Why don't Hybrids get more love?

[BigB]

I bought my hybrid Maverick because I like the styling, it's economical utility vehicle, and fits in my garage.
My carbon foot print did not factor in at all. If there was no hybrid Maverick I would have not hesitated one second to buy a Maverick EB.

Same here. Also the fact that the hybrid was the same price on the 22 and 23 models. It just made more sense for me and what I need. If there was no hybrid option I would’ve definitely bought the EB as well.

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[Krischievous]

I had all intentions of a hybrid when I first wanted to order, but I decided to wait for the next truck I get. Mostly because I can't deal with the recalls and the truck dying randomly etc while more of the kinks get worked out. in a few years, my kids will be old enough to drive or to at least get to where they need to without me worrying about us getting stranded on the highway or not being able to start the car in the morning. I get this doesn't happen to everyone but in an EcoBoost situation, I will know my next moves and can fix a lot myself. I don't know anything about hybrids and we would be stuck. My end goal is a small hybrid truck when it's just me to worry about for a learning curve. My current eco Mav to be built will most likely go to my son when he starts driving. Assuming it all works out. lol

 

[colinl]

i think most of us agree that the goal is/ should be to reduce Fossil Fuel dependency/emissions by as much as possible as soon as possible right? and i think it must be done sooner, not later .

this forum explicitly states no politics, and bans people for talking about politics, which I think is a great policy.

I want to talk about trucks, not politics. but let me just state that, no it's not valid for you to assume that everyone or even a simple majority (50.1%) agree with those statements.

____

now I will answer the question posed by your thread title "why don't hybrids get more love" and ignore everything else you said.

the hybrid maverick is unquestionably a great vehicle. it deserves all the accolades, high demand, all of it. for many, it's all the truck they need. for others it's a prius with a bed. there is literally no competitor that offers what it offers.

but the ecoboost awd maverick is a better truck in every single measure except miles per gallon. that is literally the only advantage the hybrid maverick has over it.

ecoboost awd mavericks are better at:
- towing
available 4k towing, and I assure you even without it, an ecoboost outperforms a hybrid in hilly terrain if you're at/near 2,000 pounds.

- off-road capability
tremor being the best, fx4 being good and obviously just having awd makes it better than a hybrid.

- winter / severe weather capability
same as off-road advantages. can you get through the winter in hybrid maverick, or any fwd vehicle? of course, it's mainly about having the right tires.

- driving pleasure / on-road high performance
an ecoboost awd Maverick is not a Mustang or Focus RS, but it's fun and surprisingly capable on road. regenerative braking alone makes it hard to enjoy a hybrid if you want to drive spiritedly.

 

[mikebass57]

i think most of us agree that the goal is/ should be to reduce Fossil Fuel dependency/emissions by as much as possible as soon as possible right? and i think it must be done sooner, not later . but that shouldnt mean destroying civilization as we know it.
i believe that Hybrids such as our Mav's should & could play a MUCH greater role in this ongoing transition.

with all due respect to my Ecoboost and 'pure' ICE' devotee's i submit to you that our Mav hybrid system makes far more sense for most people. my Mav hybrid has excellent off the line and highway merging performance and is very well appointed for a vehicle in this price range to boot.
i have gone from filling up the tank once a week to once a month, of course your mileage and experience will vary from mine but that is not nothing.
there are not many folks out there that don't like the idea of perhaps doubling their MPG or more while also getting so much value for the $$.

while and until we build out the necessary infrastructure for a mostly electric fleet such as better batteries & more plentiful, and more efficient charging options and better used electric batt recycling options and so forth to support the coming transition to a mostly electric passenger and over the road trucking vehicle fleet it sure seems to me that BHEV's should be the next step to get us there.

one more thing. the US. Census bureau reports that 40% of Americans do NOT have regular access to recharging options for a plug in electric vehicle or plug in hybrid vehicle at home or at work, thats a problem for a lot more people than you may think.
where are these folks supposed to recharge these darn things?
even if you got a electric car or truck with a 300 mile per charge range you WILL eventually have t0 recharge the batt at some point. where are you supposed to recharge the darn thing if you're one of those many folks that don't have access to reasonable recharge options? ....answer....get yourself a Maverick Hybrid and help save the planet while also owning one of the best small pickups for sale anywhere

I bought a Lariat hybrid for saving money on gas. When gasoline prices were down around two dollars a gallon, I thought about buying hybrid vs electric because of the distance and price. I bought a Honda CrV hybrid for my wife and then waited a year for my Maverick hybrid Lariat to built and delivered. I got practice with the wife’s car so it made it easier to get closer to 50 mpg in town.

