Plug-in hybrids, better known as PHEVs, should be the ideal compromise between an electric and a conventional car – something like the automotive version of "having my cake and eating it too". But unfortunately, many owners use them more like a petrol vehicle with a bonus battery, which they charge less often than their smartphone from 2012. And because this results in significantly higher emissions than promised, Germany is considering putting an end to this half-and-half use. The solution? A car that loses power if you don't charge it regularly. Yep, you read that right.
Plug-in hybrids they are supposed to be a transitional solution – a bridge between fossil fuels and pure electricity. If you have a charging station at home, short daily trips and are at least somewhat eco-enthusiastic, a PHEV can be a sensible choice. You drive part of the way on electricity, the rest on petrol, and you don't have to worry about "range anxiety".
The problem arises when people forget (or ignore) that “plug-in” is not just for aesthetic purposes. Studies have shown that many owners of PHEVs almost never plug in. The result? Higher fuel consumption, more emissions and much less benefit from the electric component. The essence of a hybrid is thus lost somewhere between the charging cable and the couch.
German “reset button”: charge or drive slower
Now the German Automotive Industry Association (VDA), the country's largest auto lobby group, is entering the game with an idea that will please – or anger – many. Their vision is clear: if you're not charging, you're not driving at full power.
The President of the VDA, Hildegard Müller, is in favor of Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung said that future PHEVs should literally “let the driver know” that it’s time to charge. The proposed idea: if you don’t charge the battery after a certain number of kilometers, the engine’s power will be reduced – and you can only unlock it again after connecting to electricity.
For some, perhaps the car version of the digital finger: "Have you plugged in yet today, lazybones?"
The EU, 2035 and the fight for hybrid survival
The European Union plans to ban the sale of vehicles that emit carbon dioxide by 2035. And while all-electric cars are confidently hurtling toward the future, plug-in hybrids find themselves in a gray area – literally and legally.
That's why you are German automotive industry is working to “extend the shelf life” of PHEVs – plug-in hybrids. But with a big caveat: if you want hybrids to survive, you have to use them as they were intended – namely, charge them.
And if you don't do that? Well, then drive like you have a lawnmower engine under the hood.
Reality or science fiction?
For now, it's a proposal that hasn't yet received concrete form or legislative support. But the idea raises a lot of questions - most notably, how many kilometers could we drive without recharging before the car would punish us with reduced power?
If the limit is 1,000 kilometers – no panic. But if you have to look for a filling station every 100 kilometers and spend 5 hours there, then many will wonder if they wouldn't rather get into a good old diesel classic.
Conclusion: Who will hook up with whom?
If the proposal becomes a reality, it will be interesting to see how manufacturers and users react. Is this finally the lever that will force users – plug-in hybrids – PHEVs, to use them more sustainably? Or will this be yet another reason to slowly consign hybrid models to the automotive dustbin of history?
Either way – the future will be electric, whether it's with gentle coercion or with a smile. And maybe with a touch of German stubbornness in between.
