It astonishes me just how few people get the point of hybrids as a product. When you put a small engine in a useful sized car, contrary to assumption & manufacturer's BS, it usually results (out in the real world) in increased not decreased fuel consumption because small engines lack torque and as a result you have to work the engine very hard, stepping on the throttle pedal (accelerator) hard more of the time. Electric motors on the other hand produce huge torque for their size but lack power, so by combining both you get a small, frugal engine that can be given a big boost in torque when needed, that's why Honda refer to their hybrid system as "IMA" "Integrated Motor Assist."
The Prius' manual "EV Mode" (Electric Vehicle Mode, electric power only mode) button allows you to drive at a maximum of 31 mph for a maximum of 1.2 miles, you can't drive across town on electric only because you'd need (approximately) another half ton of batteries and FYI; that's not an exaggeration, I literally mean half a ton, minimum!
Honda didn't bother with a manual electric option because only switching to electric power only mode when the computer knows it'll do the job properly means it can switch to electric only more often as it's not continually trying to build battery charge back up from minimum because the problem between seat and steering-wheel keeps pressing the freakin' EV button!
Hybrids aren't electric cars and they aren't meant to be electric cars! They're petrol cars that can significantly reduce fuel consumption (and therefor emissions) by supplementing a gutless small petrol engine with an electric flywheel motor.
The Prius' manual "EV Mode" (Electric Vehicle Mode, electric power only mode) button allows you to drive at a maximum of 31 mph for a maximum of 1.2 miles, you can't drive across town on electric only because you'd need (approximately) another half ton of batteries and FYI; that's not an exaggeration, I literally mean half a ton, minimum!
Honda didn't bother with a manual electric option because only switching to electric power only mode when the computer knows it'll do the job properly means it can switch to electric only more often as it's not continually trying to build battery charge back up from minimum because the problem between seat and steering-wheel keeps pressing the freakin' EV button!
Hybrids aren't electric cars and they aren't meant to be electric cars! They're petrol cars that can significantly reduce fuel consumption (and therefor emissions) by supplementing a gutless small petrol engine with an electric flywheel motor.