 

[GPSMan]

You do realize the EcoBoost is a "mild Hybrid" right?

I think about 75% of new vehicles are mild hybrids. Which means no idle with automatic start & stop, saving gas.

And no, Broccolini, the Hybrid is the mid-capable truck.

1. 4x4 EB with 4k
2. hybrid
3. 4x2 EB

There was a typo.
The hybrid is a 3k tow vehicle if you ask any owner who's tried it.
The Hybrid tows 3k uphill on a 96°F day with A/C on without breaking a sweat.

 

[SimplyCosmic]

Back in the mid 2010s, there was a study on hybrid purchases. Despite nearly every brand selling hybrids (or with Toyota, multiple), far and away the best selling hybrid was the Prius. Why? Because it looks like a hybrid. This despite even Toyota selling other hybrids that got roughly the same mileage.

The Prius has benefited from being seen as the early innovator for hybrids, but it also earned attention for years afterward by being a better hybrid than competitors. There are many ways to create a hybrid and not all of them are equally efficient.

Looking back at 2010 reviews as Ford released the Fusion (and other automakers joined in) it feels to me that if you were looking for a hybrid the choice was easier.

The 2010 Prius listed at $22,750 and had a combined fuel economy of 50 mpg. The 2010 Fusion came in at $28,360 with a combined mpg of 39. That's still higher than the non-hybrid Fusion model with a 25 mpg combined rating.

Even as more competition arrived, the Prius has long been the hybrid to get if fuel efficiency is top of your list of features.

All that said, I don't regret my little hybrid trucklet and don't expect that to change even if I'm only 2,500 miles into ownership. It's been the perfect all-around size and capacity for the "truck things" I've needed, and if I need more for special occasions I'll go rent a U-Haul.

The one improvement I would love would be a plug-in hybrid option. If I could get 10 to 20 miles off a home charge, that'd take care of so, so many daily trips. Not that I expect we'd see that due to the extended battery size and cost required. But I'd love it.

 

[jerrisn]

i think most of us agree that the goal is/ should be to reduce Fossil Fuel dependency/emissions by as much as possible as soon as possible right? and i think it must be done sooner, not later . but that shouldnt mean destroying civilization as we know it.

If you believe that electric vehicles (EVs) are an eco-friendly solution for our planet, you might have been influenced by excessive marketing. Speaking from my own experience as an EV owner and current owner of a Hybrid Maverick, I can attest that they aren't necessarily better for the environment. I don't drive either of these vehicles with the intention of being an environmental savior; I use them for their convenience and fuel efficiency. While my EV was convenient for home charging and had great mileage, I eventually grew tired of nightly charging. Moreover, it's worth considering that as more people adopt EVs, the demand for electricity will increase, potentially causing electricity prices to rise, just like fuel prices. So those who claim to be beating the system with their EVs may find themselves mistaken once EVs become the norm, affecting not only their car's charging costs but also their home electricity expenses.

The idea of saving the planet through EVs is, in my opinion, a misconception. Why? Because when you break it down, EVs like Tesla or Ford are manufactured in much the same way as traditional "gas-guzzlers". They still rely on oil for producing plastic parts, dashboards, and other components. The primary difference lies in the battery and electric motor. While some argue that EVs don't burn fossil fuels directly, they often overlook the environmental cost of extracting lithium for batteries, which can involve land disruption and, in some cases, exploitative labor practices. So while you enjoy your electric car and its supposed environmental benefits, it's essential to remember that the process of creating it might not be as green as it seems.

In contrast, a Hybrid vehicle like my Maverick offers practical advantages and cost savings with its impressive fuel efficiency. However, I don't go around proclaiming that I'm saving the planet with it.

