If you’re ready to move on from a purely gasoline-fueled vehicle but you’re not ready to go fully electric, you have two choices. You can get a hybrid or a plug-in hybrid vehicle. But which one is best? The experts at Edmunds will help you decide.
A hybrid electric vehicle has a gasoline engine, a small electric motor, and a small battery pack that work together to improve fuel economy, enhance performance, or both. The best-known hybrid is the Toyota Prius, but they come in all shapes and sizes. From compact cars to full-size pickup trucks, there is a hybrid for just about anyone.
Improves fuel economy while reducing emissions
Sometimes improves acceleration and overall performance
Often provides electric-only driving at low speeds for short distances
Usually doesn’t reduce passenger or cargo space
Never needs to be plugged in
Small increase in price, if any
Reduced fueling costs
Cannot travel long distances solely on electricity
Cannot travel at higher speeds only on electricity
Overall, a hybrid electric vehicle is a great choice for anyone who wants better fuel economy, reduced emissions, and lower operating costs without any extra hassle or change in their daily routine. Hybrids are more commonly available than ever, and some automakers are rolling out new models only with hybrid powertrains. For example, every version of the 2025 Toyota Camry is a hybrid, and Honda offers certain versions of the Accord, Civic and CR-V only with hybrid power. Hybrid versions of many other popular models, such as the Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson SUVs, are also available.
A plug-in hybrid vehicle, often abbreviated as PHEV, is a hybrid that offers electric-only driving for a short range and can then be plugged in to recharge. They have a gasoline engine like a hybrid does, but thanks to a larger and more powerful electric motor and battery pack, they can travel at a wider range of speeds in electric mode, for many miles at a time. When the battery charge gets low, the gas engine turns on to continue the trip. You can recharge a plug-in hybrid using a household electrical outlet or a home or public charging station.
Electric-only driving for commuting, taking the kids to school, running errands, etc.
Gas-only driving for longer trips
Can charge the battery overnight using a household-style outlet or in a few hours using a more powerful charging station
The gas engine automatically takes over to power the vehicle when the battery charge is low
Can dramatically improve fuel economy, acceleration, and overall performance while reducing operating costs
Certain models may qualify for a federal tax credit of up to $7,500
May qualify for carpool lane access in certain states with only a driver aboard
A plug-in typically costs substantially more than a hybrid or gas-only vehicle
Plugging in each night can seem like a hassle
The larger electric motor and battery may reduce passenger or cargo space
The added weight of plug-in hybrid components can negatively affect the ride and handling
If you don’t make a habit of plugging in, it may be less efficient than a hybrid
Plug-in hybrids are perfect for people who want an electric vehicle but worry about driving range, public EV charging infrastructure, and the costs of installing a home charging station. They’re easy to recharge overnight, usually offer enough electric range for typical daily driving, and have a gas engine that eliminates the range anxiety common with driving an EV.
For example, you can drive a plug-in hybrid from Manhattan to Santa Monica and never plug it in. Or when you’re not taking a longer trip, you can plug a plug-in hybrid in every night and hardly burn any gas in everyday driving, especially if you choose a model with a generous electric-only range.
In short, a plug-in hybrid represents the best of both worlds, a perfect bridge from the gasoline past to the electric future. Examples of plug-in hybrids highly rated by Edmunds include the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, Hyundai Tucson Plug-in Hybrid, Toyota Prius Prime and Volvo XC60 Recharge.
Choosing between a hybrid vehicle and a plug-in hybrid vehicle comes down to three things. First, do you want the ability to drive only on electricity? Second, are you willing to pay more for a vehicle in order to get that? Third, are you willing to put up with some extra hassle to maximize electric-only driving?
If your answers to those questions are “no” and your only goal is to save money at the fuel pump, we recommend a hybrid. But if you want to eliminate as much gasoline use as possible without diving into the deep end of the electric vehicle ownership pool, a plug-in hybrid is perfect.
This story was provided to The Associated Press by the automotive website Edmunds.
Christian Wardlaw is a contributor at Edmunds.
This photo provided by Toyota shows the badge of a 2023 RAV4 Prime, a plug-in hybrid that offers the ability to drive up to an EPA-estimated 42 miles on electricity before the gas engine kicks in. (Courtesy of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. via AP)
FILE -The plug to charge the batteries is plugged-in in a Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid on the first press day of the Frankfurt Auto Show in Frankfurt, Germany, Sept. 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Thomas Kienzle, File)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A female student was killed and another student was wounded Wednesday in a shooting in a Nashville high school cafeteria, police said.
