Plug-in hybrid

This article is about hybrid vehicles whose battery may be externally charged. For vehicles that are propelled only by electric motors, using energy stored in rechargeable batteries, see battery electric vehicle. For the more general category of vehicles with plug-in rechargeable capabilities, see plug-in electric vehicle.
The BYD Song plug-in hybrid SUV series is the world's all-time best-selling plug-in hybrid with over 1,050,000 cumulative sales in December 2023.[1][2][3]
The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV was once world's all-time best-selling plug-in hybrid until 2022.[4] Cumulative global sales reached 290,000 units in September 2021.[5]
The Chevrolet Volt was the world's top selling plug-in hybrid until September 2018.[6]
Part of a series on
Sustainable energy
A car drives past 4 wind turbines in a field, with more on the horizon
Energy conservation
Renewable energy
Sustainable transport

A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) or simply plug-in hybrid is a type of hybrid electric vehicle equipped with a rechargeable battery pack that can be directly replenished via a charging cable plugged into an external electric power source, in addition to charging internally by its on-board internal combustion engine-powered generator. While PHEVs are predominantly passenger cars, there are also plug-in hybrid variants of sports cars, commercial vehicles, vans, utility trucks, buses, trains, motorcycles, mopeds, military vehicles and boats.[7]

Similar to battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrids can use centralized generators of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind or hydroelectric) to be largely emission-free, or a fossil plant in which case they displace greenhouse gas emissions from the car tailpipe exhaust to the power station. As opposed to conventional hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), PHEVs generally have a larger battery pack that can be recharged (theoretically) from anywhere with access to the electrical grid, offering enhanced energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness when compared to relying solely on the on-board generator. Additionally, PHEVs can support longer and more frequent all-electric range driving, and their electric motors often have higher power output and torque, are more responsive in acceleration, and overall have lower operating costs. Although a PHEV's battery pack is smaller than that of all-electric vehicles of the same weight, as it must accommodate its combustion engine and hybrid drivetrain, it provides the added flexibility of reverting to the use of its gasoline/diesel engine, akin to a conventional HEV if the battery charge is depleted. This feature helps alleviate range anxiety, particularly in areas lacking sufficient charging infrastructure.

Mass-produced PHEVs have been available to the public in China and the United States since 2010,[8][9][10] with the introduction of the Chevrolet Volt, which was the best selling PHEV until it was surpassed by the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV at the Volt's end of production in 2019.[11] By 2021, BYD Auto emerged as the largest plug-in hybrid vehicle manufacturer in the world. As of May 2024, BYD plug-in hybrid cumulative sales surpassed 3.6 million units.[12] The BYD Song DM line of SUVs contributed over 1.05 million units.[13][14][2][15]

As of December 2019, the global stock of PHEVs totalled 2.4 million units, representing one-third of the stock of plug-in electric passenger cars on the world's roads.[16] As of December 2019, China had the world's largest stock of PHEVs with 767,900 units, followed by the United States with 567,740, and the United Kingdom with 159,910.[16]

  1. ^ "BYD Song Pro DM - Sales in China". www.chinamobil.ru. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
  2. ^ a b "2021年全球新能源乘用车销量榜：冠亚军分别是特斯拉、比亚迪、上汽通用五菱-华夏EV网". www.evinchina.com. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  3. ^ "【易车销量榜】全国2023年插电混动批发量销量榜-易车榜-易车". car.yiche.com. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference MOPHEV200k was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference MOPHEV290k was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Top5Global102018 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Hybrid boats to revolutionise sustainable river travel". www.thamesclippers.com. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference GCC0310 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Edmunds310 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference Volt1stDelivery was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ "Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Hits 200,000 Global Sales Milestone" (Press release). Tokyo: Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC). 2019-04-11. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  12. ^ 孙迟. "BYD releases 5th-generation DM hybrid technology with 2,100-km range". www.chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  13. ^ "【易车销量榜】全国2023年比亚迪插电混动零售量销量榜-易车榜-易车". car.yiche.com. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
  14. ^ "【易车销量榜】全国2022年比亚迪插电混动零售量销量榜-易车榜-易车". car.yiche.com. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
  15. ^ "【易车销量榜】全国2020年比亚迪插电混动零售量销量榜-易车榜-易车". car.yiche.com. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  16. ^ a b International Energy Agency (IEA) (June 2020). "Global EV Outlook 2020: Entering the decade of electric drive?". IEA Publications. Archived from the original on 2021-09-10. Retrieved 2020-06-15. See Statistical annex, pp. 247–252 (See Tables A.1 and A.12). The global stock of plug-in electric passenger vehicles totaled 7.2 million cars at the end of 2019, of which, 47% were on the road in China. The stock of plug-in cars consist of 4.8 million battery electric cars (66.6%) and 2.4 million plug-in hybrids (33.3%). In addition, the stock of light commercial plug-in electric vehicles in use totaled 378 thousand units in 2019, and about half a million electric buses were in circulation, most of which are in China.