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Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr
I see it more on a cost basis than tied to the size of vehicles.
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I see that point too, but then there does tend to be a relationship between size and cost as well.
There are diminishing returns on hybrid technology and weight though. The Edison 2 was gas only because it was so lightweight that creating a hybrid drivetrain couldn't justify the cost and added weight. Others on this site report getting just about the same fuel economy in a Gen I Insight with the EV portion of the system disabled.
The heavier something is, the more advantageous to supplement acceleration with an electric motor. The heavier the vehicle, the more advantageous it is to recapture that kinetic energy when slowing down.
All that said, the battery is the achilles heel of hybrids and EVs, so that likely explains why smaller vehicles and smaller batteries were engineered first.