Key points to remember: 1. I said the cost of 100% renewable electricity is $0.28/kWh. The average residential regular rate is $0.26 here and will be lower off-peak or on alternate rate plans. The US average in October 2022 was $0.16. Remember rates are seasonal and the national average in October 2022 of $0.10/kWh includes commercial ans industrial uses which drive the average down. As always, your rates will vary. On the energy independence front I'll refer you to the EIA's numbers. www.eia.gov/energyexplained/oil-and-petroleum-products/imports-and-exports.php. As you can see, the pandemic related drop in consumption made the USA "independant" in terms of export/import for a hot second but we returned to a net importer after that. The USA is heading in a direction of a net export balance however but this is not consumption related but production related as the USA saw a massive increase in domestic production starting in 2008. I would caution against looking at this through a political lens because neither political party has had much impact on domestic production when you look solely at the data. The rise in domestic production started under Obama but his administration had nothing to do it with, it mainly had to do with the rise in domestic fracking. Restrictions on fracking could impact production, tax situations could affect production but generally high sustained oil prices are what tend to correlate to increases domestically. Also, just so we're clear: Canada isn't part of the USA. So any production or other issues related to Canada is a topic external from import/export balances.
We have a full EV Niro, and get about 4.0 miles per kWh. Your drive cycle must be a lot higher speed than ours (we also live on a big-ish hill). With 28 cents a kwh I think my math says $1,100/yr Oh yeah and we also have solar + battery for off grid power. Our fully amortized cost per kWh if the whole thing turns into a brick in 15 years is 19 cents a kWh. This is a 13KW array with 40kwh of battery costing $55K after tax producing 19MWh a year in the Bay Area.
maybe add ihhs crash test score comparisons, maybe show differences in a excel sheet or something . also real life mpg test , see engineering explained video on mazda turbo mpg . is there a aftermarket (if theres not, media can creat edemand for it, there already is sway bar etc market) for steering that is more communicative like lotus evora/emira to possibly spend less energy turning wheels and to allow minimum and minimum g-force, braking and steering? evora emira is around as heavy as prius prime 223 and prius wont be dealing with as much g forces, so its not like its too heavy for most cars. also much more fun. without as much of a stiff chassis, although stiff chassis and then option office chair gel cushion sort of thing would be nice to be able to feel rear wheel grip too. if you add more battery, battery degradation is less, as you add more the effiency is expoenetially less so more energy at faster rate going in and out the battery so worse degradation... so what is best balance, can it be measure in effeincy ratings or battery size rating per amount of weight of car, so customer knows which car is best? small combustion to charge battery would it lower cost to run vs big batteries whose capability isntactually used often, and maybe itd be great as non plugin ybrid for those who cant charge when they get back home until they have to travel again. logn term cost differences of bolt vs prius? . also why cant companies send alsmost finishes cars to america then finish them to make them considered american made for the 7.5k or so tax credit ?
Dude, I only charge my car at off peak hours in a L2 charger. I used to charge using the cord that came with the vehicle. I had to come home and plug it in right away so it charged at peak hours. When you charge makes a huge difference in cost.
We were indeed looking for the PHEV a little while ago, then found out the closest dealer who had one available was hundreds of miles away. We ended up with the EV for which we found a great deal - a 2022 model with only 160 miles on the odometer priced $12,000 below new price! We love how it drives, and it gets about 4 miles/kWh on average.
Phevs are so underrated. Esp for American markets where people complain about range concerns. EVs are the future but imo Phevs will be like the trucks today to cars. Phevs still have a place in society and will likely be around for at least another 20-30 years at least. Even when EV hits the solid stage age, Phevs can continue to operate as a utilitarian technology.
Are dealers not willing to do a dealer trade to get one in, even if it's not typically sold in whatever particular state? Or maybe just easy to try online purchasing and having it shipped.
Kia is known to build PHEVs in trivially small numbers. It might just as hard to find one available as it is to get a RAV4 Prime. Maybe worse. Token compliance car.
The Niro PHEV is available in all 50 states. If your dealer isn't stocking them they can order one. Dealers get to chose to carry them or not but pretty much all of them will order one for you if you want.
Agree, plug-in hybrids are the answer for personal transportation, and as sociaty we should make the effort to transition to green hydrogen as soon as possible!
Great car. I drove the HEV Niro just the other day and the thing just made me happy to sit in and drive. Not the fastest in the world, but a great commuter. Great interface, tech, and loved the space inside. Felt open and airy. I'm trying to decide between the HEV and PHEV Niro and Prius/Prime. I really just want a new commuter with all the bells and whistles, which gets great gas mileage. All four will likely serve well...but i'm concerned about KIA's reliability long term. I want this thing for at least 10 years. This is funkier and I like the design much better but Toyota is reliable, has AWD for the non-prime, and the prime will get longer range than them all. sigh...such decisions
The Niro really is competitive, the base trim doesn't feel base. My dad has a 2018 PHEV Niro and he hasn't had any problems so far. I personally have a 2021 RAV4 Prime and the Niro looks like it's from the future compared to it. Especially with the Kia app being able to locate the car and track it's charging status. The Toyota app on the other hand only tracks the phone (kinda silly isn't it?) and doesn't track the charge status.
@@juty-p1wYes. I was SHOCKED (in a bad way) sitting inside a friend’s mid-trim RAV4 Prime. Basic doesn’t even begin to describe it. Cheap is more appropriate.
"Plug-in Hybrids Make More Sense Than Most BEVs" I love listening to you preach, the gospel of Alex ;) But with most channels on UA-cam just being clickbait BS, It is still a thousand times better, So thanks...
Would love a deeper dive into the new Prius suspension - Toyota still says it's a multi-link setup and IIRC one of the big deals with the last gen was the IRS vs the torsion beam of old.
8:04 Aero Blades :This is another place where snow & ice will get stuck : useless for Canada for at least 3 months a year. These days we keep scraping the hoods near the front wiper and under the roof rails.
I still don't understand why they didn't mandatr plug in hybrids before forcing EVs by 2035. This would have at least given them a chance to see how well the infrastructure could handle half the load and give people the chance to enjoy the savings in gas while not completely stranding them in case an emergency happens. Just bought a Venza hybrid and I'm seeing the savings and the temporary extra power when trying to get on the freeway on ramp safely.
Because they are (1) Ideologically driven (2) Living in a bubble of idealism & don't know the definition of pragmatic (3). Don't have to deal the day to day issues that affect 70% of Americans
If only modern PHEVs were halfway decent in EV mode. The only good PHEVs in my opinion are/were the Honda Clarity (bought) and 2nd gen Chevy Volt (test drove), which perform pretty much identically in electric mode and hybrid mode.
@@AAutoBuyersGuide Yeah I absolutely love this car. I bought mine (used) last year; partially influenced by your "The best plug-in in America" verdict from a few years ago!
2023 Kia Sportage PHEV AWD, how about that? It would do better for me than Niro. And, yes, you're absolutely right. As of now PHEVs make way more sense in the US than EVs. For starters, there's no infrastructure in place to support EVs everywhere, batteries take too long to charge, and are too heavy. PHEVs let you live on electric only while attending to in-town errands, and you can still take them on a long drive across the country, not having to worry about recharging on the way and at the destination. For EVs to be acceptable, you'd have to have recharging stations at every carpark, at every gas station, at every motel and hotel, recharging itself in no more than 15 minutes, and batteries way lighter and way more durable than at present. Even then what are you going to do when temperature drops to -10°F or below? Batteries don't take lightly to freezing.
I have Sportage 2022 PHEV. It has 13.4kWh battery. I can drive about 60-65km at 10C temperature. It charges at 7.8kW for about 2h to full charge (230V@32A). I like this car a lot. The biggest issue is that heating comes from ICEngine so if you want to drive on electric only you have to give up heating. I use heated seat and steering wheel and it’s fine for trip up to 20 minutes.
@@zdzislawmeglicki2262 in Europe, Poland where I live, yes you can. I ordered this car in March 2022 and it was delivered in October 2022. PHEV are only AWD.
Question is, after owning a 2017 kia sportage that started having excessive oil consumption at 35,000 miles and exhibited body creaks going up my driveway, can I trust buying any Hyundai/Kia product? Same for chevy bolt due to equinox issues. Need to look at plug in rav4 if you can wait for over a year to get one.
@@naveenthemachine I think if you did 2 seconds of research or were at all familiar with SUV options of the 2011-2018 period would be aware the 4 cyl equinox had a massive class action lawsuit related to excessive oil consumption and broken timing chain guides. Ours was purchased off lease with about 30,000 miles and developed the issue at about 65,000, of course right after no longer being covered by the extended gm coverage that would have replaced the entire engine block. When purchased 2016 it had nothing but positive reviews on Edmunds and kbb. In regards to my kia, purchased 2020 just off lease with about 30k miles. I only got to own it for about a year and did not drive much due to covid. Changed the oil twice by kia dealership at 3,750 interval instead of 7,000 recommended. There is similar poor manufacturing by having casting issues causing excessive piston ring wear. Did not feel like fighting dealerships for months and if successful having to trust dealer installed engines - sold them both. My care for them was not the issue. I have cars I am keeping that are 20yrs old that run fine and are less trouble.
Can you talk about the reliability of the dual clutch tranny? I've heard a lot of bad news about and recalls with that tranny? Have they figured that out?
Car and Driver says they get worse mileage in this than the previous generation. As that makes no sense on the surface, I'd like better numbers or an explanation.
