Of course, PHEVs are not the great perfect examples that have been given above. If they were truly perfect in every way in comparison to gasoline vehicles and consumed less gasoline, everyone would want to purchase one as their new car. This is especially true considering the general attitude today that has people moving away from gasoline and towards other projects that involve partial or no gasoline power at all.
There are many reasons as to why the PHEV has not caught on and in order to discover these reasons, all you really have to do is halve the problems with the electric vehicle. Think of all of the drawbacks currently that have prevented the electric vehicle from becoming mainstream and then stick the PHEV halfway on a scale between the electric vehicle and the gasoline vehicle. Although this is simplistic and in certain cases inaccurate, it will give you a good mental basis from which to start considering this issue.
One of the biggest issues with PHEVs is weight.
Gasoline powered vehicles have an internal combustion engine that is much lighter than the electric motor and accompanying batteries that are needed for a PHEV to achieve the same kind of performance with a smaller gasoline engine. Although the weight problem is not as bad as it would be for an equivalent electric vehicle due to the smaller number of battery cells required for the vehicle’s operation, it is still enough of an issue to bring down the efficiency a significant amount.
A lot of what the PHEV gains in terms of the switch to a more efficient gasoline system augmented through electrification, it ends up losing through having a larger weight on the car that needs to be towed around. This is a problem that can only be solved through lighter and less bulky battery technology, otherwise it will be a problem that limits the future of the PHEV.
Another physical problem with the PHEV concept is the expense that is involved with creating a hybrid electric vehicle.
This expense problem can be broken down into many different factors but the one that is most prevalent in terms of market conditions currently is the fact that PHEVs are not mass-produced.
This is the same problem that gave the market to gasoline engines in the first place in the early 20th century and it is a problem that has yet to be solved despite 100 years of trying. It is extremely cost effective to mass produce internal combustion engines, but mass production of PHEV or electric vehicles just does not happen. There is not enough demand to justify that step and the modern assembly line also has problems with some of the delicate work that needs to be done in putting these vehicles together. The end result is a built-in market advantage for gasoline vehicles because of their mass production advantages.
Mass production is one factor, but the materials that go into making the car are another factor as well.