The 17-year-old shooter, who was also a student at Antioch High School, later shot and killed himself with a handgun, Metro Nashville Police spokesperson Don Aaron said during a news conference. Police identified him as Solomon Henderson.
Police Chief John Drake said the shooter “confronted” a 16-year-old female student in the cafeteria and opened fire, killing her. Police identified her as Josselin Corea Escalante. Drake said police are looking into a motive and whether the students who were shot were targeted.
The male student who was wounded suffered a graze, and was treated and released from the hospital, Drake said. Another student was taken to a hospital for treatment of a facial injury that happened during a fall, Aaron said.
There were two school resource officers in the building when the shooting happened around 11 a.m. CDT, Aaron said. They were not in the immediate vicinity of the cafeteria and by the time they got down there the shooting was over and the gunman had killed himself, Aaron said.
The school has about 2,000 students and is located in Antioch, a neighborhood about 10 miles (16 kilometers) southeast of downtown Nashville.
At a family safety center close to a hospital, officials were helping shocked parents to reunite with their children.
Dajuan Bernard was waiting at a Mapco service station to reunite with his son, a 10th grader, who was being held in the auditorium with other students on Wednesday afternoon. He first heard of the shooting from his son who “was a little startled,” Bernard said. His son was upstairs from the cafeteria but said he heard the gunfire.
“He was OK and let me know that everything was OK,” Bernard said.
“This world is so crazy, it could happen anywhere," he said. "We’ve just got to protect the kids, and raise the kids right to prevent them from even doing this. That’s the hardest part.”
Fonda Abner, whose granddaughter is a student at the school, said Antioch High does not have metal detectors that would alert officials to the presence of a gun. She said her granddaughter had called her a couple of times but that she only heard commotion and thought it was a pocket dial. They spoke briefly before being cut off.
“It’s nerve-wracking waiting out here,” Abner said.
Adrienne Battle, superintendent of Nashville schools, said public schools have implemented a “range of safety measures," including partnerships with police for school resource officers, security cameras with weapon-detection software, shatter-resistant film for glass, and security vestibules that are a barrier between outside visitors and the main entrance.
“Unfortunately, these measures were not enough to stop this tragedy,” Battle said.
She noted that there are questions about whether stationary metal detectors should be considered.
“While past research has shown they have had limitations and unintended consequences, we will continue to explore emerging technologies and strategies to strengthen school safety,” Battle said.
Wednesday’s school shooting comes nearly two years after a shooter opened fire at a separate Nashville private elementary school and killed six people, including three children.
The tragedy prompted a monthslong effort among hundreds of community organizers, families, protesters and many more pleading with lawmakers to consider passing gun control measures in response to the shooting.
However, in a Republican-dominant state, GOP lawmakers refused to do so. With the Republican supermajority intact after November’s election, it’s unlikely attitudes have changed enough to consider any meaningful bills that would address gun control.
Instead, lawmakers have been more open to adding more security to schools — including passing a bill last year that would allow some teachers and staff to carry concealed handguns on public school grounds, and bar parents and other teachers from knowing who was armed.
Antioch has endured other prominent shootings in recent years. A 2017 fatal shooting at Burnette Chapel Church of Christ killed one woman and wounded seven people. And in 2018, a shooter killed four people at a Waffle House.
Associated Press writers Kimberlee Kruesi in Nashville and Adrian Sainz in Memphis, Tennessee, contributed.
Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake talks to media following a shooting at Antioch High School in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
School buses arrive at a unification site following a shooting at the Antioch High School in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Students wait to get off a bus at a unification site following a shooting at the Antioch High School in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
A students and a family member walk from the Antioch High School after a shooting in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
People wait as school buses arrive at a unification site following a shooting at the Antioch High School in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
School buses arrive at a unification site following a shooting at the Antioch High School in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Families wait as school buses arrive at a unification site following a shooting at the Antioch High School in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
An ambulance leaves the Antioch High School following a shooting in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
An ambulance leaves the Antioch High School following a shooting in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Families wait a school buses arrive at a unification site following a shooting at the Antioch High School in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Dasia Pleitez prays as she waits for her daughter at a unification site following a shooting at the Antioch High School in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
School bus arrives at a unification site following a shooting at at Antioch High School in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
School buses arrive at a unification site following a shooting at Antioch High School in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
A school bus arrives at a unification site following a shooting at the Antioch High School in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
People wait as school buses arrive at a unification site following a shooting at the Antioch High School in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
An ambulance leaves the Antioch High School following a shooting in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
A school bus arrives at a unification site following a shooting at the Antioch High School in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)