Nice to see they improved the tranny on this one. I had the last gen PHEV and while it was great to screech the tires with that DCT, it did have some really rough shifts and the transition to the ICE was very jarring/abrupt. Still wish it allowed you to control whether you want to stay in BEV mode like the RAV4 Prime does…I now own the 2022 Niro EV and love it. Much smoother and compliant than the 2021 PHEV…2023 PHEV might be next on the list!!
The worst part is about his soap box is how right he is. Past initial cost which only is really an issue for some makes not all or even a majority, having a hybrid of any kind for the most part saves money, people put politics and/or enthusiasm over saving money sometimes
@@budapest1002 It only saves money if you need a new car. It is generally cheaper to keep a car that is paid for vs. buying a new car. The possible exception being a business that has extremely high mileage.
@@gordonschiff3621 To your point that is accurate and I’ll admit I was being a tad anecdotal. As a lot of the people in my town by new cars pretty often but always big has guzzling vehicles that legit mostly carry around air, but ten yet complain about gas prices when a used or new Prius, Maverick (if you can find) or many of the other affordable hybrid cars in existence would more than suffice for them. And for some of the patrons I get to know and talk to they talk about spending more money on upkeep of the old vehicle + fuel cost vs if they had a hybrid.
Alex you are the best vehicle reviewer. I do not care for Kia vehicles at all. I didn’t want to waste my time on this review. But once I started watching it I finished it in its entirety.
In 2021 I decided that I wanted to see what it was like to drive an electric, but I didn't want to go full EV so I bought a 2018 Chevrolet Volt. It's been a game changer. Even for a few months when I was living in a house and could only charge it using 110v I was averaging around 1000 miles between fill-ups (8.9 gallon tank). Now that I'm back to having a 240v outlet available, I fill up even less than that (currently at over 1200 miles with about 2/3 of a tank remaining - most of that gas used when the temps were in the teens and the car needed to run the gas motor because it was too cold for EV mode). Add to that the fact that if I need to go further I just get in and go. I made several 400-mile day trips through rural TX last year, which would have been extremely difficult if not impossible in a conventional EV. I'm planning to give the Volt to my daughter when she graduates from college in May and get myself another PHEV, but there are two major problems with that: 1- Even though the Volt is 5 years old, its EV range is still significantly greater than any of the new PHEVs. The Volt is rated for 52 Miles EV range. In city driving I've exceeded that on several occasions. At TX highway speeds (~75) that number goes down quite a bit. Either way, that's more than 20% further than anything currently being built. 2-Scarcity. PHEVs are a total afterthought for manufacturers. Maybe in California it's a bit easier to get one, but around here they're nearly impossible. One of the largest Toyota dealerships in the Dallas/Fort Worth, TX area (pop. 6.5 million) told me that they were allocated a total of 5 Prius Primes for the entire 2022 model year.
Totally agree on all points. 2017 Volt owner here and I will drive it for as long as they make parts for it, the only other car I have been looking at as a commuting appliance is the Aptera when it comes out since the battery pack is also reasonably sized. Gently used gen 2 Volt prices are now more than new Bolt prices for a reason, fortunately I was able to pick mine up with low miles right before that last gas crisis on the east coast and they were going for really cheap. I have gone months between fill ups I use the ICE so infrequently, turns out an ~18 kWhr battery is all most folks need to get around town 90% of the time, the rest can be handled with hybrid mode instead of hoarding batteries creating wait lists years long.
Right on. I own a Honda Clarity which has slightly less EV only range (in the summer I am getting around 85 km electric) than the Volt and I only buy gas when I'm doing longer trips. All my regular driving is done electric only and I go months at a time without buying any gas. It's a shame that Honda has stopped production of these cars. I really don't understand why there doesn't seem to be a greater demand for PHEVs with a decent electric range. That being said, the new Mitsubishi PHEV Outlander looks pretty good. I've read reviews that have said they were getting over 100 km electric although the actual rated range is only 61 km.
I see 2,000-3,000 miles commuting and charging at home and work in a with Voltec in a 2018 CT6 2.0E plug-in. About 50 EV miles is the sweet spot for us.
Same story: People (myself included) couldn't appreciate how beneficial "only" 40 miles of EV range was when Volt debuted a decade ago. 14,000 EV miles per year SHOULD have been GM's Volt sales pitch then. Like you, I got a plug-in a few years back (i3 REx), and only used 25 gallons of gas to cover 24,000 miles last year. Having the gas engine means never fretting about defrost, heater, lights, wipers, traffic, side trips or any other range-depleting activity.
@@anydaynow01 I could have written your comments. We have two 2017 Volts. And an Aptera reservation. We actually have had 3, 2017s Red Volt #1 was stopped when it was rear ended by a drunk driver's SUV going 45 mph this past summer. Having all 4 passengers walk out of the hospital without any life altering injuries, I can tell you those cars are little tanks. Red Volt #1 has been replaced by Red Volt #2. We were so lucky find another 2017 Red Premier identical, along with ACC, and only 5K on the clock. It's like new. I cannot believe that to date no manufacturer has built a PHEV that can do what the Volt can do. I am disappointed that the new Prius Prime does not have the electric range of the Gen II Volt. I have put at least 30,000 miles on trio of Volts with charging my employer provides to me for free. Commuting Cost Zero, for years now. For example, Blue Volt has gone 50,000 trouble free miles has a lifetime MPG of 178. Like you I will run them both into the ground. The Aptera if it gets built, is not going to replace either Volt it will be a fun toy.
This is a CUV and competes with RAV4 and is more uselfull than Prius hatch. At 15:00 he says the Prius is smaller while sitting in thr back seat and also about cargo space.
@@normt430 Alex did say that the Prius is the closest competitor to the Niro and while the Kia definitely has the edge in practicality, the Prime has not yet been tested for fuel economy, range, performance.
Where these analyses go wrong is considering the lifespan of the traction battery. Typically batteries last 1-2000 charge cycles. A charge cycle is enough electricity to recharge the battery from 0-100% charge. If we have a 250 mi range battery, then we may expect the battery to last 250-500,000 miles. If your PHEV battery is enough to go 35 miles, then we expect it to last 35,000 - 70,000 electric miles. So, while it may be efficient for the first owner, at some point that battery will fail, and now we just have a regular gas vehicle with an extra 1000 lbs of useless equipment weighing it down. PHEVs are a time bomb waiting to go off. If you want an EV, just get an EV, preferably with a range of 250mi or more.
Bought this car a couple of months ago. We love it. I zip it around town every day with a smile on my face and plug it in every other day. At 6 cents a kilowatt it gives me 35-40mpg for about a buck.
@@plentyrockz where I live in Oklahoma the elec coop has an EV rate you can put your house on- Year-Round All kWhs from 5 AM to 9 PM: 9¢/kWh All kWhs from 9 PM to 5 AM: 5¢/kWh
PHEVs with decent ranges like ~80-100 km. I think the biggest reason is the writing is on the wall for the BEVs. GM saw this with the Voltec system it developed for the gen 2 Volt. They were planning on using the tech on their product line to pay for the development but people never bought them since they were so ahead of their time, and GM did an abysmal job advertising them properly. Either folks bought the Bolt or they didn't want a hybrid (mostly drawn across political lines). Now one will be lucky to find a Volt going for a decent price there is such a high demand for them on the used market now that folks know about them and just how capable they are if you have a place to charge at home or work.
Give me a gas hybrid only, who wants to risk your safety having to exit your car in the middle of nowhere to recharge your vehicle in the middle of the night, I don't think so!!!
In reality it's worst of both worlds. It's more expensive, more complex, heavier, costs more to charge, has low electric range and still require full set of maintenance that ICE car does. But I guess removing point of pollution from under the hood elsewhere is what's important for most greeneis.
There has always been 200-300 new/used R4P's for sale since they came out and there was no more mark up. Today their are over 500 for sale on Autotrader.
@@normt430 Everything I've seen has a huge markup. Some of the used RAV4 Primes are listed for over $60,000. I should try to find a dealer willing to sell a new one at MSRP.
@@KPHVAC why do prospective Toyota owners think they need to spend $60K on a Prime which is what the Lexus NX 450+ costs! That's Lexus money! Should just look at an EV instead.
@@normt430 I wouldn't spend that much on a Prime but some people must be. It's common for me to drive 400 to 500 miles in a day for a weekend trip. I only want to have 1 vehicle so I'd rather go hybrid than all electric.
@@KPHVAC yes, hybrid is the best for rhat distance. Especially if you are going up and down hills or mountains where hybrid can charge the battery some. For the flat lands I'd get a turbo-4 if you don't speed much or your economy will drop. Turbochargers like low and constant rpms.
Yep the PHEV with a decent EV range and home/work charging is the best of both worlds. Battery for almost all of the average person's daily driving needs and a reliable gas backup for those longer days out in town and road trips without having to worry about the charging network working, The best part is due to the hybrid mode the ICE is very understressed and lasts a lot longer than a traditional ICE. By the end of the decade when battery factories and mines are running full tilt and the charging networks have the kinks worked out then a BEV for everyone will make more sense. Otherwise there is no reason to hoard batteries when there are waiting lists years long for people to get into a BEV with insane battery sizes they will almost never use.
Just keep your old car and save money. Don’t listen to any of these auto industry hacks or politicians. My 18 year old Acura runs like new and is reliable and paid off. Registration is cheap every year. Car is not the product of strip mining or other unethical production methods. It could easily last another 100k miles.
It’s so refreshing to hear phev reasoning that matches mine. It’s simply the best option if you don’t want to spend a ton of time at charging on long trips, and if most short trips fall within battery range. It is exhausting to keep hearing how I’m an idiot if I don’t want to spend $50K on a BEV that’s only practical within a 100 mile radius.
