomy by jeeping the car center on the lane combined with ACC.
Excellent point on the overall environmental impact and advantage; 10 PHEVs vs just 1 BEV. Wish more auto reviewers pointed this out.
Hyundai's lifetime battery-pack warranty is a big selling point.
My '07 Camry Hybrid battery went bad around 160k miles.
I spent almost $3k last year on an aftermarket battery-pack with "all-new cells" and it's already had to be replaced under warranty. I'm still about $5k ahead of where I would have been if I bought the same car with a regular gas engine. I've saved about $8k on fuel since '07. I've also still not had to replace brake pads the first time. On a conventional Camry, they would've had to be replaced twice or three times by now. Other than the battery, the only out of pocket repair I've had to do is replace the driver's side sun visor, for $130 - installed it myself.
It's still been cheaper to own and maintain than my Lexus ES was. Per mile, it's been the cheapest car to maintain, that I've ever owned.
They don't have a lifetime battery warranty anymore
@@gondorian1006 Oh. Never mind, then.
Excellent review as always, couple things to add, this ioniq’s factory driver assistance especially lane centering is great plus it supports comma ai’s openpilot very well, 2. Hyundai’s warranty on this is much better
Best review of PHEV's, bar none. Provides not only the "what" about fuel efficiency but also the "how".
My 1st hybrid plug-in car! Nice video Alex.
Great review! Thank you for showing that the car does switch on the engine to heat the car as this is a deal-breaker for many who live in cooler climates; for after all, why pay extra for a plug in hybrid if you can't use the electricity to run the car, if its too cool outside.
This is different to what we get in the UK. Why? We have one of those stupid foot parking brakes. When I looked in the boot I saw no cooling. There was no info on the touchscreen of the hybrid, maybe because it wasn't plugin version? But I love all that geeky stuff, range, mpg, how much power I used etc.
I wish these were more available. They’re sold in like 3 states in the US, and most dealers will refuse to service them in others. The Prime is a bit more spread out, but I prefer the looks of the Ioniq. The Volt had a really good distribution and servicing network at Chevy dealerships - sad they discontinued it. I don’t think we’ll ever make large moves towards electrification regardless of charging infrastructure if the vehicles themselves are not available or practical to maintain. :(
Well good news Jameson Ioniq is going to be a brand sold under Hyundai. Much like the Genesis line. However it is going to be an all electric line of vehicles. The Prophecy, the Ioniq 5 and I am unsure what the last car/truck name is.
@@oloilmann4288 it has come to pass
It all depends on usage! With a plug-in, I would not need to buy gas for commuting to work at all! Zero! A tank of gas will last me more than a month with added functionality of road trips out of town!
Correct, however gas should not be left idle in the tank based on what I've read, causes corrosion over the long term. Managing the level is key
I’m getting a Prius prime… can’t beat the reliability and resale value… and better MPG
I add about 300 lbs of tools to my Ioniq per day as an electrician and still get 60 mpg (measured at the pump), but I drive like an old fart at about 65 on the highway, I drop to about 50 mpg doing 80.
oh you're one of those farts that blocks and stays on the fast lane taking ages to take over while people are waiting for your slow ass to move over. GET OUTTA THE WAY !}|. but good choice ioniq over any prius any day.
@@hdidane00 I doubt itsMike drives in the "passing lane" as he and I drive similar and I don't but to be fair all lanes are equal. Maybe, however where you live it is against the law to pass on the right. Where I live there is no such law.
@@oloilmann4288 Where I live it's illegal to stay in the left lane, it's for passing only and the cops don't enforce it unfortunately, passing on the right is dangerous and if you sit in the left lane on a highway forcing cars to pass you on the right regardless if it's legal or not you're the problem
How is the breaking experience? I'm not interested in 1 pedal driving but I'm very curious to know if when you break you're regenning, and if so, is there an indication on the screen to tell you when you start using breaks? Is regenning strong enough to bring you to a stop?
@@Iamallwaysright1 If I press the brake about 25% it shows full regen, but no way it will come to a stop completely. There is a display to show, Regen, Eco, and Power. The car says EV in green when gas motor is off. The car has 70k miles on it now and brakes still look brand new. My friend changed his 1st set of brakes out at 150k on his Prius. I'm still getting 60 mpg, with all my tools (trunk is full, backseat is full, and even more on my passenger seat). You just have to learn how to drive the car. However, new ones you don't get lifetime battery warranty like I have.
