I'm honestly surprised there aren't more plug-in hybrid options. It seems like the logical stepping stone for car manufacturers because they can keep most of their existing production lines intact, the cars weigh less because they have smaller battery banks so they need less rare earth metals per car compared to a full EV, it reduces emissions compared to a standard ICE vehicle. I guess the greenwashing marketing has placed EVs at the top in people's minds.
That is true, but there could be a reduction of maintenance on hybrids as well, especially if the majority of stop/go driving is handled by the electric motors. Synthetic oils are sometimes rated at 10k miles before needing changed, so the ICE does still have maintenance but it's not so constant.
It seems like a sensible middle ground because hybrids are also cheaper than EVs in the US so it can get more pure ICE cars off the road.