I had a first generation Volt and live in a small town in MI. I fit your use case perfectly. I basically filled the gas tank twice in a year because most of my trips were around town running errands and transporting the kids where I ran essentially all electric. Colder winter weather reduced my EV range and also used the gas engine for heat, accounting for my gasoline use. Oh, and for comparison, our electric cost here is $0.09/kWh, making the cost analysis a lot more favorable than Alex’s calculations using PG&E. In areas like this where the nearest city is 2 hours away and public charging is still fairly sparse, a PHEV makes sense. I can run essentially all electric most of the time but can just hop on the freeway and drive efficiently for longer trips. The investment is lower, too.
Except a HEV will be thousands cheaper to buy and get nearly the same fueling costs. Unless gas goes above $6 and electricity stays the same. HEV is the cheapskate answer.
@Larry Augsburger no one this concerned with mpg cares about 0-60. This is one mistake of new Prius. 2023 HEV Prius should have hit 60mpg but they added too much power. Prime prius only 0.4 sec quicker.
Thanks for the review, Alex, hope the bad weather finds you in a safe location with extra chain saws handy. This Kia Niro PHEV, is close, but still slightly behind my Ford Energi Fusion. Based on your reports, it’s not yet trade in time. I’m averaging 52.7 mpg over 2200 miles, and 57.6 for the last 440 miles. The Ford cost less, & gets better economy.
Many thanks for this timely review. Nice not to have to wait another 3 to 6 months for a Consumer Report's review! In Canada, of note, this PHEV now gets a C$5,000 Federal grant because of its slightly better EV only range (it was C$2,500 for the 2022 and 2021 models) plus certain provionces such as Quebec and B.C. (but not Ontario) have additional grants.
Bumper turn signals and brake lights should be illegal. They’re highly dangerous and way out of normal line of sight, incredibly difficult to see in bright daylight traffic
I agree. The Niro hybrid is a better option than a pure electric for most people in single vehicle households. I own a Tesla model 3 and a Mach E, but rather than buy an electric vehicle for my daughter I got her the Niro hybrid. The fact that she lives in an apartment without a charging port was one of the reasons why.
I trust Toyota hybrids more than any Korean car manufacturer. Toyota has more experience in that department. The new 2023 Prius has a combined EV and Hybrid powertrain which I’m sure will be more practical.
I love my 2019 HEV Niro Touring. awesome MPG and utility design is perfect for commuting, outdoor activities, road trips and etc. HK system is nice for it's price range and everything works perfectly. with a hitch, I can haul small trailer for those home depot and trash runs. during road trip, roof cargo box and hitch rack will greatly extend the capacity. can't ask for better a commuting vehicle and it's rock solid reliable to boot.
38% of all electricity in united states is natural gas, my neighbor has a booster pump on his gas line to fill his CNG Civic GX. I always thought that an interesting option. I have Rav4 Prime myself. I used the 1500w inverter to power my fridge and 2nd freezer for 1/2 a day due to SoCal rains blew a transformer near me. Its about $1.30 cheaper (ish) compared to gasoline per gallon.
I would definitely take the 2023 Kia Niro , over the 2023 Toyota Prius. One of the main reasons is anyone over 6 feet tall is going to be impacted in the Toyota Prius front seat and also the backseat. There already have been comments about this in test drives in the 2023 Toyota Prius, you will be looking out the very top of the windshield and through the visor if you are over 6 feet tall, also the rear headroom Is dramatically reduced because of the roofline of the new 2023 Toyota Prius.
@@rightlanehog3151 The Prius seems to be somewhat of a test car for hybrid stuff. You get a bunch of new tech in it first, before it makes its way into other cars.
When talking about EVs vs HEVs and PHEVs, many people seem to forget about the petrochemicals used in hybrids of any sort: motor oil and transmission fluids. Manufacture, use and recycling of these fluids have environmental and economic costs. And if you pay someone to maintain these fluids, the economic costs can be a real pita. In one respect, HEVs and PHEVs re the best of both worlds. In another respect, HEVs and PHEVs are the worst of both worlds because you still have to change the friggin oil.
I really like the comparison of fuel cost to electric cost at the beginning, stay on your soap box those segments of your video’s are always the most helpful. I just can’t justify this car given Kia’s resale vale drop compared to Toyota.
Great car but I'm still afraid to purchase anything from Kia or Hyundai with all of their engine issues. I am thinking about upgrading my Ford Cmax PHEV soon. A shifting car while in EV mode sounds so weird.
Id rather have a slow ev with the battery array more in paralell. Lower voltage more amp hours. Problem is everyone of these tesla guys brags about 0-60 times nobody drives at. 0-60 times makes 0 difference on the time it takes to get to your destination. I wish people could see acceleration times dont matter but its just like gas cars from 1980-2010. Almost all the tech went to more hp while mpg stayed flat.
I used to own 2019 Niro PHEV and I love that car dearly, it's very practical and roomy - I was able to fit the largest above the ground pool that Costco sells in the summer - Costco guys who helped me with loading was in disbelief! Based on what Alex said, this next gen Niro PHEV has improved so many things such as the jerky dual clutch, lack of power etc. Also, the better fuel rating and look would definitely help sell this new Niro PHEV and don't let the lack of Federal Tax credit steers you away from this car, because I don't think there is any PHEV qualifies at this time, please correct me if I'm wrong. Great review, Alex...you nailed it once again!
I will definitely buy some sort of EV in the future but my State is very much against electric cars, as of a few months ago there was only 2000 EV's on the road in my State, vs 2.8 million ice vehicles. Just to piss off the liberals that own or are thinking about owning a EV, there is a $200 fee per year. Naturally there will be few chargers and I wouldn't ever think about trusting them to work when I really needed it. I will never ever buy a Tesla so that is out.
What about its pollution load? I couldn't find the actual pollution levels coming out of its tailpipe. It seems they talk about how they are going to reduce emissions by 92% in the future but no CO2 numbers...
Super complicated dual electric motors connected to either a transmission or belt system. I'm sure its well designed, but wow seems like way to much going on.
The thumbnail for this video states 2,500 miles per tank. I watched the whole thing and could not see anywhere where this was explained. Could anyone confirm this please?
I bought the 2023 PHEV Niro. EX. It’s a waste of money for the SX. I have the winter pack with steering wheel heating and back seat heating. In winter combined from Jersey City to Maryland I got an average of 51.6mpg. One thing all reviews keep saying is only the SX gets Highway Driver Assist- Rubbish the EX in the USA gets it as well.. so the car drives itself on the freeway. Amazing tech … love it.
Yeah this makes a lot better use case for me than a Prius. Better rear cargo capability and access, and upright driving position I prefer. I want to like the Prius, but I suspected it was too low, both floor and roof, and I've seem them in person now and that is certainly the case. These are almost like an 11/10ths sized VW Golf, which is just fine for me.
and you can't charge an ice vehicle at home.....or with solar, if you're stuck in the woods.... but with two power plants you have twice the headaches.... Nothing is life is a simple as it seems.... C'est la vie
Alex, in your test, you did 0-60 in 7.2 seconds. But when comparing the Niro PHEV to the Prius Prime at the 25:12 point in the video, you said the Niro PHEV does "9 seconds, 9 and a half seconds". I assume the 7.2 seconds figure is the correct figure for the Niro PHEV.
In the years 2020 and 2021 the United States WAS already a net exporter of petroleum. We didn’t need people to drive EVs or Hybrids to achieve that. It is the more recent government-imposed restrictions that have made us dependent on other nations. Were you asleep during those years, Mr. Van Winkle? 😋 Also, While the gas price might be $5.00 in California, where I live, I can currently purchase it for $3.15 per gallon (87 octane). So the calculations would be MUCH different here ($1,690 per year). And let’s not forget the need to eventually replace the extremely expensive battery packs. If needed, a home charging outlet. The initial additional MSRP of these cars. The terrible conditions that many endure, working in mines in Congo, etc., including some children, to obtain the majority mineral, cobalt, needed for lithium batteries.
Depends on where you live, but in the Netherlands, and Western EU in general plug-ins makes no sense whatsoever. Absolutely none. Have driven E-Niro full EV for 100k plus km's now, and no issues or problems on both daily driving, or with charging on long routes. (Sweden, Austria, Italy, Switserland, done m all accross EU with the EV)
Ever check out the new Outlander PHEV ? It's built on a Nissan platform but it's only available from Mitsubishi. It has a 20KWh battery (the largest of any PHEV sold in the US) and rated for 38 miles in EV mode but early reports put it at 42-52 in real life. It's also AWD and I think around 220HP in EV only mode, the PHEV niro is 60HP (2018-2022) or 90HP (2023) so it still needs the gas motor when you need some power. We checked out on monday it looked really nice.
Don't understand the 2500 miles per tank in the thumbnail. Kia says "[t]he 2023 Kia Niro has a 560-mile range estimated by the EPA.". Can someone explain?
Thanks for reminding people there are more reasons to buy a fuel efficient car than saving money on gas. Multiple rationals for energy efficiency should not be considered politics.
Electricity where I am at in washington is like a nickel a kwh at night time, and 11 cents in the daytime. So.......... You'd be insane to ever buy a gas only car again, and with the full EV/PHEV , you have less macitence costs as well. You folks have insanely expensive electricity, also if you level 2 charge at work or at a nearby charger, level 2 chargers where I am and in most places are free or like a dollar to park. You show the most expensive situation for charging, kinda in the country, and I like that, it still shows how dirt cheap EV's are.
