With sales growth lagging, it’s a weird time in the electric vehicles market. It’s also, oddly enough, a good time to experiment with the plug.
The Donald Trump administration put the kibosh on several US federal policies aimed at boosting the development, production, and purchase of new-energy vehicles. Still, $4,000 tax credits for used battery-electric cars and plug-in hybrids are available for qualified vehicles and buyers (more on that later) until the end of September.
If you want to take advantage of this incentive, you should know that used plug-in hybrids, or PHEVs, are unique beasts. They’re complicated vehicles, engineering-wise, containing both internal combustion engines and electric motors, and using two power sources—electricity and gasoline—to go. There’s also a bunch of variation in the plug-in hybrid world. So there are tricks to picking out the best used one. WIRED asked car experts what to think about if you’re going after a used PHEV.
Shopping for a full electric? Check out our guide to buying the best used EV.
Know Your Terms
If you’re after a plug-in hybrid, make sure first that you're getting the right sort of technology. Plain, old hybrid vehicles, sometimes called HEVs, also come with gas engines plus electric motors. But plug-in hybrids come with bigger electric batteries that can be plugged in and charged. Generally, that means that PHEVs drive on electricity until their batteries are depleted, at which point the gas engine kicks in.
Though PHEVs by definition go both ways, some are more battery-powered than others. First, older PHEV models have very limited electric ranges. Those made before 2019 tend to get less than 17 miles of range per charge, and some closer to 10 miles. Also, some plug-ins are more “gas-biased” than others, which matters if your goal is to save on fueling. The Ford Escape PHEVs’ gas engine comes on when you accelerate or turn on the air-conditioning. The Kia Sorento’s heat system is powered by gas. Other models tend to tap into gas when they’re hauling heavier loads. These biases can change between model years. Investigate the details of your specific used PHEV before deciding on a purchase.
As opposed to full battery-electric cars, PHEVs can’t charge at “fast chargers,” the sort you’ll often find off highways, which can top up a car in around 30 minutes. Instead, PHEVs rely on standard 120-volt wall outlets, which can usually charge up a plug-in hybrid’s electric battery overnight, or faster “level 2” charging.
Know Your Life
Picking a used PHEV—or knowing if a used PHEV is for you, period—will require thinking about whether one can fit into your life. Lots of people think of plug-ins as EV-lites, a gateway drug to the battery-powered car. But that’s not quite right, says Joseph Yoon, the head of consumer insights at Edmunds. Those who want to save money on gas need to make sure that their daily driving is covered by the PHEV’s limited battery range, and that they have the ability to charge their car overnight at home, he says. If drivers can’t meet those conditions, “I don’t think plug-in hybrids are as practical as people think they are.”
In fact, PHEVs tend to be less gas-efficient than even some of their hybrid gas-powered counterparts. So if you’re not able to charge one overnight regularly, it might actually cost you more to fuel. Consider a used hybrid instead.