Thanks for that. Here is a contrary view on hybrids taken from...

Thanks for that. Here is a contrary view on hybrids taken from Forbes.com ,written by Hardman and Sperling. (full details below)...by the way, the reason this interests me is because I am quite heavily invested in Caltex and would like to think hybrids have a strong future. Hybrids do offer a lot of advantages..here is some text copy and pasted from the article which is freely available online. I'm going to put it in quotes as apparently that means it won't be moderated.

"Plug-in hybrids are destined to face an early death, according to an emerging conventional wisdom, expressed in recent articles such as: Plug-in hybrid car hits its stride just in time to die, The death of the plug-in hybrid is inevitable, and The future of PHEVs looks bleak. GM fanned the flames with its announced termination of the award-winning Chevrolet Volt. Meanwhile, many automakers are bringing new plug-in hybrid models to market, promising greater efficiencies, improved driving ranges, and more diverse vehicle platforms (including SUVs). We recently held workshops with researchers from North America, Europe, and Asia in an effort to bring some clarify to this debate, and answer the question “what role do plug-in hybrids have in the transition to electric vehicles?”
The key difference between battery electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles is the combustion engine carried onboard the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. Battery electric vehicles are driven only by their battery and electric motor and typically have ranges of 125-300 miles. Plug-in hybrids have a smaller battery that typically allows an electric range of 20-50 miles, and a gasoline combustion engine that adds another 300 to 500 miles of driving range.It’s easy to become excited about battery electric vehicles when looking at sales.

Prior to 2018 the market was split roughly 50/50 between plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles. However, in 2018 the market shifted to 66% battery electric vehicle and 34% plug-in hybrids.

The story is not so simple, though. If one parses out Tesla electric vehicles (as we did below), one sees that battery electric vehicle market growth was huge and entirely due to one automaker, Tesla. Sales of battery electric vehicles by all other companies actually declined, falling back to 2015 levels. Plug-in hybrids, on the other hand, are showing consistent market growth.

Some consider plug-in hybrids to be a “transitional technology,” a stepping stone on the way to “pure” battery electric vehicles. Perhaps it is better to think of them as an “enabling technology,” encouraging more consumers (and fleets) to move beyond gasoline and diesel vehicles.As we indicate in a detailed policy report brief, plug-in hybrids offer a more flexible vehicle option for consumers, dispensing with range anxiety and concern about where to recharge. As the market moves beyond affluent house owners to apartment dwellers who do not have a personal parking space, plug-in hybrids will become more attractive and compelling. They will also be more compelling for those who frequently travel longer distances and have unpredictable use patterns—for instance car rentals and fleets.Plug-in hybrids may also be beneficial in larger vehicles, such as most pickup trucks, SUVs, and minivans. Plug-in hybrids have fewer batteries than battery electric vehicles, and thus have less added weight and, at least for the coming years, will be more moderately priced than similarly sized battery electric vehicles. Indeed, at present, the only large battery-powered vehicles are high end luxury vehicles with prices over $70,000. Meanwhile, some large plug-in hybrids are now entering the market at prices around $35,000."