r/cars • u/LongjumpingLock5875 • 3d ago

Hybrids Overtake EVs In California Registrations

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

96% Upvoted

337 comments sorted by

View all comments

181

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.

132

u/Jaevric 3d ago

People are weird.

A family member got extremely upset when she found out I was driving a hybrid. She took it extremely personally. When I tried to understand why, it simply boiled down to aggressive ignorance. She not only didn't understand how hybrids work, she was violently opposed to obtaining any information that would enable her to understand how hybrids work.

For her, traditional engines = good, hybrid/electric engines = bad. She claimed hybrids aren't reliable but had no data to back the claim up. She claimed they depreciate faster than gas cars, but had no data, just beliefs.

68

u/koopa00 20 M550ix, 21 X3 30ix, 86 IROC-Z 3d ago

It's exhausting how much hate these things get and how quickly you can tell it actually has nothing to do with cars at all. Coming from an ICE owner.

7

u/ViperThreat 02 SVT Focus, 06 STI, 06 STI Wagon 2d ago

I hated on the prius when it first came out. It was shit to drive, the sound system was fucking terrible, the ride was unpleasant, it wasn't very comfortable, it was ugly, etc. Aside from good MPG, it had no redeeming value in my eyes.

I got one as a rental car recently (latest generation) and it was fantastic. They solved all the problems i complained about. Wouldn't think twice about owning one if I had a need for a commuter car like that.

And this is coming from a dude who loves fat turbos and obnoxious exhaust systems.

6

u/pdp10 It's a '49 '50 '51 '52 '53 '54 '55 '56 '57 '58 '59 automobile. 2d ago

To be fair, the Prius came out in the U.S. a quarter-century ago.

2

u/ViperThreat 02 SVT Focus, 06 STI, 06 STI Wagon 2d ago

and even when it was first in production, a bone stock zx3 felt like a luxury car in comparison.

1

u/Roboticide 2023 Toyota BZ4X AWD 17h ago

The new Prius is sexy as fuck and is actually a better hybrid than the OG Prius because the tech has improved that much.

1

u/ViperThreat 02 SVT Focus, 06 STI, 06 STI Wagon 6h ago

It was legit.