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Last night, my father and I were going to the store in the Insight, and I told him about the grid charger I just installed. He was a little disappointed to hear these cars didn't come with chargers from the factory. He then asked how far I could go without using gas. Well, I can't really; I don't have the software for it.
So then he said "Well, it's not really a hybrid, then, is it?". Hmm.
I've been using the definition: if there are more than one sources of motive force, it's a hybrid. Mine is a mild hybrid because these two sources of propulsion can't be used independently.
Before I installed the grid charger, my approach was to use enough regen to keep the 12V battery charged and run the engine stop/start function. I very seldom used assist. Even if the car didn't have electric assist, I would have been very happily sipping fuel, but it would not have been a hybrid.
But a stock Insight is a hybrid. And now mine has a plug to provide energy for motive force. Can it be called a PHEV, even though it doesn't have an EV mode yet?
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