Hybrids and plug-in hybrids have always occupied an awkward middle ground. They’ve been pitched as the best of both worlds (electric driving for short trips, gasoline for longer ones) but in practice, their relatively small batteries often meant the electric portion was more of a limited-time bonus, with the vehicle leaning heavily on ICE propulsion for most tasks. Volvo has decided to change that equation on its upcoming PHEVS, and that should have huge (and positive) repercussions.
For 2028, the Volvo XC60 and XC90 plug-in hybrids are getting more than double their previous electric range, shifting from roughly 35 miles to 78 (73 miles for the larger XC90). That’s no minor improvement; it fundamentally changes how people will use these vehicles, as well as which vehicles they’ll consider purchasing once it’s time to move on from these PHEVs.
The old argument against low-range EVs was that they might get you to work and back (the average roundtrip commute is around 40 miles), but they’ll always leave you biting your nails should an unexpected trip arise. With 70+ miles of electric range on these PHEVs, that concern largely disappears. Drivers will still have the “emergency reserve” of gasoline in the tank, but for day-to-day use, they’ll never touch it, making these Volvo PHEVs the perfect gateway drug to electric vehicles.
The biggest obstacle for someone considering an EV isn't necessarily the technology, it’s the commitment. What happens when you need to drive farther than the battery will take you? What if you can't find a charger? What if charging takes too long? What if you have to make an unplanned road trip? A PHEV answers all of those questions with a simple safety net. Plug the car in at home, drive electrically most of the time, and the gasoline engine is there should you ever need it.
Then with 78 miles of electric range, most owners will discover they almost never need it.
With this electric range boost, you don't have to convince someone to leap directly from gasoline to a full BEV. Instead, let them experience electric driving without taking away the familiar escape hatch. After a year or two of plugging in at home every night and realizing that the engine almost never runs, the obvious question becomes: Why am I still carrying around an engine?
When it’s time for those drivers to replace their XC60 or XC90 PHEVs, Volvo has the next step already waiting: the electric EX60 and EX90.
Give people 78 miles of electric range, let them discover how rarely they use the gas engine, and when it's finally time to move on to the next car, they may (ahem, will) decide they don't need an engine at all.
The perfect PHEV isn't one that makes you use both powertrains, it's the one that makes you forget the gasoline engine is there.
(Image courtesy Volvo)
