Does Plug-in Hybrid Count as New Energy?
2 Answers
Plug-in hybrid is considered a new energy vehicle. More information about new energy vehicles is as follows: 1. New energy vehicles refer to vehicles whose power source does not solely rely on internal combustion engines. The characteristic of new energy vehicles is that they use electric motors to provide power, and the device that supplies power to the electric motor is a battery. 2. The methods of charging the battery include built-in generators, external charging ports, solar energy, chemical energy, and nuclear energy. 3. New energy vehicles are composed of power batteries, vehicle chassis, body, and vehicle electrical systems. 4. As an important component of electric vehicles, the power battery is divided into battery modules, battery management systems, thermal management systems, and electrical and mechanical systems.
From the perspective of a car enthusiast like me, plug-in hybrids are technically controversial. Plug-in hybrids, or PHEVs, combine an internal combustion engine with a battery system, allowing them to run on pure electric power for a certain distance before switching to gasoline. Strictly speaking, new energy refers to zero-emission vehicles like pure electric or fuel cell cars, but PHEVs are indeed powered by green energy in pure electric mode—it’s just the gasoline part that disqualifies them as fully new energy. I’ve driven a few models, like BYD’s plug-in hybrids, which can run dozens of kilometers on pure electric power. This hybrid approach is a transitional solution, helping users adapt to electrification while automakers improve battery range, eventually moving closer to new energy. So conceptually, it’s ambiguous, but in practical applications, PHEVs are often categorized as new energy for easier promotion.
