- Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) promise to save gas at the pump, reduce emissions, and give drivers freedom from range anxiety
- But that only works if owners plug them in
- Toyota has a new app designed to gamify the process
America is at the start of a long transition from gasoline-powered cars to electric ones. It may take decades to finish, but with electric vehicles (EVs) now making up nearly a quarter of all cars sold globally, the shift is likely unstoppable.
Right now, though, EVs don’t make sense for many car shoppers. The country’s charging infrastructure is much better in some places than others. Some drivers also need the flexibility to take a long road trip without long charging stops.
Related: Hybrids vs. Plug-in Hybrids – What are the Differences?
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are a bridge solution that lets some drivers go electric most of the time. A PHEV has both an electric motor and a gasoline engine. It can use either one or both. It recharges like an EV and refills like a gas-powered car.
Most have between 20 and 50 miles of all-electric range, so drivers can treat them like EVs for around-town driving but take indefinitely long road trips depending on the nation’s much better gasoline infrastructure.
Some shoppers justifiably worry about the possible expense of owning such a complicated powertrain with a warranty that will expire. However, PHEVs from companies with sterling reliability reputations could be a great bridge to the future of EVs for many buyers.
There’s just one problem – studies show that many owners buy them and rarely charge them. They treat them more or less like gasoline-powered cars, denying themselves all the advantages of a PHEV.
Toyota thinks it can solve that problem.
An App That Helps You Save
- Toyota has a division that researches drivers, not cars
- It developed a new app that has shown promise in helping owners make the most of their PHEVs
Large automakers do a lot of research, not all of it on valve timing and brake wear. The Toyota Research Institute has an entire Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence division.
“Technology is not the only way to reduce emissions — people’s choices matter too,” explains Dr. Gill Pratt, Chief Scientist for Toyota Motor Corporation and CEO, Toyota Research Institute.
The institute developed a new tool, ChargeMinder, a phone app that “incorporates insights from behavioral science to improve EV charging behavior.”
It gamifies making the most of your EV or PHEV, giving points for charging in a way that’s good for the battery and your electric bill. It rewards users for streaks, offers encouraging messages, and uses educational quizzes to teach owners about their cars and the times of day when it’s cheapest to charge.
The institute tested it on a group of early users in the U.S. and Japan. American EV owners, they found, increased their charging rates by 10%. Japanese EV and PHEV owners “drivers shifted charging to peak renewable energy hours by 59%,” lowering their own costs and easing demand on the electric grid during peak usage times.
The app also makes users like their cars. “Interventions increased the satisfaction of U.S. PHEV drivers with their vehicles by 16 percentage points, bringing it to 100%,” the researchers say.
