EV sales are either shooting through the roof or dead on their butts, depending on which news stories you read. On the one hand, we hear that EV sales in America are about to pass 1 million units for the first time, but on the other hand, we hear dealers are begging the government to stop trying to push EVs because the market just isn’t there yet, and automakers like VW are winding down production because they can’t find enough buyers.
The truth is, there is no right or wrong answer, no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to power choices. While some automakers have thrown everything behind EVs, others, like BMW and Toyota believe that they need to be allowed to sell a variety of different powertrains because people have different needs in different parts of the world, and sometimes in the same parts of the world.
Related: U.S. Poised To Cross 1 Million EV Sales Milestone Breaking Every Record
In the U.S., for example, buyers who embrace the challenge of change, only drive shorter distances or have the patience to endure potential charging snags and delays on longer trips, and want to do their bit for the planet, have taken advantage of the suddenly broader availability of EVs (and generous tax credit incentives) and jumped on the EV bandwagon.
But others who see no need to add unnecessary complications to their decades-old routines, and are maybe worried about charging and resales values, are happy to stick with ICE power for now and will maybe take another look at EVs three years down the road.
On balance then, it’s easy to see why hybrid vehicles are proving so popular on both the new and used market. You get some of the advantages of an EV, but the reassuring familiarity of a gas-powered car. Plug-ins, in particular, have improved no-end in the last five years or so. Sure, you’re still always lugging around one form of dead weight regardless of whether you’re running on gas or electricity, but instead of a barely usable 15 miles (24 km) of driving range, the best can now travel over 60 miles (100 km) just on electric power.
But as we said, there is no one correct answer. So what will you buy next for your daily driver? Use this poll to tell us whether your next car will be ICE, EV or hybrid and drop a comment below to let us know why.