The Ioniq PHEV is very good if you're travel distance is within 30 to 40 miles a day. You'll never have to use the gas engine other than very long drives. This is not currently offered in the Philippines. Only hybrid and electric versions.
30-40???? Its 28 in summer 20 in winter! Clarity gets 50 and 40 for same price and the size of an Accord!
Larry Feig Same price? The Ioniq plug in is $26,500, and the Clarity plug in is $34,330. For the price of a Clarity plug in, you could buy the Fully electric Ioniq.
Thanks for another great review. I would have chosen the Honda Clarity over the Ioniq last year but this new Ioniq has really up the game especially with the better interior treatment. I really hope that Honda will make some updates to the Clarity like they often do to their other models with mid-generation refreshes.
Thanks for another great review! Full of information and non biased. Your reviews are helping me decide between a pre owned Plug in or a new plug in and going with a tax credit. Which would you choose? A 2019 Chevy Volt premier or a new 2022 Hyundai Ioniq limited plug in? I drive 39 miles to work and have 2 small children ( car seats). I can plug in to recharge at work and live in the southeast so no mountains where I am. What are your thoughts?
Nobody seems to be talking in detail about Hyundai's hybrid implementation. You can find several sources explaining Toyota's planetary gear drive train which can operate both as parallel or serial hybrid, or Honda's pure serial hybrid, but absolutely none on Hyundai's solution. Yours is the closest to explaining it but still no specific details on how this purely parallel hybrid is assembled. Could you elaborate?
My understanding (which at some point I learned from an article that I can no longer find) is that the electric motor in the ioniq sits behind the engine, where the flywheel would normally be. There is a clutch between the engine and the motor. The motor is directly coupled to the input shaft of the DCT. So all power is routed through the DCT. When in EV mode, the clutch between the engine and motor is opened. That clutch only ever has to endure the load of starting the engine. The DCT functions normally, using the two clutches and gear sets to shift between gears. With the engine running, the clutch slip would be used to get the car moving, but, importantly, in normal hybrid or EV mode, when the engine shuts off at a stop, the electric motor can get the car moving from zero rpm with clutches closed before the engine is kicked back on, resulting in no clutch wear from EV stop/start.
hyundai literally says it on their website
Styling-wise I like both Ioniq and Prius Prime, though I do see that the Ioniq’s looks might be more appealing to most. As for the review, I think it’s great overall and mentions many interesting informations and comparisons. There’s only one point concerning practicality of Ioniq vs. Prime, which, at least for me appears to be a major one that might make the choice pretty simple for some (including me): the Ioniq seats 5, the Prime only 4
2020 Prime now has seating for 5
The paddles regulate regen in EV mode and act as gear shifters when the engine is running. That's very very smart.
Basically completely agree with your analysis. If I had to choose, probably the Ioniq
Would go with the Clarity. Reason: confort and interior. Reliability was never a problem with Honda plug in.
Love mine. It's an entirely different size class than this and joy to drive and own. If it had a hatch (doesn't because of fuel cell version) it would be absolutely unbeatable. But the trunk is huge, so no big deal.
Reliable as it is GM Voltec underneath.
@@normt5463 Similar design in many ways but entirely separate system.
Within a 5 mile driving radius of my apartment, I have four Starbucks, a Target, Walmart, Costco, HEB grocery store, and numerous places to eat. Also a major upscale shopping center. This would perfect for me. My current ride is a Honda Accord. (The Hyundai dealership is also nearby)
Drive a lot of miles for work and love the idea of a phev. Used Volt, Ioniq PHEV, or Prius Prime? Like the look of the volt and the Ioniq. The volt seems like the most fun. Have 2 small kids and the volt also seems like it has the least amount of room in the back.
Small kids grow bigger, so consider how long you plan to keep the vehicle.
Modern PHEV’s do not suck anymore. My fave is the just face-lifted Mini Countryman
One day, I buy a 2020 Hyundai Ioniq PHEV.
For ~$15000 you can get a very lightly used Volt, which is arguably better in nearly every way. Range we get 50-60 Spring thru Fall, and 44 in the Winter. MPG is about 40-42. We live in the Portland, OR area (For weather/traffic). We've got about 25k miles on ours that we bought brand new in July 2016. We have used battery 78% of those miles. That means we used about 137 gallons of gas for a cost of around $400. Where a Prime is technically more efficient in every way, it's range is only 25 miles. I can tell you for a fact for us that is not enough. We owned a 2013 Leaf before the Volt and thus we knew we needed a Volt sized range to hit the vast majority of all our travels. It will take something significantly better then the Volt for us to consider switching, even with all of it's flaws. It is just such a good bargain, esp now at its used prices. Also we have had 0 issues with ours.
