Don't fear the Hybrids. You don't need to actively do anything, you just get better gas mileage.
about 3 months ago I bought a 2023 Volvo XC60 Recharge. It's the PHEV version of the mid-sized SUV. I absolutely love the vehicle. Volvo does a great job of balancing the "I'm driving a computer controlled spaceship" with "I'm driving a car". If I have my battery charged, I can get ~55 mpg on the highway combined. If I'm out of volts, that goes down to about 30-35 on the highway. If I am driving locally with a battery charge, then I can get pretty much 40 miles of range without using more than a thimble full of gas. Plus I can lock/unlock and get climate controls running via app on my phone. Since it's a PHEV and not a full EV, I just use a type I charger. It takes a little over 16 hours to charge from empty, and about 2 hours with a type II charger. Since it has an ICE engine, I can charge the battery through that too (but it's pretty inefficient).
But yeah, I'd tell anyone looking at a new vehicle to look at hybrids. PHEV if you want to be a bit more cutting edge but aren't quite sold on 2023 EVs.
edit: I'll add that I drove a Toyota Matrix for years and loved it. The only reason I didn't buy the RAV4 Prime (their PHEV) was that I put in an order, and 8 months later still no car. Toyota rules, they just struggle with production at the moment.
about 3 months ago I bought a 2023 Volvo XC60 Recharge. It's the PHEV version of the mid-sized SUV. I absolutely love the vehicle. Volvo does a great job of balancing the "I'm driving a computer controlled spaceship" with "I'm driving a car". If I have my battery charged, I can get ~55 mpg on the highway combined. If I'm out of volts, that goes down to about 30-35 on the highway. If I am driving locally with a battery charge, then I can get pretty much 40 miles of range without using more than a thimble full of gas. Plus I can lock/unlock and get climate controls running via app on my phone. Since it's a PHEV and not a full EV, I just use a type I charger. It takes a little over 16 hours to charge from empty, and about 2 hours with a type II charger. Since it has an ICE engine, I can charge the battery through that too (but it's pretty inefficient).
But yeah, I'd tell anyone looking at a new vehicle to look at hybrids. PHEV if you want to be a bit more cutting edge but aren't quite sold on 2023 EVs.
edit: I'll add that I drove a Toyota Matrix for years and loved it. The only reason I didn't buy the RAV4 Prime (their PHEV) was that I put in an order, and 8 months later still no car. Toyota rules, they just struggle with production at the moment.
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