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Does the Niro Hybrid qualify for US Tax Incentive?

14K views 19 replies 10 participants last post by  yticolev 
#1 ·
My apologies for the dumb question. I just started doing research on the Niro and no nothing about hybrids and the tax credits. Does the regular hybrid qualify for it or is it just the Plug-In hybrid?

I’m in Florida, by the way.
 
#5 · (Edited)
I looked around my area and not a PHEV in sight. Plus Florida has no state incentive either. State government tries to stifle solar energy efforts even though we get sunshine 90% of the year. There’s no way they’re going to encourage people to adopt fuel efficient cars.

Plus it might not suit our needs. My eldest will be doing highway drives to and from university.
 
#9 ·
I was under the impression that the ICE is doing most of the work during highway driving so you’re not getting the benefit from the EV motor. But, I have no experience with EV/Hybrids.

May I ask what state you’re in and which state did you order from? Also, I assume you worked with the out of state dealer instead of your local ones?

Going through the Kia site, here are 2019 plug-ins 1000 miles away.
 
#17 ·
Hybrids are not just using ICE at highway speeds. They are charging the battery when the car is slowing, and going downhill. The traction battery is adding torque during acceleration and going uphill, thus allowing for a smaller more fuel efficient engine. And sometimes there is enough charge for EV at highway speeds. Non-hybrids get none of these advantages.
 
#18 ·
Smaller size helps with mpg but the biggest difference is the efficiency advantage of the Niro's Atchison cycle ICE.

Consider Hyundai/Kia 1.6L in multiple forms

GDI Gasoline direct injection, Otto cycle, 140HP, ~30% efficiency , e.g. base Kona ~30 mpg
GDI Gasoline direct injection, Otto cycle, turbo, 195HP , ~30% efficiency , e.g. higher trim Kona ~30 mpg
GDI Gasoline direct injection, Atchison cycle, 105HP, ~40% efficiency, e.g. Niro ~45 mpg

The Atchison cycle ICE works because as you point out the motor compensates for the reduction in HP.
 
#19 ·
I don't do much city or rush hour bumper-bumper driving, but I can tell you in highway driving I routinely get >50MPG. The EV comes on fairly frequently at ~60MPH, and I've even had it on at 70MPH. Most of the time my highway driving is ~62-65MPH.
So for me the highway driving is same or a bit better than in-town driving.
 
#20 ·
My usage at home is typically 3 to 5 40 mile round trips weekly of mixed highway and city driving. That nets me about 58/59 mpg if max speed is 65 mph and temperatures are around 80 degrees. Just finished a trip to the West Coast and back and in similar temperature conditions, 54 mpg was my average less on the way back ~49 mpg due to significant temperature drop and wind conditions so not a valid comparison. On the West Coast, my trip pattern was very similar and I again netted 58/59 mpg (measured, not displayed) over the 14 days I was there.

I've seen the same thing locally, on trips 50 miles each way or longer, mpg drops. 10 miles to 20 miles does best. Adding a significant amount of city miles at each end of medium length trip, much of it in EV from gentle driving, appears to maximize mpg.

I never have shorter trips than 10 miles so I can't speak to the efficiency of those trips. I have a bicycle and motorcycle for those trips.

EV comes on regularly on the highway, but only when the battery gauge is significantly above half way. Up to 75 mph EV mode has been noted, but usually my speed is restricted to 65 mph so that is where I notice it the most (I'm in standard CC most of my trips).
 
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