America’s automakers have staked their futures on the notion that electric vehicles will dominate sales in the coming years, spurred by buyers determined to reduce carbon emissions and save on fuel.
But so far, while EV sales are growing, their pace is falling well short of the industry’s ambitious timetable for transitioning away from combustion engines. Instead, buyers are increasingly embracing a quarter-century-old technology whose popularity has been surging: The gas-electric hybrid, which alternates from gas to battery power to maximize efficiency.
So far in 2023, Americans have bought a record 1 million-plus hybrids — up 76% from the same period last year, according to Edmunds.com. As recently as last year, purchases had fallen below 2021’s total. This year’s figures don’t even include sales of 148,000 plug-in hybrids, which drive a short distance on battery power before a gas-electric system kicks in.
Sorry I didn’t see this for like a week. Liftoff doesn’t seem to notify for every response.
Batteries have a minimum temperature they stay above so cold can cause the battery heater to turn on. And heating up a cold soaked battery to proper operating temps does take a non-negligible amount of battery. 20 miles of range wouldn’t be unheard of on a particularly cold night. We can have months before freezing and multiple days in a row below zero.