If you're interested in a more in-depth explanation of why electric vehicles might not be the environmental saviors they're often portrayed as, I recommend watching this video. I apologize if I sound frustrated, but I'm weary of people driving EVs claiming to be saving the planet without considering the full picture.

 

[grod]

Your thoughts echo the Toyota study stating hybrids would be more beneficial(at least short term) for reducing carbon emissions. Can't find the original article but this sums it up https://www.pcmag.com/news/toyota-says-selling-full-electric-vehicles-is-less-eco-friendly

To be honest I only bought a hybrid for selfish reasons, saving money on gas. I'm not worried about "carbon footprints"

I'll ditto you last comment. Living in SoCal our gas is stupid high for "clean air" blends, what that means I have no idea. Anyway, with my hybrid, I've cut my monthly fuel cost in half over my previous '13 Equinox. I accomplished what I wanted but I also wonder why FHEV's like our Mavericks don't qualify for any FED or State programs.

 

[Mavboy2023]

i think most of us agree that the goal is/ should be to reduce Fossil Fuel dependency/emissions by as much as possible as soon as possible right? and i think it must be done sooner, not later . but that shouldnt mean destroying civilization as we know it.
i believe that Hybrids such as our Mav's should & could play a MUCH greater role in this ongoing transition.

with all due respect to my Ecoboost and 'pure' ICE' devotee's i submit to you that our Mav hybrid system makes far more sense for most people. my Mav hybrid has excellent off the line and highway merging performance and is very well appointed for a vehicle in this price range to boot.
i have gone from filling up the tank once a week to once a month, of course your mileage and experience will vary from mine but that is not nothing.
there are not many folks out there that don't like the idea of perhaps doubling their MPG or more while also getting so much value for the $$.

while and until we build out the necessary infrastructure for a mostly electric fleet such as better batteries & more plentiful, and more efficient charging options and better used electric batt recycling options and so forth to support the coming transition to a mostly electric passenger and over the road trucking vehicle fleet it sure seems to me that BHEV's should be the next step to get us there.

one more thing. the US. Census bureau reports that 40% of Americans do NOT have regular access to recharging options for a plug in electric vehicle or plug in hybrid vehicle at home or at work, thats a problem for a lot more people than you may think.
where are these folks supposed to recharge these darn things?
even if you got a electric car or truck with a 300 mile per charge range you WILL eventually have t0 recharge the batt at some point. where are you supposed to recharge the darn thing if you're one of those many folks that don't have access to reasonable recharge options? ....answer....get yourself a Maverick Hybrid and help save the planet while also owning one of the best small pickups for sale anywhere

I love mine!!!

 

[Gray Goose]

Not commonly known is that only measuring MPG is missing a significant part of the story. Environmental costs of producing hybrid vehicles is much higher. So depending on what all goes into the calculations, the differences between drivetrains could be quite small.
https://www.rd.com/article/the-problem-with-hybrid-cars/

 

[Scott Asheville]

Free enterprise rocks. Everyone who wants a hybrid is buying a hybrid. So hybrids are getting exactly the amount of love they merit.

The whole Toyota narrative about hybrids saving the world - that was PR because at the time that was what Toyota had in their product portfolio. Now Toyota's narrative has changed. Everyone is selling you a narrative. Everyone who buys a hybrid or ecoboost or BEV on this or any other site is also selling a narrative - how and why they are the most brilliant auto purchaser on the planet. And why everyone else should buy exactly what they bought.

Most engineers despise hybrids, because they are the worst of both worlds. The unnecessary complexity of two powertrains just introduces more failure paths. Engineers look at hybrids as a necessary evil on the path to electric vehicle sanity.

 

[SimplyCosmic]

Only vaguely related, but this is a fun bit of history.

 

[Saltwater Cowboys]

this forum explicitly states no politics, and bans people for talking about politics, which I think is a great policy.

I want to talk about trucks, not politics. but let me just state that, no it's not valid for you to assume that everyone or even a simple majority (50.1%) agree with those statements.

