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

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

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

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

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

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

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