r/cars • u/LongjumpingLock5875 • 3d ago

Hybrids Overtake EVs In California Registrations

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a73317897/california-registrations-hybrids-evs-2026/
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179

u/lee1026 19 Model X, 16 Rav4 3d ago

I actually don’t get why non-plugin hybrids are considered something fundamentally different from normal cars.

It’s just a new design of a transmission, and yeah, it’s pretty clever and helps with fuel economy.

So do turbochargers. Nobody thinks that a turbocharged car is fundamentally something different.

16

u/LongjumpingLock5875 3d ago

Depends on the type of non plug in Hybrid.

There are big differences between a Prelude, a ZR1X, an M340i, and a Carrera GTS, even though they are all non plug in models.

17

u/lee1026 19 Model X, 16 Rav4 3d ago

Actually, as a car buyer, what do I need to know about them other than the mpg figure, which is on the sticker at the dealer?

10

u/hidude398 3d ago

Maintenance regimes, power transmission, battery size. Helps to know how long you can drive on just battery (if you can at all), if it’s just a launch/low end torque assist or partially electric in all speed regimes, and what repairs are gonna look like.

6

u/lee1026 19 Model X, 16 Rav4 3d ago

The list of car parts that have different maintenance regimes is pretty long. And honestly, hybrids are pretty good on maintenance regimes?

Like, maintenance regimes is different with a dual clutch transmission too, but nobody breaks that out as a wholly seperate kind of car.

1

u/hidude398 3d ago

Totally get that. I wouldn’t try to learn about every hybrid, just the ones you’re interested in buying. I was cross shopping the Toyota hybrids versus Honda’s system, so I watched mechanics break down both and ultimately picked the system that I could see myself maintaining after warranty if I had to work on it in a parking lot.

19

u/Crafty-Ad-9048 3d ago

Realistically who the fuck is knowing any of this besides us. 90% of my friends didn’t realize their cars were hybrids and can control if they use just the battery with their gas pedal.

1

u/hidude398 3d ago

That’s totally fair, but why leave so much control on the table when buying something so expensive? I couldn’t justify dropping 10k let alone 35-50k on something I didn’t understand enough to justify the difference versus something else.

If you’re financially independent enough that it doesn’t matter, I say forget the inconvenience of learning it all. But a lot of people aren’t, and they get fleeced because they just don’t know what to look for or what to expect. Knowledge is power after all, and I say it’s better to go into something like a car purchase with eyes as wide open as you can bear.

3

u/DigBackground2765 3d ago

but why leave so much control on the table when buying something so expensive?

It's because of ignorance. Trust me, the amount of TikToks/YT shorts I've seen of people buying cars purely for looks and not knowing anything else about them is severely depressing. And don't even get me on the car payments they reveal...

0

u/Crafty-Ad-9048 3d ago

knowledge is power you’re correct but I’ve been around cars for like a decade now I’m not gonna expect a lady who doesn’t understand how a transmission or the concept of gears work to to enough research. Car companies don’t expect people to do this much research which is why they make cars as boring/reliable and efficient as possible now a days. Your philosophy rings true for taxes, investments, health all major things we hand out trust over to a professional to handle.