Agree 100% w/ Alex. my Ford C-Max Energi saves me all kinds of money on gas. I use about 60 cents of electricity most days, driving to work in EV mode with maybe a grocery-store detour on the way home. only time I use the ICE is weekends, when I do all my hither-and-yon errands, at 42+ mpg. at 9 yrs old Gremlin is getting a bit long in the tooth (and short on KWh). In a year or so I'll either be shopping for a replacement HV battery pack or a new vehicle. I hope the former is practical, as the ICE portion of the car has barely 15k miles on it. PHEVs make the most sense. I don't know if it's ignorance, stupidity, or vanity that keeps people from buying them (and manufacturers from making them). such an obvious solution that no one aside from Alex,Technology Connections, and a few others are explaining. I guess no one is listening over the roar of the EV fanboiz lamenting about the lack of free DCFC stations.
Thank you for the Politics chapter Alex, I wish everyone was this pragmatic. It's so frustrating seeing massive pickup trucks with 🇺🇲 stickers all over them rolling coal, not realizing they're just doing OPEC nations a favor. Nothing more patriotic than buying an EV and charging with American source electricity.
except that most EVs source their batteries currently from foreign countries with shady labor practices, and many of them are also entrenched in anti consumer tactics when it comes to servicability and repair
That would be North American oil if some idiot hadn't shut down all of the pipeline projects. There's plenty of ecological damage being fostered by EVS as well.
@@sociopathmercenary the pipeline was closed by a judge, not a politician. the pipeline wasn't even close to being finished. the pipeline lost funding so it was already shutting down and the oil would have exported back to USA from canada where the oil was coming from. learn how to read.
A few of us need trucks. That’s why I got my F150 Lightning, with it’s Red white and blue logo across the tailgate 😀. And have solar panels going in my pasture this spring. Cleaning up our gorgeous country, 1 EV at a time! 🇺🇸
Unfortunately it doesn't really matter how good the Kona is or the rest of the Kia EV's as well. You still have to go to a Kia dealer to get one. That's the problem. If there sales strategies are as bad as they are the service department is suspect. Waste of time unless a buyer enjoys being insulted and harassed.
Years ago, I went to a KIA dealership to test a Rio for my daughter and they could not find the keys for 25 minutes after I already waited for their agent for an additional 15 minutes to talk to me. I left and end up going to the dealership across the street, buying a Camry.
I drove a Toyota Prius in 1996 in Japan. All cars by now should be Hybrid. Less Pollution, Less Petrol used, Less need to go to War in the Middle East to keep the Oil Flowing. So 26 years after all off a sudden a Hybrid makes sense. Really, EV's Don't Pollute, they have the Range it's the Infrastructure that isn't built yet thats holding them back. Also the Price but the Chinese EV's are at Price Parity with EV's already and are 30% of the Biggest Ca Market in the World..China. There are Batteries LFP already available that will outlast the Car (1,600,000 Klms) and they can be charged to 100% safely. There are Sodium Batteries coming out which are safer again, much cheaper to make and along with new LFP batteries will charge in 10 mins. Then when the Solid State Batteries arrive it will be over for ICE vehicles as these are far Cheaper and Lighter Batteries. No Lithium, No Cobalt so no Limited Resources. Hybrids should have been pushed 20 years ago but now its too late. But of Course Oil and Fossil Fuel Car makers will do everything like they have for 30 years to delay EV Introduction. EV V2G and V2H will enhance the Grid especially with huge Solar take up in houses.
1:00: .....except that we pump roughly 90% of the oil we need each day as it stands right now. Gas prices are high because our refining capacity has been shaky for about 40 years now, and because we sell to the highest bidder. Oil companies and shippers use these giant tankers for a reason - if they can get $75 bucks here and $85 in Europe, they are going to ship it over to Europe. EVs are awesome, we need to keep moving toward them. But the facts don't match any of the narratives.
My solar system from Tesla makes about 7500kwh a year and cost with a single Power Wall $17,500. If I amortize that over 20 years that is only about $0.13/kwh. I am assuming a decline of production to 80% of capacity over 20 years. So far I have seen no significant decline in production. Presently I sell about half of the power I produce back to PG&E. I got the extra capacity with the intention of charging a BEV or PHEV.
When you hold up a Kia product as a serious alternative you have hit a new low. I don't know of anyone who bought a Korean make that hasn't had troubles almost from day one. I'm not sold on plug-ins either, all of the disadvantages of an EV with all of the compromises of a true hybrid. Just go with a non-grid hybrid from a better manufacturer.
The Bolt is a tricky comparison. It is well priced, BUT when you **really** think about it, it's still expensive. The Bolt EUV at $27,800 is 30% more expensive than a Chevy Trax which is larger and more comfortable inside with bigger screens, etc.
A plug in makes way more sense for most folk. For plug in owners, it might be worthwhile to use ethanol free fuel. If you're sitting on the same tank of e10 for a few months, you're asking for clogged injectors.
I am currently cross-shopping the Escape PHEV with this Niro. I am a former owner of a '19 Niro PHEV, and currently drive a Bolt EUV. My electricity is almost 1/3 of yours (11 cents), so the PHEV is far less expensive to run than a hybrid or ICE. Why the Escape? First, the federal tax credit. It's also a bit larger (that's a plus for me, a minus for others). The Escape has a more powerful EV motor, and a larger battery for longer range. The Escape PHEV also has a PTC heater to heat the cabin without the ICE. Yes, the Niro PHEV has it as an option on the Touring trims, but the larger battery of the Escape means my commute can likely be completed round trip just in EV mode, even with heat on. Also, the Escape has an EV Now mode, which completely keeps the ICE off, even at full throttle. It's closer to an EV with range extender than "just" a PHEV.
excellent detailed review...so happy to bump into your channel. Best I've seen. Completely fluid and information dense. I'm considering this plugin as our next car here in Vermont. My Carola has been virtually bullit proof for the last 230,000 miles, I just don't know if a KIA will last me 10 years... is that even in the cards for this brand. I really hope so. Thanks!
Key points to remember: 1. I said the cost of 100% renewable electricity is $0.28/kWh. The average residential regular rate is $0.26 here and will be lower off-peak or on alternate rate plans. The US average in October 2022 was $0.16. Remember rates are seasonal and the national average in October 2022 of $0.10/kWh includes commercial ans industrial uses which drive the average down. As always, your rates will vary.
On the energy independence front I'll refer you to the EIA's numbers. www.eia.gov/energyexplained/oil-and-petroleum-products/imports-and-exports.php. As you can see, the pandemic related drop in consumption made the USA "independant" in terms of export/import for a hot second but we returned to a net importer after that. The USA is heading in a direction of a net export balance however but this is not consumption related but production related as the USA saw a massive increase in domestic production starting in 2008. I would caution against looking at this through a political lens because neither political party has had much impact on domestic production when you look solely at the data. The rise in domestic production started under Obama but his administration had nothing to do it with, it mainly had to do with the rise in domestic fracking. Restrictions on fracking could impact production, tax situations could affect production but generally high sustained oil prices are what tend to correlate to increases domestically. Also, just so we're clear: Canada isn't part of the USA. So any production or other issues related to Canada is a topic external from import/export balances.
We have a full EV Niro, and get about 4.0 miles per kWh. Your drive cycle must be a lot higher speed than ours (we also live on a big-ish hill). With 28 cents a kwh I think my math says $1,100/yr
Oh yeah and we also have solar + battery for off grid power. Our fully amortized cost per kWh if the whole thing turns into a brick in 15 years is 19 cents a kWh. This is a 13KW array with 40kwh of battery costing $55K after tax producing 19MWh a year in the Bay Area.
I watch all your videos and listen to your podcasts. Don't appreciate your California stance on Fox... Not sure why you went down that path.
maybe add ihhs crash test score comparisons, maybe show differences in a excel sheet or something . also real life mpg test , see engineering explained video on mazda turbo mpg . is there a aftermarket (if theres not, media can creat edemand for it, there already is sway bar etc market) for steering that is more communicative like lotus evora/emira to possibly spend less energy turning wheels and to allow minimum and minimum g-force, braking and steering? evora emira is around as heavy as prius prime 223 and prius wont be dealing with as much g forces, so its not like its too heavy for most cars. also much more fun. without as much of a stiff chassis, although stiff chassis and then option office chair gel cushion sort of thing would be nice to be able to feel rear wheel grip too. if you add more battery, battery degradation is less, as you add more the effiency is expoenetially less so more energy at faster rate going in and out the battery so worse degradation... so what is best balance, can it be measure in effeincy ratings or battery size rating per amount of weight of car, so customer knows which car is best? small combustion to charge battery would it lower cost to run vs big batteries whose capability isntactually used often, and maybe itd be great as non plugin ybrid for those who cant charge when they get back home until they have to travel again. logn term cost differences of bolt vs prius? . also why cant companies send alsmost finishes cars to america then finish them to make them considered american made for the 7.5k or so tax credit ?
the sun dosnt charge sfa
Dude, I only charge my car at off peak hours in a L2 charger. I used to charge using the cord that came with the vehicle. I had to come home and plug it in right away so it charged at peak hours. When you charge makes a huge difference in cost.
He explained the differences, along with the advantages, the disadvantages, and the various trade-offs very well.
I had a 2017 Niro. Drove ride share in Seattle. Hills terrible roads and crazy weather. 80k miles in 2 years. Great car not a single problem.