____

now I will answer the question posed by your thread title "why don't hybrids get more love" and ignore everything else you said.

the hybrid maverick is unquestionably a great vehicle. it deserves all the accolades, high demand, all of it. for many, it's all the truck they need. for others it's a prius with a bed. there is literally no competitor that offers what it offers.

but the ecoboost awd maverick is a better truck in every single measure except miles per gallon. that is literally the only advantage the hybrid maverick has over it.

ecoboost awd mavericks are better at:
- towing
available 4k towing, and I assure you even without it, an ecoboost outperforms a hybrid in hilly terrain if you're at/near 2,000 pounds.

- off-road capability
tremor being the best, fx4 being good and obviously just having awd makes it better than a hybrid.

- winter / severe weather capability
same as off-road advantages. can you get through the winter in hybrid maverick, or any fwd vehicle? of course, it's mainly about having the right tires.

- driving pleasure / on-road high performance
an ecoboost awd Maverick is not a Mustang or Focus RS, but it's fun and surprisingly capable on road. regenerative braking alone makes it hard to enjoy a hybrid if you want to drive spiritedly.

Those things you listed are meaningless to me. If I need to tow something heavy I'll use my Dodge Ram 4x4. If I need to drive in heavy snow (unlikely in NC) I'll use my Dodge Ram 4x4. If I need to go off-road I'll use my Dodge Ram 4x4. No one will convince me that AWD, no matter how fancy, is better 4WD, and 99.9% of the time I don't want the mileage hit that comes with an AWD drivetrain.

I also don't care about the saving the planet crap. I run a large boat for offshore tuna fishing and burn roughly 100 gallons of dead dinosaurs per trip. If there were a better and cheaper way to scratch my fish killing itch, I would surely go that route, but there isn't. There IS a better and cheaper way to do 99% of my driving, towing, and hauling, and that is the Maverick hybrid. If I could only have one truck it for sure wouldn't be a Maverick, ecoboost or not, because of that other 1% of the time when I need a real truck.

 

[FriscoTXJoe]

Hybrids are THE best bridge to whatever is next, electric or hydrogen, or whatever.

Problem is a certain political side of the world has figured out they can control the masses by making energy very expensive pushing towards all electric .......whether it solves the fake problem or not.

Go hybrids!!

 

[wax87]

i think most of us agree that the goal is/ should be to reduce Fossil Fuel dependency/emissions by as much as possible as soon as possible right? and i think it must be done sooner, not later . but that shouldnt mean destroying civilization as we know it.
i believe that Hybrids such as our Mav's should & could play a MUCH greater role in this ongoing transition.

with all due respect to my Ecoboost and 'pure' ICE' devotee's i submit to you that our Mav hybrid system makes far more sense for most people. my Mav hybrid has excellent off the line and highway merging performance and is very well appointed for a vehicle in this price range to boot.
i have gone from filling up the tank once a week to once a month, of course your mileage and experience will vary from mine but that is not nothing.
there are not many folks out there that don't like the idea of perhaps doubling their MPG or more while also getting so much value for the $$.

while and until we build out the necessary infrastructure for a mostly electric fleet such as better batteries & more plentiful, and more efficient charging options and better used electric batt recycling options and so forth to support the coming transition to a mostly electric passenger and over the road trucking vehicle fleet it sure seems to me that BHEV's should be the next step to get us there.

one more thing. the US. Census bureau reports that 40% of Americans do NOT have regular access to recharging options for a plug in electric vehicle or plug in hybrid vehicle at home or at work, thats a problem for a lot more people than you may think.
where are these folks supposed to recharge these darn things?
even if you got a electric car or truck with a 300 mile per charge range you WILL eventually have t0 recharge the batt at some point. where are you supposed to recharge the darn thing if you're one of those many folks that don't have access to reasonable recharge options? ....answer....get yourself a Maverick Hybrid and help save the planet while also owning one of the best small pickups for sale anywhere

US. Census bureau reports that 40% of Americans do NOT have regular access to recharging <<<IS silly, they can charge them from Home even if you do not have 220V access you can still charge them with 110V. the more accurate statement would be that 40% Americans do not know what it takes to charge a plug-in vehicle

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