[RedDevil]

Originally Posted by 3-Wheeler

Bingo!!

When I drive my wife's Honda Fit, I get into a subtle struggle with the automatic transmission. It always shifts at a time when I do not want it to.

The engine has enough low-end torque to make it up a slight hill in the current gear, but ....no...., the automatic insists on shifting to a lower gear and over revving the engine across the entire hill. ....ARG.... Does the same thing is Sport Mode.

That situation would be a moot point with a Prius or Volt.

Jim.

And the Fit Hybrid of course.

I've driven some CVT trannied cars and could not believe I'd like the Honda hybrids, as they too have a CVT.
But the hybrid system does away with the lag.
It is more economical, but who cares? We maybe, but not my dad.
It is a better car, that made him buy it.

Even so, the EV and plugin hybrids do have an edge.
It is nice to regenerate power on braking, but it is even nicer to have a constant supply trickle in.
There will always be more opportunities to use electric power (to boost economy) than to regenerate it.
Do I want a plugin booster pack for my hybrid, would that help?
Sure, a lot.

And there is another advantage of a hybrid; it makes a (semi) EV conversion a lot easier.
The engine is there. The electronics are there, by and large.
I feel the itch