I agree, too bad the Volt got axed, was / an excellent car, one of GM's better efforts.
Thank you for an in-depth video on the segment even thas its is 2021 and already a bunch of new features are available in the newer models along with updated exterior and interior. I will probably go with the IONIQ for this year because of blue link and remote CC. That is a huge feature and something I have been waiting on in this price range for many years already. Envious of Tesla cars of curse who had this already 10 years ago. Please share if you know of any other brands and cars with this feature. Another must-have feature for me is lane assist and adaptive crouse control. _Not that the feature alone are very impressive but they enable you to add the comma ai to the car harness and literally turn it into a self-driving car just like the Teslas but for a 10x cheaper price.
When operating a EV, a PHV is actually lugging around less weight compared to the equivalent range in batteries.
Hey Alex, it sounds like you’re saying that the MG is in parallel with the ICE rather than on the wheels (i.e., on the ICE side of the transmission)?
Looking at this since Ford has given the Fusion the axe
Good report Alex. Two questions: If you use the electric side of the car most of the time, should you put some sort of fuel preservative in your tank with the gasoline? I read of some Prius Prime drivers who never use their gas engine, so would the fuel deteriorate? Secondly, my wife is thinking of getting a Ioniq PHEV. She has a 8 mile return commute to work. In Kansas City, where we live, the temperature gets well below freezing every Winter, so would she ever be able to use electric only on that sort of drive, as the engine would need to be running all the time to keep the heater and heated seats going. Is that correct?
Has anyone had their Ioniq Phev for a year or so? Just wondering how you are liking it as we are looking at purchasing a 2021 Ioniq Phev ultimate. Any thoughts? Great review, very detailed.Any other Phev or Bev suggestions if this isn’t a good purchase for long term?
I've had mine for two years and it works great. It's a slower more boring car but it serves it's purpose with a very usable cargo space. I get gas only on long trips .
@@SCfan84 Thank you so much for responding. We actually just bought the 2021 ioniq ultimate phev 2 weeks ago. We have put on 590 km and still have 3/4 of a tank of gas. I wanted a larger vehicle with more power like the Rav prime. Three year waiting list and $15,000.00 or so more. I was skeptical getting a car as I had a large suv and a truck but I must say I am loving the car. Very comfortable to sit in and love all the gadgets but haven't figured them all out yet. Lol! Enjoy plugging it in to see how far we will get on our first tank of gas. Thank you again.
I got a Ioniq PHEV.....better incentives and warranty......Toyota looks like an alien and the sales people were jerks. I love my new car I named her Dorothy. I get to charge for free at the local college and so far I have put 7 gallons of gas in since I picked her up March 11
So if there was no gas in the tank would this vehicle still do the functions that it is said to use gas for? Such as going up a steep hill and heating?
Alex, You are really agonizing over the choice at the end. That's what I call suffering for your art. ;) If I had to choose something in this segment it would be the eAWD Prius. Nickel hydride batteries have proven their long term reliability but Lithium ion is still too new to know. If it absolutely had to have a plug, the Prius Prime's efficiency makes it the clear choice.
I’m kinda looking forward to more performance oriented plug-ins to come about on the market (at least more reasonably priced ones). After seeing the RAV4 plug in, I started to lust after a similarly powered Corolla plug in with 300hp on tap and a small pure EV range.
45k?
Dungsta is you’re talking about price, I think ~$35k is doable given projections of a RAV4 plug in starting price just north of 30.
The xse with some packages is around 39k
...
Dungsta you using CAD or US dollars? XSE starts at $26k USD and I find it hard to believe there’s $13k worth of package available for it.
Edit, it actually starts at $23k, so that would need $16k in packages.
@@ALMX5DP i think he means rav4 hybrid xse
So much info and intresting comparisons!
I still wonder how reliable it is to the prius, through.
Ioniq vs Prius prime vs clarity
I did buy one (last year)
Before that,
Exterior looks
I don’t like the Ioniq, it’s the worst of the 3, next up the prime which I quite like for most it’s angles, the clarity is #1 for me.
Next up, interior, now it was nearly a tie for me last year between the ioniq & Prime, but I think the new ioniq would now edge it out. Clarity again though being the nicest to me.
