A PHEV can be a great transition point between hybrids and true EVs, and that’s because, just like an EV, a PHEV also has an electric driving range. One of the main differences between a PHEV and an EV is that a PHEV has far less electric driving range, but some PHEVs will have more electric driving range than others. Here’s a look at the only two PHEVs with an electric driving range of over 40 miles.

How a plug-in hybrid differs from other types of cars

A PHEV and a traditional hybrid have a lot in common, but they’re different in two main ways. Like an EV, a PHEV has a battery that can be plugged in and recharged. That battery can also send power to the car’s electric motors, allowing drivers to drive their PHEV in battery-only mode. When drivers do that, their PHEV is an EV, as it’s not using gasoline at all. 

But unlike an EV, a PHEV’s battery is typically a fraction of the size of an EV’s. This means a PHEV has some electric driving range but a fraction of what an EV gets. However, since a PHEV is a hybrid, it also has a gas-powered engine, which means that drivers can rely on their engine to move them around when the battery runs out of power. 

The Toyota RAV4 Prime has a lot of range for an SUV

One of the PHEVs with the most electric driving range, according to Edmunds, is the Toyota RAV4 Prime. It’s a popular SUV from Toyota that offers folks a lot of features for its $40,000 price tag. The RAV4 Prime has a PHEV powertrain that features a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that works with an electric motor to get 302 hp. 

Toyota gave the RAV4 Prime an 18.1-kWh battery, allowing drivers to go 42 miles in battery-only mode. That’s enough range for a lot of daily errands. The Toyota SUV is also really efficient in hybrid mode, as it gets about 94 MPGe combined. Even in regular driving mode, it’s still fairly efficient for an SUV, as it gets about 38 mpg combined. The RAV4 Prime also comes with some nice practical features, such as all-wheel drive and a 2,500-pound towing capacity.

The Karma GS-6 and Revero GT are the range leaders for PHEVs

The PHEV with the most range right now has almost 20 miles more electric driving range than the RAV4 Prime. That car is the Karma GS-6, which is technically speaking a cheaper version of the Revero GT. Both cars are PHEVs with similar powertrains, as both feature a 1.5-liter inline-three engine that works with electric motors to get 536 hp. 

Karma gave the cars a 24.6-kWh battery, and this ultimately allows them to get up to 61 miles of electric driving range. Folks who choose the sportier trims, however, will see the cars’ electric driving range drop to about 54 miles. Either way, the GS-6 and Revero GT’s electric driving ranges are much higher than what other PHEVs offer, as most PHEVs have electric driving ranges of around 20 to 30 miles.

There is a significant problem though, and it’s the fact that these two Karma PHEVs are luxury sports cars. The GS-6 is supposed to be a cheaper version of the Revero GT, but the GS-6 starts at about $86,000. The Revero GT, meanwhile, starts at almost $150,000. They do provide a lot of power, speed, and luxury though, so luxury car shoppers may have a good time with these cars.