This technology which claimed to reconcile thermal and electric is now shunned by buyers and decried by environmentalists.
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The rechargeable hybrid had to be the missing link, the transitional vehicle which could serenely and gradually accompany the motorist towards the age of all-electric. This hybrid car whose battery can also be recharged on a terminal in order to drive around fifty kilometers in “zero emission” mode no longer pretends to “collect the best of both worlds”, reconcile thermal and electric. Montreal by pro-environmental organizations, shunned by business fleets and individuals, it is a clear stop.
In the first nine months of 2022, sales of rechargeable hybrids in France (88,555) plummeted 13 % compared to the previous year. On the other hand, the electric pure (140,000) jumped by 31 % and the conventional hybrids (which recharged during the deceleration phases) increased by 27 %, to 131,000 units. This erosion which strikes the whole European market balances the end of an ambiguity.
a zest of good conscience
At the end of the previous decade, the major promoters of what we designate under the acronym PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) were the Chinese manufacturers, well helped by the quotas imposed by Beijing. European brands were quick to see the interest they could withdraw on their own market. Faced with the damage caused by the “dieselgate” on their command book as on their reputation, the arrival of a technology praised for its virtues that are both environmental (use an electric motor for urban journeys) and utilitarists (browse long Distances thanks to the petrol engine) was blessed bread. What ensure the sustainability of the big SUVs threatened by the stigma thrown on diesel, with, as a bonus, a zest of good conscience.
For general brands – in particular French women -, the rechargeable hybrid was also an unprecedented way to erase, thanks to the presence of one or more muscular electric motors, the performance deficit from which their models were suffering from stars German “premium”. The new DS7 is offered in PHEV mode with a power of 360 horsepower. Annoying feature recently for a French car.
The acceleration of sales of electric vehicles and the rise of criticism in good standing the thermal engine have changed the situation and highlighted the ambiguity of the PHEV. It appeared that the users of these cars, 72 % of whom are company vehicles, rarely recharged, if never, their rechargeable function of function. However, roll with a weighted model of several hundred kilos of batteries by counting only on its heat engine generates a clear overconsumption. A palpable reality for fleet managers, faced with an increasingly salty fuel budget.
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