We were indeed looking for the PHEV a little while ago, then found out the closest dealer who had one available was hundreds of miles away. We ended up with the EV for which we found a great deal - a 2022 model with only 160 miles on the odometer priced $12,000 below new price! We love how it drives, and it gets about 4 miles/kWh on average.
Phevs are so underrated. Esp for American markets where people complain about range concerns. EVs are the future but imo Phevs will be like the trucks today to cars. Phevs still have a place in society and will likely be around for at least another 20-30 years at least. Even when EV hits the solid stage age, Phevs can continue to operate as a utilitarian technology.
Now, if they actually sell this one outside of a few states, that would help.
Are dealers not willing to do a dealer trade to get one in, even if it's not typically sold in whatever particular state? Or maybe just easy to try online purchasing and having it shipped.
Kia is known to build PHEVs in trivially small numbers. It might just as hard to find one available as it is to get a RAV4 Prime. Maybe worse. Token compliance car.
If you live in a state that doesn’t offer it… VOTE!!! It’s the fault of your own state’s government, not Kia.
@@alliejr We sell ford and mitsubishi PHEVs, Volvo too. This is a kia/hyundai problem.
The Niro PHEV is available in all 50 states. If your dealer isn't stocking them they can order one. Dealers get to chose to carry them or not but pretty much all of them will order one for you if you want.
Agree, plug-in hybrids are the answer for personal transportation, and as sociaty we should make the effort to transition to green hydrogen as soon as possible!
As someone who likes to sit upright, those obnoxious headrests are a deal breaker. Can't even flip them around due to the design.
Great car. I drove the HEV Niro just the other day and the thing just made me happy to sit in and drive. Not the fastest in the world, but a great commuter. Great interface, tech, and loved the space inside. Felt open and airy.
I'm trying to decide between the HEV and PHEV Niro and Prius/Prime. I really just want a new commuter with all the bells and whistles, which gets great gas mileage. All four will likely serve well...but i'm concerned about KIA's reliability long term. I want this thing for at least 10 years. This is funkier and I like the design much better but Toyota is reliable, has AWD for the non-prime, and the prime will get longer range than them all.
sigh...such decisions
The Niro really is competitive, the base trim doesn't feel base. My dad has a 2018 PHEV Niro and he hasn't had any problems so far.
I personally have a 2021 RAV4 Prime and the Niro looks like it's from the future compared to it. Especially with the Kia app being able to locate the car and track it's charging status. The Toyota app on the other hand only tracks the phone (kinda silly isn't it?) and doesn't track the charge status.
Don't all Kias have a 10 year warranty?
@@tmanepic all new kias and hyundais.
@@juty-p1wYes. I was SHOCKED (in a bad way) sitting inside a friend’s mid-trim RAV4 Prime. Basic doesn’t even begin to describe it. Cheap is more appropriate.
I am am currently at the same position and would like to know what have you bought? Thanks in advance.
"Plug-in Hybrids Make More Sense Than Most BEVs" I love listening to you preach, the gospel of Alex ;)
But with most channels on UA-cam just being clickbait BS, It is still a thousand times better, So thanks...
Would love a deeper dive into the new Prius suspension - Toyota still says it's a multi-link setup and IIRC one of the big deals with the last gen was the IRS vs the torsion beam of old.
The new KIA cars are well built. I've had a 2019 hybrid niro, so impressed I traded up for a 2023.
Cereal hybrid by General Mills..shockingly delicious.😊
8:04 Aero Blades :This is another place where snow & ice will get stuck : useless for Canada for at least 3 months a year. These days we keep scraping the hoods near the front wiper and under the roof rails.
I still don't understand why they didn't mandatr plug in hybrids before forcing EVs by 2035. This would have at least given them a chance to see how well the infrastructure could handle half the load and give people the chance to enjoy the savings in gas while not completely stranding them in case an emergency happens. Just bought a Venza hybrid and I'm seeing the savings and the temporary extra power when trying to get on the freeway on ramp safely.
Because they are (1) Ideologically driven (2) Living in a bubble of idealism & don't know the definition of pragmatic (3). Don't have to deal the day to day issues that affect 70% of Americans
Any hybrid makes more sense than EVs..
If only modern PHEVs were halfway decent in EV mode. The only good PHEVs in my opinion are/were the Honda Clarity (bought) and 2nd gen Chevy Volt (test drove), which perform pretty much identically in electric mode and hybrid mode.
I really liked the Clarity. It's a pity they didn't continue that program.
@@AAutoBuyersGuide Yeah I absolutely love this car. I bought mine (used) last year; partially influenced by your "The best plug-in in America" verdict from a few years ago!
No 7500 tax rebate. Nope. Bolt EUV is better.
Depending on your tax situation and your ability to go full EV it well could be.
2023 Kia Sportage PHEV AWD, how about that? It would do better for me than Niro. And, yes, you're absolutely right. As of now PHEVs make way more sense in the US than EVs. For starters, there's no infrastructure in place to support EVs everywhere, batteries take too long to charge, and are too heavy. PHEVs let you live on electric only while attending to in-town errands, and you can still take them on a long drive across the country, not having to worry about recharging on the way and at the destination. For EVs to be acceptable, you'd have to have recharging stations at every carpark, at every gas station, at every motel and hotel, recharging itself in no more than 15 minutes, and batteries way lighter and way more durable than at present. Even then what are you going to do when temperature drops to -10°F or below? Batteries don't take lightly to freezing.
I have Sportage 2022 PHEV. It has 13.4kWh battery. I can drive about 60-65km at 10C temperature. It charges at 7.8kW for about 2h to full charge (230V@32A). I like this car a lot. The biggest issue is that heating comes from ICEngine so if you want to drive on electric only you have to give up heating. I use heated seat and steering wheel and it’s fine for trip up to 20 minutes.
@@volkhen0 Can you have 2022 Sportage PHEV AWD?
@@zdzislawmeglicki2262 in Europe, Poland where I live, yes you can. I ordered this car in March 2022 and it was delivered in October 2022. PHEV are only AWD.
I hope you made it through the storms unscathed.
Question is, after owning a 2017 kia sportage that started having excessive oil consumption at 35,000 miles and exhibited body creaks going up my driveway, can I trust buying any Hyundai/Kia product? Same for chevy bolt due to equinox issues. Need to look at plug in rav4 if you can wait for over a year to get one.
Agreed.
@@naveenthemachine I think if you did 2 seconds of research or were at all familiar with SUV options of the 2011-2018 period would be aware the 4 cyl equinox had a massive class action lawsuit related to excessive oil consumption and broken timing chain guides. Ours was purchased off lease with about 30,000 miles and developed the issue at about 65,000, of course right after no longer being covered by the extended gm coverage that would have replaced the entire engine block. When purchased 2016 it had nothing but positive reviews on Edmunds and kbb.
In regards to my kia, purchased 2020 just off lease with about 30k miles. I only got to own it for about a year and did not drive much due to covid. Changed the oil twice by kia dealership at 3,750 interval instead of 7,000 recommended. There is similar poor manufacturing by having casting issues causing excessive piston ring wear.
Did not feel like fighting dealerships for months and if successful having to trust dealer installed engines - sold them both. My care for them was not the issue. I have cars I am keeping that are 20yrs old that run fine and are less trouble.
Where's the interior section review?
Honestly I feel so spoiled that in Quebec we pay $0.068 per kWh….
At what point does the battery need to be replaced? At what cost?
My electricity is closer to 12 cents per kWh so operating an EV is far cheaper for me.
Can you talk about the reliability of the dual clutch tranny? I've heard a lot of bad news about and recalls with that tranny? Have they figured that out?
Great overview!
Car and Driver says they get worse mileage in this than the previous generation. As that makes no sense on the surface, I'd like better numbers or an explanation.
How often will than Dual Clutch Transmission have a stop sale order for whatever reason?
Nice to see they improved the tranny on this one. I had the last gen PHEV and while it was great to screech the tires with that DCT, it did have some really rough shifts and the transition to the ICE was very jarring/abrupt. Still wish it allowed you to control whether you want to stay in BEV mode like the RAV4 Prime does…I now own the 2022 Niro EV and love it. Much smoother and compliant than the 2021 PHEV…2023 PHEV might be next on the list!!
I find on my 2020 PHEV that if the ICE engine comes on at the same time as a shift it's rough. But shifts in EV or Hybrid are pretty good.
Has your twelve volt battery failed to recharge ?
@@domenicknegri9605 no
Hopefully this Niro won’t burn oil like my Kia Sorento !
Your ‘political soapbox’ was very interesting and a necessary clear look at some of the issues.
The worst part is about his soap box is how right he is. Past initial cost which only is really an issue for some makes not all or even a majority, having a hybrid of any kind for the most part saves money, people put politics and/or enthusiasm over saving money sometimes
Alex for president!
@@budapest1002 It only saves money if you need a new car. It is generally cheaper to keep a car that is paid for vs. buying a new car. The possible exception being a business that has extremely high mileage.
@@gordonschiff3621 To your point that is accurate and I’ll admit I was being a tad anecdotal. As a lot of the people in my town by new cars pretty often but always big has guzzling vehicles that legit mostly carry around air, but ten yet complain about gas prices when a used or new Prius, Maverick (if you can find) or many of the other affordable hybrid cars in existence would more than suffice for them.
And for some of the patrons I get to know and talk to they talk about spending more money on upkeep of the old vehicle + fuel cost vs if they had a hybrid.
@@budapest1002 Tahoe versus a Prius in an accident =Tahoe wins lol
Alex you are the best vehicle reviewer.
I do not care for Kia vehicles at all. I didn’t want to waste my time on this review. But once I started watching it I finished it in its entirety.
