Talking Cars 429: Everything You Wanted to Know About Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles

Plus, will a hybrid battery go bad if the vehicle sits for a few months?

By Mike Quincy

October 4, 2023

Main theme: In this episode, we give an update as to where we are in the process of buying and testing nearly a dozen plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), including the Alfa Romeo Tonale, BMW 330e xDrive and X5 xDrive 50e, Ford Escape PHEV, Hyundai Tucson PHEV, Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe, Kia Niro PHEV, Mazda CX-90 PHEV, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, Toyota RAV4 Prime, and Volvo XC60 Recharge.

The podcast panel gathered to talk about why we’re testing so many PHEVs, and what we hope to discover. The panel goes on to discuss what type of buyer would be best suited for a PHEV, and when a regular hybrid or pure EV makes more sense. Other topics include whether or not PHEVs qualify for federal tax credits. (Find out if a plug-in hybrid is right for you.)

Audience Questions
• I’m trying to decide between buying either a hybrid or plug-in hybrid vehicle. I have a fairly long highway commute and live where it gets quite cold in the winter. What would you recommend between a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, Toyota RAV4 Prime, Mazda CX-90 PHEV, Honda Accord Hybrid, or Toyota Camry Hybrid?

• I have a 2023 Honda CR-V hybrid that will be parked this winter. Will connecting a trickle charger to the car’s 12-volt battery also keep the hybrid battery topped off for the five months the car sits unused? If not, will the hybrid battery be damaged if it’s unused for this period of time?

Talking Cars 429 panel — "Talking Cars" panelists (left ro right) Mike Quincy, Jake Fisher, and Alex Knizek.

As with other “Talking Cars With Consumer Reports” episodes, this one is available free through Apple Podcasts. (Subscribe to the audio or video.) You’ll also find the audio on Spotify (log-in required) and video on YouTube.

All Questions Podcast, episode 428
Car Seats and Child Passenger Safety, episode 427
Driving the 2024 Hyundai Kona, episode 426
Driving the 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander, episode 425
Driving the 2023 Dodge Hornet, episode 424

Have a Question?

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Mike Quincy

Mike Quincy is a writer, editor, podcaster, and tester with the Consumer Reports autos team. He has been with CR since 1993, purchasing more than 160 cars for the test program. Previously, Mike wrote for Automobile Magazine. When he’s not working, Mike can be found training for a long-distance bicycle ride, honing a wide variety of baked goods, or studying the world of mixology in search of the perfect martini.