But, that said, considering efficiency, safety, reliability, features (that mattered to me), environmental friendliness, & value, I couldn’t help but get the Prime Advanced. And quite happy with it.
Though I’ll jump to a full EV Tesla one day eventually.
Looks wise I prefer the Niro to the Ioniq, but they are both more attractive than the Prius Prime or the Honda Clarity. If I were to go for a plug-in hybrid, I would likely forgo the performance value of the Clarity and the BTTW efficiency factor of the Prius for either the Niro or the Ioniq. Handling is good enough in either the Kia or Hyundai and I love the DCTs, and either would reduce my gas consumption to zero in all but a couple of drives a month . . . and those drives would completely drain any of the choices and then some.
I believe that Americans can be convinced to purchase plug-in hybrids because of their more traditional feel than EVs. Americans live away from their jobs and need more range for their daily commute . . . and we certainly are a driving nation when it comes to leisure trips. I would have trouble managing a few of my longer trips each year with an EV and a plug-in hybrid would certainly be the way I would go. I agree that the the finite resources used in the production of the batteries are better used, at least in America, for plug-in hybrids than for full-blown EV''s.
I like the Niro better for looks, wagon-like utility, entry (bad back) and upright seating . . . but the Ioniq is probably the better choice due to cost and efficiency and, I'll be honest, the cargo are with the seats down would handle nearly all of my needs.
Reasons why I think PHEV's make a lot of sense right now and will for the next 10 years until EV tech has reached major status. Youre only filling the gas once every several months and in terms of battery range yeah, not great compared to EV's but being able to fully charge with a level 1 charger no problem is awesome! dont have to purchase a 1000$ + Level 2 charger for your home. If you live in a super condensed big city like new york or toronto of course get an EV, that makes the most sense. For someone like me in Alberta where everything is really spaced out, I could get to work and back on just battery and then if i wanted to go to the Rocky mountains Id have absolutely no problem doing so with the engine. EV charging stations are no where near developed here so EV is out of the question. Also EV's are like $15-20 K more expensive so NO THANKS.
Another thing to think about is how does your city get its energy? If its from fossil fuels then having an EV is not as green as you think it is.
Also PHEV's are super cheap to maintain, only slightly more than BEV.
One thing to consider is that 240v charging is substantially more efficient than 120v. I've measured this to be 86% vs 70% in my ioniq phev. Could also charge from a dryer plug if you have one
Do remember that an electric vehicle powered by a power grid that runs 100% on coal power plants, is still cleaner than a gas car. I don't know the exact mix of energy in Alberta, but it's definitely cleaner than 100% coal, and with more wind and solar energy coming online, it'll only get cleaner with time, meaning electric vehicles will get cleaner and cleaner.
Meanwhile, gas cars are as clean as they're ever going to get. For every gallon of gas you burn in the car, you also need the equivalent of 7 gallons worth of energy of gasoline to extract that oil, refine it, store it, and transport it to the gas station, before you can burn it.
Any and all hybrids and electric vehicles are going to be cleaner than pure gas vehicles. If we want to reduce our emissions, we must make a change to hybrid and then electric vehicles.
For most of Canada there's just no charging infrastructure, so hybrid or plug-in hybrid is the way to go.
FYI..the half round cup holder is not for juice boxes but to put your self phone in upright. And the Clarity was just discontinued.
Thanks. I was considering this car but I'm not a fan of having no electric heater and only partial EV only mode
If I’m not mistaken, this car depends on engine heating for interior heat, which means one either needs to learn to love the cold, or to kill one’s fuel savings in colder parts of the country.
Nah I mean the fuel burn rate is like 0.4 gallons per hour for the heater if it's running all the time. The heater ends up turning off too after the temperature is set so it's probably more like 0.2 gallons an hour. If you drive 30 miles in an hour that's like 150mpg. Also the engine is used to charge the battery while it's also being used to make heat. This is why the Ioniq has basically no winter range loss in ev mode.
Great review alex as always, thank you. I would love to get one of these but I live in NYC where convenient/affordable access to charging is close to zero. Say if i were to run it 90% of the time in hybrid mode and just let the battery charge from normal driving, and just use the EV whenever there's enough charge. Can you or anyone on this channel comment on how much could the battery charge up on regenerative mode, and how long would it take to come to a full charge? Thanks in advance.
my understanding is that for the Ioniq there are separate batteries for the hybrid electric/gas engine and the pure electric engine. You can only charge the battery for the pure electric engine from a power outlet and not with the brakes or gas engine. Not sure about the prius prime. The Clarity is a different animal.