In 2021 I decided that I wanted to see what it was like to drive an electric, but I didn't want to go full EV so I bought a 2018 Chevrolet Volt. It's been a game changer. Even for a few months when I was living in a house and could only charge it using 110v I was averaging around 1000 miles between fill-ups (8.9 gallon tank). Now that I'm back to having a 240v outlet available, I fill up even less than that (currently at over 1200 miles with about 2/3 of a tank remaining - most of that gas used when the temps were in the teens and the car needed to run the gas motor because it was too cold for EV mode). Add to that the fact that if I need to go further I just get in and go. I made several 400-mile day trips through rural TX last year, which would have been extremely difficult if not impossible in a conventional EV.
I'm planning to give the Volt to my daughter when she graduates from college in May and get myself another PHEV, but there are two major problems with that:
1- Even though the Volt is 5 years old, its EV range is still significantly greater than any of the new PHEVs. The Volt is rated for 52 Miles EV range. In city driving I've exceeded that on several occasions. At TX highway speeds (~75) that number goes down quite a bit. Either way, that's more than 20% further than anything currently being built.
2-Scarcity. PHEVs are a total afterthought for manufacturers. Maybe in California it's a bit easier to get one, but around here they're nearly impossible. One of the largest Toyota dealerships in the Dallas/Fort Worth, TX area (pop. 6.5 million) told me that they were allocated a total of 5 Prius Primes for the entire 2022 model year.
Totally agree on all points. 2017 Volt owner here and I will drive it for as long as they make parts for it, the only other car I have been looking at as a commuting appliance is the Aptera when it comes out since the battery pack is also reasonably sized. Gently used gen 2 Volt prices are now more than new Bolt prices for a reason, fortunately I was able to pick mine up with low miles right before that last gas crisis on the east coast and they were going for really cheap. I have gone months between fill ups I use the ICE so infrequently, turns out an ~18 kWhr battery is all most folks need to get around town 90% of the time, the rest can be handled with hybrid mode instead of hoarding batteries creating wait lists years long.
Right on. I own a Honda Clarity which has slightly less EV only range (in the summer I am getting around 85 km electric) than the Volt and I only buy gas when I'm doing longer trips. All my regular driving is done electric only and I go months at a time without buying any gas. It's a shame that Honda has stopped production of these cars. I really don't understand why there doesn't seem to be a greater demand for PHEVs with a decent electric range. That being said, the new Mitsubishi PHEV Outlander looks pretty good. I've read reviews that have said they were getting over 100 km electric although the actual rated range is only 61 km.
I see 2,000-3,000 miles commuting and charging at home and work in a with Voltec in a 2018 CT6 2.0E plug-in. About 50 EV miles is the sweet spot for us.
Same story:
People (myself included) couldn't appreciate how beneficial "only" 40 miles of EV range was when Volt debuted a decade ago.
14,000 EV miles per year SHOULD have been GM's Volt sales pitch then.
Like you, I got a plug-in a few years back (i3 REx), and only used 25 gallons of gas to cover 24,000 miles last year.
Having the gas engine means never fretting about defrost, heater, lights, wipers, traffic, side trips or any other range-depleting activity.
@@anydaynow01
I could have written your comments.
We have two 2017 Volts. And an Aptera reservation.
We actually have had 3, 2017s
Red Volt #1 was stopped when it was rear ended by a drunk driver's SUV going 45 mph this past summer.
Having all 4 passengers walk out of the hospital without any life altering injuries, I can tell you those cars are little tanks.
Red Volt #1 has been replaced by Red Volt #2.
We were so lucky find another 2017 Red Premier identical, along with ACC, and only 5K on the clock. It's like new.
I cannot believe that to date no manufacturer has built a PHEV that can do what the Volt can do. I am disappointed that the new Prius Prime does not have the electric range of the Gen II Volt.
I have put at least 30,000 miles on trio of Volts with charging my employer provides to me for free. Commuting Cost Zero, for years now.
For example, Blue Volt has gone 50,000 trouble free miles has a lifetime MPG of 178.
Like you I will run them both into the ground.
The Aptera if it gets built, is not going to replace either Volt it will be a fun toy.
Drove one yesterday and was very impressed. Bummer on the tax credit. PHEV makes more sense for my situation.
Really interesting to see how this compares with the upcoming Prius Prime.
This is a CUV and competes with RAV4 and is more uselfull than Prius hatch.
At 15:00 he says the Prius is smaller while sitting in thr back seat and also about cargo space.
@@normt430 Alex did say that the Prius is the closest competitor to the Niro and while the Kia definitely has the edge in practicality, the Prime has not yet been tested for fuel economy, range, performance.
@@mark_u Toyota will just nueter the power it to get mpg title. That won't work for some as the power did increase for the latest one.
Where these analyses go wrong is considering the lifespan of the traction battery. Typically batteries last 1-2000 charge cycles. A charge cycle is enough electricity to recharge the battery from 0-100% charge. If we have a 250 mi range battery, then we may expect the battery to last 250-500,000 miles. If your PHEV battery is enough to go 35 miles, then we expect it to last 35,000 - 70,000 electric miles. So, while it may be efficient for the first owner, at some point that battery will fail, and now we just have a regular gas vehicle with an extra 1000 lbs of useless equipment weighing it down.
PHEVs are a time bomb waiting to go off. If you want an EV, just get an EV, preferably with a range of 250mi or more.
Bought this car a couple of months ago. We love it. I zip it around town every day with a smile on my face and plug it in every other day. At 6 cents a kilowatt it gives me 35-40mpg for about a buck.
Where do you live that you can get 6 cents/kWh?
@@plentyrockz where I live in Oklahoma the elec coop has an EV rate you can put your house on- Year-Round
All kWhs from 5 AM to 9 PM: 9¢/kWh
All kWhs from 9 PM to 5 AM: 5¢/kWh
car companies need to make a ton more PHEV's. I dont know why this isnt talked about more...
PHEVs with decent ranges like ~80-100 km. I think the biggest reason is the writing is on the wall for the BEVs. GM saw this with the Voltec system it developed for the gen 2 Volt. They were planning on using the tech on their product line to pay for the development but people never bought them since they were so ahead of their time, and GM did an abysmal job advertising them properly. Either folks bought the Bolt or they didn't want a hybrid (mostly drawn across political lines). Now one will be lucky to find a Volt going for a decent price there is such a high demand for them on the used market now that folks know about them and just how capable they are if you have a place to charge at home or work.
Not enough profit margins if they price low, and not enough people buy them if they price high.
Give me a gas hybrid only, who wants to risk your safety having to exit your car in the middle of nowhere to recharge your vehicle in the middle of the night, I don't think so!!!
In reality it's worst of both worlds. It's more expensive, more complex, heavier, costs more to charge, has low electric range and still require full set of maintenance that ICE car does. But I guess removing point of pollution from under the hood elsewhere is what's important for most greeneis.
Hybrids and plug-in hybrids make a lot of sense. Especially if you are only going to have 1 vehicle. I really wish the RAV4 Prime was easier to get!
There has always been 200-300 new/used R4P's for sale since they came out and there was no more mark up. Today their are over 500 for sale on Autotrader.
@@normt430 Everything I've seen has a huge markup. Some of the used RAV4 Primes are listed for over $60,000. I should try to find a dealer willing to sell a new one at MSRP.
@@KPHVAC why do prospective Toyota owners think they need to spend $60K on a Prime which is what the Lexus NX 450+ costs! That's Lexus money!
Should just look at an EV instead.
@@normt430 I wouldn't spend that much on a Prime but some people must be. It's common for me to drive 400 to 500 miles in a day for a weekend trip. I only want to have 1 vehicle so I'd rather go hybrid than all electric.
@@KPHVAC yes, hybrid is the best for rhat distance. Especially if you are going up and down hills or mountains where hybrid can charge the battery some. For the flat lands I'd get a turbo-4 if you don't speed much or your economy will drop. Turbochargers like low and constant rpms.
Yep the PHEV with a decent EV range and home/work charging is the best of both worlds. Battery for almost all of the average person's daily driving needs and a reliable gas backup for those longer days out in town and road trips without having to worry about the charging network working, The best part is due to the hybrid mode the ICE is very understressed and lasts a lot longer than a traditional ICE. By the end of the decade when battery factories and mines are running full tilt and the charging networks have the kinks worked out then a BEV for everyone will make more sense. Otherwise there is no reason to hoard batteries when there are waiting lists years long for people to get into a BEV with insane battery sizes they will almost never use.
How about the Ford Escape Hybrid plugin? Which is currently getting the tax credit...
We have the Ford Escape PHEV, we find the drive train very smooth, 37+ EV range, 40+ mpg in hybrid, and Tax credit.
Just keep your old car and save money. Don’t listen to any of these auto industry hacks or politicians. My 18 year old Acura runs like new and is reliable and paid off. Registration is cheap every year. Car is not the product of strip mining or other unethical production methods. It could easily last another 100k miles.
just get the full EV. its dumb to carry a fossil engine around, and it only slows the whole transition. Kia's full EV Niro is a great car.
It’s so refreshing to hear phev reasoning that matches mine. It’s simply the best option if you don’t want to spend a ton of time at charging on long trips, and if most short trips fall within battery range. It is exhausting to keep hearing how I’m an idiot if I don’t want to spend $50K on a BEV that’s only practical within a 100 mile radius.
I had a first generation Volt and live in a small town in MI. I fit your use case perfectly. I basically filled the gas tank twice in a year because most of my trips were around town running errands and transporting the kids where I ran essentially all electric. Colder winter weather reduced my EV range and also used the gas engine for heat, accounting for my gasoline use.
