Featured I don't want an EV. I want an affordable plug-in hybrid that doesn't look stupid. Rocket science?

@SRQ, just pick one from the list. There are 66 of them.

The complete list of 2023–2024 plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs)

 

Hey, you are the one that brought up the obviously non street legal Chinese EV.

LSVs a federally legal on roads with speed limits up 35mph. This GEM can haul 1100 pounds in the bed Carryall 710 LSV | Street-Legal Utility Vehicle |Club Car, and Club has a similar product. Can be pricey, but they and a couple other brands have been around long enough that there is a used market out there.

The off road part could be tricky. Comes down to specifics. These could be small enough to maneuver around obstacles, and maybe just need some lift to the ground clearance. Perhaps wheel and suspension parts from ATV siblings could be used. Then factory made EV options do exist. Max EV 4 Off-Road Vehicle | Westward Industries

Depends on the sate. Heard the Roxor can be made street legal by just adding some lights in some western ones.
The All-New ROXOR By Mahindra - The All-New ROXOR By Mahindra

 

Yes, more I think about it, a beat-up old full size pickup at near the end of its life is what I should buy. I put down a deposit to reserve the Silverado EV almost year ago. At the time GM was advertising the estimated starting MSRP of $39.9K which if true, I could get it at $25k after incentives. But as with all promotional bait and switch, the real MSRP is going to be more like $75k and up. No way I am biting the bullet for that price.

That is why my question on legality on driving it on a public road. In our state it is legal to drive farm tractor on public road, albeit there are some restrictions.

 

Farm, and to a lesser extent construction, equipment get limited passes on public road use to ease commercial burdens. How much cost does it add to the farmer if they had to trailer a tractor to the field a little bit down the road? Law makers have said too much for the use of roads they do make. They are probably more of a threat to cars than the other way around.

The micro car on the other hand could be on public roads all the time. So there is more concern in making sure things go safely for all involved. Being small can get very bad with cars going faster. Thus the 35mph road speed limit for LSVs. Then there are some basic safety equipment requirements and other regs for these models to qualify for LSV status. EV ones actually need a noise maker. The means being certified by NHTSA. Very unlikely a micro EV on Alibaba has that. The 3 part Electrek series I linked covers this, and also lists some current LSV manufacturers. I'm guessing your local roads are too fast for a LSV to legally work for you.

 

For the motivated buyer willing to do some work Government Auctions can provide some bargains.

GSA Fleet Vehicle Sales

Government vehicle auctions | USAGov

Back before Government Auctions became a thing, I bought my first vehicle when stationed in the Midwest at a Missouri Department of Soil Conservation Vehicle auction. Bought a 1969 Chevy Stepside C-10 with an inline 6 cylinder 4 speed transmission for less than a $1000.

I think now days the auctions are more competitive, and someone would have to commit time and effort to find any real deals. It is an option for the right individual who is persistent.

 

lol evs

 

Anyone come up with op’s request yet?
It must be rocket science

 

Very difficult. “Doesn’t look stupid” is rather subjective.

I don’t find that the Gen 2 Prius looked ‘stupid’. I suspect the OP did.
I find that chrome pipes on any car look stupid, as do ‘lifted’ PU trucks.

 

Supposedly, they drive one. Wonder where they were when Ford was deeply discounting Fusion Energis if a Prius is stupid looking.

They seem to almost like the gen5, and the MSRP isn't bad for the Prime. No way it was going to cost the same as the gen4 with a bigger battery. And the US is getting the decontented version. Japan only gets the top trim.

 

I don't like most lifted trucks and exhaust tips, although I must say it depends. I prefer stainles steel over chrome for exhaust on some classic cars (I had stainless steel exhaust tips on my 1972 VW Beetle that were as shiny as the bumpers).

I do like a lot of new radical EV designs. I like the looks of the Cybertruck as well as the Aptera.

I'm not a fan of the Model Y nor the Model X, but if I were to get a crossover or SUV I'd prefer the Model Y's or Model X's body shape over the standard Jeep look or cookiecutter look on vehicles like the VW ID.4, although I must say that the idea of owning a Ford Bronco has kind of grown on me (probably because of the 7 speed manual transmission more than the looks).

The VW ID.Buzz looks pretty cool too.

The Gen 2 Prius is cute and I love it! The Gen 3 and 4 are ok, although I prefer the first Prime over the Gen 4. The Gen 5 is better, but not as good as the Gen 2. I also like the Gen 1 as it was the first Prius or hybrid I had ever been in (that, and you could drive it in Gran Turismo 2 on the Sony Playstation, which is perhaps my favorite video game of all time).

Every cookiecutter SUV or crossover out there all look about the same. And the design is terrible, it's inefficient, wasteful and just plain old.

 

along with 'looks', 'affordable' is also subjective

 

and then there's this thread op started 2 months earlier, seems conflicted, but refuses to participate

 

Maybe the OP was hoping someone had a PHEV converted 1964 Aston Martin DB5 in mint condition that they would be willing to give him for free.

Of course I'm not any better. I also don't really like a lot of things about modern vehicles and feel they are very expensive and then complain about it.

But if anyone is giving away a PHEV converted 1964 Aston Martin DB5 in mint condition, I'd happily take it off your hands and I'll stop complaining.

 

EV owners from regions not knowing how to deal with extreme cold maybe? We don't hear about owners in western provinces in Canada which are experiencing even colder temperatures. Same for Icelandic regions.

 

Did they say what temperatures?

At -15 °F and in the mountains of Colorado my range got cut in half in my 2013 Nissan Leaf, even with the heater turned off the whole time and dry roads.

Charging in the Leaf in the winter was a pain because the charge door would freeze shut. It also would pack full of snow and ice over night and then not close. Putting a box on the top of the plug door and taping it down to the charge cord was a must on stormy winter nights IMO.

But ice in the charge door wasn't as bad as the fabric wheel wells on the Avalon. Speaking of which, I need to go out and spend the next couple of hours trying to get as much ice out from around the rear wheels on my Avalon right now. Stupid fabric wheel wells!

 

Oh boy ! frozen battery pack are very long to charge , Bms manages very low charge current in these conditions....

 

Indeed, that's why there is battery preconditioning. Yes it will take longer if you go from your home to the nearest Superchargers, that's one more reason why home charging is better.

 

Hybrids can suffer in the extreme cold too. Montana and Canada reports of frozen Rav4s on another forum.

 

Yeah, my Model 3 also have some kind of fabric wheel well. I haven't treated them differently than my previous hard plastic wheel well though (third winter) and when I changed the tires for snow/summer times, I don't see any damages.

For the charge port, this is what I did. Made it myself from left over vapor barrier plastic sheets and magnetic tape. It's not the most pretty but does the job.

 

Ohh yes ! Tesla should address this with Artificial Intelligence to users that don't care reading their manuals instead of touting autopilot