Thanks for a great review! It helped me to decide to purchase this car.
Thank you Alex, for another insightful review.
My question is, what are the current manufacturers hybrid battery warranties for first owners?
With Hyundai / Kia, they are transferable (may be a small fee)?
Considering how quickly price goes up for better equipped trims and the fact that liftback does not have resale value, a SUV has better cargo practicality and longer pure EV range I would chose Ford Escape PHEV since Toyota RAV4 Prime will have dealer markup due to scarse availability.
really professional review . thank you.
I agree with you about the Clarity styling. I would find it difficult to live with that “look” .
I'm looking forward to a reasonable oem wide-tire PHEV awd option, and it looks like the new PHEV rav4 hybrid will hit that.
Also the Q5, Mini Cooper, Compass, Renegade, Corsair, and Outlander.
And Tucson PHEV
Where is my plug-in hybrid Kona?!
Our family kind of needs two new cars in the next few years, ugh. Would love to go all electric . . . but road trips, it is just hard to beat a plug-in hybrid for around town electric frugality, along with near 500 mi range and instant fill ups on the road. May well end up with one pure EV and one plug-in hybrid. Tired of our Prius so would not go for the new rather odd looking one. Also, sorry Honda Clarity, just too weird looking and bloated. Yes you want superb efficiency but you want a nice pleasant car too, so, leaning toward either the Niro or the Ioniq.
I just bought my dream truck but man do I wish I had one of these! COME ON FORD OR ANY EV TRUCK COMPANY!
Hello Alex's early birds 🙋🏻♂️
Alex,
I am driving roughly 500 miles a week. I am driving a 2008 Camry xle hybrid that is very comfy but yielding about 35mpg average. Was looking to move up to something in the mid 40’s mpg. My question is what would you pick, 2017 Kia Optima plug in or the Hyundi Ionic or Ionic plug in?
Hyundai and Kia got some of the best hybrids, new platform should allow their SUVs to have some, that's where the money is.
It's also where there's the greatest potential to save gas. Increasing the efficiency of a low efficiency vehicle by 10 mpg saves more fuel than increasing an economy car by the same amount. If we want to get serious about saving fuel we should be making hybrid pickups and larger SUVs.
@@markmiller3279 I agree. I drive a compact SUV now and am waiting for the options. The newly announced Tucson sounds like the ticket, but I'm curious to see what the Kia sister will look like. I prefer the cleaner exterior lines of Kia vehicles, but the next gen Tucson interior is stunning.
I'd argue it's a hatchback not a sedan. :)
nice review though.
It's a sedan with a hatchback boot mechanism, like the Audi A7's boot mechanism. It's not a hatchback in the traditional sense because it doesn't denote the body style, it just denotes the boot style.
Liftback, somewhere in the middle.
Hey Alex on Autos I like your reviews! I was curious about something you said near the end of this video. You say the Clarity can get over your 2200 ft pass in EV, and the Ioniq couldn't. Did it run out of EV or did you press the accelerator past the ECO area and start the engine. I may not have a 2200ft pass to traverse but every 6 degree hill near me the car can drive up in EV mode. So could you clarify why the Ioniq needed the engine?
I picked the Niro for the headroom and legroom as I am 6ft 5in and do not fit in the other cars.
Saluti dall'Italia, complimenti per il bel video.
Io ho il modello 2018 e sono molto contento!!!
Ciao
How practical is the cargo area compared to the regular prius? I have a '14 prius and love that I can fit 2x8' sheets or a dishwasher in the prius (seriously). What are the width/height dimensions of the cargo opening?
I had a Prius and switched to an ioniq phev. Both can haul a dishwasher because
the hatch opening is greater than 25 inches at its lowest point. Ive taken a new dishwasher home in it's original box from IKEA in my Ioniq. Hatchbacks are the best
Hope this isn't a dumb question, but how can it have 52 mpg combined if it has 55 city and 54 highway?
Does the Kia Niro/Hyundai Ionic have an electric a/c compressor? Wondering if the car can pre-cool the interior while connected to the grid.
I'd choose a Hyundai Ioniq! the best of all worlds...
Give me efficiency over looks ALL DAY LONG
Hyundai is not singing it, they're just BRINGING IT!
How is the combined fuel economy lower than both city and highway?
I was wondering the same and I drive a hybrid.