Oh, and for comparison, our electric cost here is $0.09/kWh, making the cost analysis a lot more favorable than Alex’s calculations using PG&E.
In areas like this where the nearest city is 2 hours away and public charging is still fairly sparse, a PHEV makes sense. I can run essentially all electric most of the time but can just hop on the freeway and drive efficiently for longer trips. The investment is lower, too.
Except a HEV will be thousands cheaper to buy and get nearly the same fueling costs. Unless gas goes above $6 and electricity stays the same. HEV is the cheapskate answer.
@@grahamstefaan True, but I think on this car the phev is a little quicker., so you get something for the extra money besides altruism.
@Larry Augsburger no one this concerned with mpg cares about 0-60. This is one mistake of new Prius. 2023 HEV Prius should have hit 60mpg but they added too much power. Prime prius only 0.4 sec quicker.
@@grahamstefaan I do, within limits. Anything longer than 8-9 seconds is dangerous when speed limits are 75 and people regularly exceed that.
Thanks for the review, Alex, hope the bad weather finds you in a safe location with extra chain saws handy. This Kia Niro PHEV, is close, but still slightly behind my Ford Energi Fusion. Based on your reports, it’s not yet trade in time. I’m averaging 52.7 mpg over 2200 miles, and 57.6 for the last 440 miles. The Ford cost less, & gets better economy.
and, imo, it looks better too. I wish ford still made that...
The trunk space reduction on the Energi is ridiculous.
Many thanks for this timely review. Nice not to have to wait another 3 to 6 months for a Consumer Report's review! In Canada, of note, this PHEV now gets a C$5,000 Federal grant because of its slightly better EV only range (it was C$2,500 for the 2022 and 2021 models) plus certain provionces such as Quebec and B.C. (but not Ontario) have additional grants.
2023 Niro HYBRID PLUG IN tax break is about $4300 in US
Ford Escape PHEV gets $7.5k tax credit, this gets $0. The Escape will probably lack availability though.
Bumper turn signals and brake lights should be illegal. They’re highly dangerous and way out of normal line of sight, incredibly difficult to see in bright daylight traffic
I agree. The Niro hybrid is a better option than a pure electric for most people in single vehicle households. I own a Tesla model 3 and a Mach E, but rather than buy an electric vehicle for my daughter I got her the Niro hybrid. The fact that she lives in an apartment without a charging port was one of the reasons why.
BOLT EV Starting at $27,495 - $7,500 Clean Vehicle Federal Tax Credit ?
You can’t buy it one at MSRP though. If you go to a dealer that will order one for MSRP, you won’t get it before the credit expires in March.
I just bought a Bolt EUV for MSRP on Monday. It can be done.
I trust Toyota hybrids more than any Korean car manufacturer. Toyota has more experience in that department. The new 2023 Prius has a combined EV and Hybrid powertrain which I’m sure will be more practical.
How much extra maintenance for the dual clutch tranny? I know for Audi it’s very expensive to do routine transmission fluid changes
I love my 2019 HEV Niro Touring. awesome MPG and utility design is perfect for commuting, outdoor activities, road trips and etc. HK system is nice for it's price range and everything works perfectly. with a hitch, I can haul small trailer for those home depot and trash runs. during road trip, roof cargo box and hitch rack will greatly extend the capacity. can't ask for better a commuting vehicle and it's rock solid reliable to boot.
38% of all electricity in united states is natural gas, my neighbor has a booster pump on his gas line to fill his CNG Civic GX. I always thought that an interesting option. I have Rav4 Prime myself. I used the 1500w inverter to power my fridge and 2nd freezer for 1/2 a day due to SoCal rains blew a transformer near me. Its about $1.30 cheaper (ish) compared to gasoline per gallon.
Perhaps… but what is more likely to change quickly and scalably: 100 million vehicles or 1 thousand power plants?
I would definitely take the 2023 Kia Niro , over the 2023 Toyota Prius. One of the main reasons is anyone over 6 feet tall is going to be impacted in the Toyota Prius front seat and also the backseat. There already have been comments about this in test drives in the 2023 Toyota Prius, you will be looking out the very top of the windshield and through the visor if you are over 6 feet tall, also the rear headroom Is dramatically reduced because of the roofline of the new 2023 Toyota Prius.
Toyota needs to put that Prius drivetrain in a sensible car.
@@rightlanehog3151 The Prius seems to be somewhat of a test car for hybrid stuff. You get a bunch of new tech in it first, before it makes its way into other cars.
@@RennieAsh Like a Prius v?
When talking about EVs vs HEVs and PHEVs, many people seem to forget about the petrochemicals used in hybrids of any sort: motor oil and transmission fluids. Manufacture, use and recycling of these fluids have environmental and economic costs. And if you pay someone to maintain these fluids, the economic costs can be a real pita. In one respect, HEVs and PHEVs re the best of both worlds. In another respect, HEVs and PHEVs are the worst of both worlds because you still have to change the friggin oil.
I really like the comparison of fuel cost to electric cost at the beginning, stay on your soap box those segments of your video’s are always the most helpful. I just can’t justify this car given Kia’s resale vale drop compared to Toyota.
Great car but I'm still afraid to purchase anything from Kia or Hyundai with all of their engine issues. I am thinking about upgrading my Ford Cmax PHEV soon. A shifting car while in EV mode sounds so weird.
Id rather have a slow ev with the battery array more in paralell. Lower voltage more amp hours. Problem is everyone of these tesla guys brags about 0-60 times nobody drives at. 0-60 times makes 0 difference on the time it takes to get to your destination. I wish people could see acceleration times dont matter but its just like gas cars from 1980-2010. Almost all the tech went to more hp while mpg stayed flat.
I used to own 2019 Niro PHEV and I love that car dearly, it's very practical and roomy - I was able to fit the largest above the ground pool that Costco sells in the summer - Costco guys who helped me with loading was in disbelief! Based on what Alex said, this next gen Niro PHEV has improved so many things such as the jerky dual clutch, lack of power etc. Also, the better fuel rating and look would definitely help sell this new Niro PHEV and don't let the lack of Federal Tax credit steers you away from this car, because I don't think there is any PHEV qualifies at this time, please correct me if I'm wrong. Great review, Alex...you nailed it once again!
The Escape PHEV and Corsair PHEV qualify plus a few other premium brand vehicles.
Do you still have the car?
@@heinuchung8680 No, sadly.
I’m also on PG&E down in Monterey with the 100% renewable plan on the EV1 plan I pay 16 cents per kWh off peak
The issue with 100% renewables in a way is: if you want to be the greenest, off peak is a bad time to charge :-)
I will definitely buy some sort of EV in the future but my State is very much against electric cars, as of a few months ago there was only 2000 EV's on the road in my State, vs 2.8 million ice vehicles. Just to piss off the liberals that own or are thinking about owning a EV, there is a $200 fee per year. Naturally there will be few chargers and I wouldn't ever think about trusting them to work when I really needed it. I will never ever buy a Tesla so that is out.
What about its pollution load? I couldn't find the actual pollution levels coming out of its tailpipe. It seems they talk about how they are going to reduce emissions by 92% in the future but no CO2 numbers...
Great content comparing the EV PHEV and HEV fuel costs at the high rates in California it’s convinced me the HEV is my next car…
Just drove 33 miles to work (90% highway) and got 59mpg.
Super complicated dual electric motors connected to either a transmission or belt system. I'm sure its well designed, but wow seems like way to much going on.
I concur.
The thumbnail for this video states 2,500 miles per tank. I watched the whole thing and could not see anywhere where this was explained. Could anyone confirm this please?
I bought the 2023 PHEV Niro. EX. It’s a waste of money for the SX. I have the winter pack with steering wheel heating and back seat heating. In winter combined from Jersey City to Maryland I got an average of 51.6mpg. One thing all reviews keep saying is only the SX gets Highway Driver Assist- Rubbish the EX in the USA gets it as well.. so the car drives itself on the freeway. Amazing tech … love it.
Yeah this makes a lot better use case for me than a Prius. Better rear cargo capability and access, and upright driving position I prefer. I want to like the Prius, but I suspected it was too low, both floor and roof, and I've seem them in person now and that is certainly the case. These are almost like an 11/10ths sized VW Golf, which is just fine for me.
A plug-in hybrid makes sense for the simple fact that you can't go get a can of electricity if it runs out.
and you can't charge an ice vehicle at home.....or with solar, if you're stuck in the woods....
but with two power plants you have twice the headaches.... Nothing is life is a simple as it seems.... C'est la vie
@@Channel-gz9hm OFC you just drill an oil well, in an emergency..... Good luck with that my trigger Luddite friend.....
Alex, in your test, you did 0-60 in 7.2 seconds. But when comparing the Niro PHEV to the Prius Prime at the 25:12 point in the video, you said the Niro PHEV does "9 seconds, 9 and a half seconds". I assume the 7.2 seconds figure is the correct figure for the Niro PHEV.
Sorry. 7.2 is correct. 9.4 was the initial Kia estimate but uit turns out to be much faster than epected.
In the years 2020 and 2021 the United States WAS already a net exporter of petroleum. We didn’t need people to drive EVs or Hybrids to achieve that. It is the more recent government-imposed restrictions that have made us dependent on other nations. Were you asleep during those years, Mr. Van Winkle? 😋
Also, While the gas price might be $5.00 in California, where I live, I can currently purchase it for $3.15 per gallon (87 octane). So the calculations would be MUCH different here ($1,690 per year).
And let’s not forget the need to eventually replace the extremely expensive battery packs. If needed, a home charging outlet. The initial additional MSRP of these cars. The terrible conditions that many endure, working in mines in Congo, etc., including some children, to obtain the majority mineral, cobalt, needed for lithium batteries.
And the burning of coal to make the electricity!
Depends on where you live, but in the Netherlands, and Western EU in general plug-ins makes no sense whatsoever. Absolutely none. Have driven E-Niro full EV for 100k plus km's now, and no issues or problems on both daily driving, or with charging on long routes. (Sweden, Austria, Italy, Switserland, done m all accross EU with the EV)
The Niro is a cool little car but I'd rather have a RAV4 Hybrid or RAV4 Prime. I want AWD and more space!
Ever check out the new Outlander PHEV ? It's built on a Nissan platform but it's only available from Mitsubishi. It has a 20KWh battery (the largest of any PHEV sold in the US) and rated for 38 miles in EV mode but early reports put it at 42-52 in real life. It's also AWD and I think around 220HP in EV only mode, the PHEV niro is 60HP (2018-2022) or 90HP (2023) so it still needs the gas motor when you need some power. We checked out on monday it looked really nice.
@@SkaBob it’s problem is poor MPG when in hybrid mode.
As long as your willing to pay the significantly higher price the bigger more complex car is bound to come with.
Sorry I pass on Hyundai/Kia, they have too many problems.
Don't understand the 2500 miles per tank in the thumbnail. Kia says "[t]he 2023 Kia Niro has a 560-mile range estimated by the EPA.". Can someone explain?
I too would like to know where in the video this is explained. I watched the whole thing and couldn't see this mentioned at all!
Thanks for reminding people there are more reasons to buy a fuel efficient car than saving money on gas. Multiple rationals for energy efficiency should not be considered politics.
Why didn’t he do the hydrogen how would the math work with that when you factor in the dream factor ? lol
Electricity where I am at in washington is like a nickel a kwh at night time, and 11 cents in the daytime. So.......... You'd be insane to ever buy a gas only car again, and with the full EV/PHEV , you have less macitence costs as well. You folks have insanely expensive electricity, also if you level 2 charge at work or at a nearby charger, level 2 chargers where I am and in most places are free or like a dollar to park.
You show the most expensive situation for charging, kinda in the country, and I like that, it still shows how dirt cheap EV's are.
Agree 100% w/ Alex.
my Ford C-Max Energi saves me all kinds of money on gas. I use about 60 cents of electricity most days, driving to work in EV mode with maybe a grocery-store detour on the way home. only time I use the ICE is weekends, when I do all my hither-and-yon errands, at 42+ mpg.
at 9 yrs old Gremlin is getting a bit long in the tooth (and short on KWh). In a year or so I'll either be shopping for a replacement HV battery pack or a new vehicle. I hope the former is practical, as the ICE portion of the car has barely 15k miles on it. PHEVs make the most sense. I don't know if it's ignorance, stupidity, or vanity that keeps people from buying them (and manufacturers from making them).
such an obvious solution that no one aside from Alex,Technology Connections, and a few others are explaining. I guess no one is listening over the roar of the EV fanboiz lamenting about the lack of free DCFC stations.
Thank you for the Politics chapter Alex, I wish everyone was this pragmatic. It's so frustrating seeing massive pickup trucks with 🇺🇲 stickers all over them rolling coal, not realizing they're just doing OPEC nations a favor. Nothing more patriotic than buying an EV and charging with American source electricity.
except that most EVs source their batteries currently from foreign countries with shady labor practices, and many of them are also entrenched in anti consumer tactics when it comes to servicability and repair
That would be North American oil if some idiot hadn't shut down all of the pipeline projects.
There's plenty of ecological damage being fostered by EVS as well.
@@sociopathmercenary the pipeline was closed by a judge, not a politician. the pipeline wasn't even close to being finished. the pipeline lost funding so it was already shutting down and the oil would have exported back to USA from canada where the oil was coming from. learn how to read.
Lighten up Snowflake🤦🏻♂️
A few of us need trucks. That’s why I got my F150 Lightning, with it’s Red white and blue logo across the tailgate 😀. And have solar panels going in my pasture this spring. Cleaning up our gorgeous country, 1 EV at a time! 🇺🇸
Unfortunately it doesn't really matter how good the Kona is or the rest of the Kia EV's as well. You still have to go to a Kia dealer to get one. That's the problem. If there sales strategies are as bad as they are the service department is suspect. Waste of time unless a buyer enjoys being insulted and harassed.
Years ago, I went to a KIA dealership to test a Rio for my daughter and they could not find the keys for 25 minutes after I already waited for their agent for an additional 15 minutes to talk to me. I left and end up going to the dealership across the street, buying a Camry.
I drove a Toyota Prius in 1996 in Japan. All cars by now should be Hybrid. Less Pollution, Less Petrol used, Less need to go to War in the Middle East to keep the Oil Flowing. So 26 years after all off a sudden a Hybrid makes sense. Really, EV's Don't Pollute, they have the Range it's the Infrastructure that isn't built yet thats holding them back. Also the Price but the Chinese EV's are at Price Parity with EV's already and are 30% of the Biggest Ca Market in the World..China. There are Batteries LFP already available that will outlast the Car (1,600,000 Klms) and they can be charged to 100% safely. There are Sodium Batteries coming out which are safer again, much cheaper to make and along with new LFP batteries will charge in 10 mins. Then when the Solid State Batteries arrive it will be over for ICE vehicles as these are far Cheaper and Lighter Batteries. No Lithium, No Cobalt so no Limited Resources. Hybrids should have been pushed 20 years ago but now its too late. But of Course Oil and Fossil Fuel Car makers will do everything like they have for 30 years to delay EV Introduction. EV V2G and V2H will enhance the Grid especially with huge Solar take up in houses.
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
+CHAdeMO DCFC
@@nc3826 So what? You're going to be charging a PHEV at home 99% of the time.
wrong.... "I'm" not going to be charging a PHEV at home 99% of the time...
And why tell me about something Mitsubishi, installed on its PHEV? lmao ;)
26-28 mpg in hybrid mode is atrocious.
1:00: .....except that we pump roughly 90% of the oil we need each day as it stands right now. Gas prices are high because our refining capacity has been shaky for about 40 years now, and because we sell to the highest bidder. Oil companies and shippers use these giant tankers for a reason - if they can get $75 bucks here and $85 in Europe, they are going to ship it over to Europe. EVs are awesome, we need to keep moving toward them. But the facts don't match any of the narratives.
Not enough EV Range. Need 50+. First company that comes out with a PHEV with 50+ EV Range for $35,000-$40,000 will win.
My solar system from Tesla makes about 7500kwh a year and cost with a single Power Wall $17,500. If I amortize that over 20 years that is only about $0.13/kwh. I am assuming a decline of production to 80% of capacity over 20 years. So far I have seen no significant decline in production. Presently I sell about half of the power I produce back to PG&E. I got the extra capacity with the intention of charging a BEV or PHEV.
When you hold up a Kia product as a serious alternative you have hit a new low. I don't know of anyone who bought a Korean make that hasn't had troubles almost from day one. I'm not sold on plug-ins either, all of the disadvantages of an EV with all of the compromises of a true hybrid. Just go with a non-grid hybrid from a better manufacturer.
EVs right now are getting cheaper, around the same price as gas and cheaper then hybrids, take the Chevy Bolt EV for 25k MSRP
The Bolt is a tricky comparison. It is well priced, BUT when you **really** think about it, it's still expensive. The Bolt EUV at $27,800 is 30% more expensive than a Chevy Trax which is larger and more comfortable inside with bigger screens, etc.
Problem with hybrids they are overly complicated fixing them is very expensive due to ev and gas. It’s better to just go with full ev :Tesla) or ice.
A plug in makes way more sense for most folk. For plug in owners, it might be worthwhile to use ethanol free fuel. If you're sitting on the same tank of e10 for a few months, you're asking for clogged injectors.
I am currently cross-shopping the Escape PHEV with this Niro. I am a former owner of a '19 Niro PHEV, and currently drive a Bolt EUV. My electricity is almost 1/3 of yours (11 cents), so the PHEV is far less expensive to run than a hybrid or ICE.
Why the Escape? First, the federal tax credit. It's also a bit larger (that's a plus for me, a minus for others). The Escape has a more powerful EV motor, and a larger battery for longer range. The Escape PHEV also has a PTC heater to heat the cabin without the ICE. Yes, the Niro PHEV has it as an option on the Touring trims, but the larger battery of the Escape means my commute can likely be completed round trip just in EV mode, even with heat on. Also, the Escape has an EV Now mode, which completely keeps the ICE off, even at full throttle. It's closer to an EV with range extender than "just" a PHEV.
18:10 I'd watch a suspension video that details all the note-able setups.
excellent detailed review...so happy to bump into your channel. Best I've seen. Completely fluid and information dense. I'm considering this plugin as our next car here in Vermont. My Carola has been virtually bullit proof for the last 230,000 miles, I just don't know if a KIA will last me 10 years... is that even in the cards for this brand. I really hope so. Thanks!
So excited to see this. I’ve been considering the new Niro PHEV so I’m glad to hear more about it
Alex, I love the amount of information you pack into your videos. When do you inhale?
I think all the breathing is edited out.
I think these cars cost too much. I'm going to order a Chevy Equinox EV for more car for less money.
We were an oil-exporting nation. How often does California tell you that you can't charge because they ran out of juice?