Online content creator Jake of Jakes’ Hobbies is a Tesla Model Y owner and green vehicle enthusiast. Interestingly, he has purchased two new hybrid models to augment his Tesla Model Y in his family and work fleet. Jake makes some very interesting observations about why a battery-electric vehicle owner would purchase a hybrid, despite today’s very crowded battery-electric vehicle market offering so many great options.
Despite those options, Ford's hybrid-electric pickups have outsold all of the battery-electric vehicle models in America combined. It has become pretty clear that battery-only pickups are failing in the U.S. market.
Range Matters With Work Vehicles, And Tesla Does Not Deliver
Jake’s work requires that he travel quite far. Time is money, and stopping for hours or many minutes to charge a battery-only vehicle is time out of one’s workday. Jake points out that the Ford Maverick hybrid-electric vehicle’s 530 miles of range is much more suitable for his needs than the 240 he sees from his Model Y. As we have explained in a prior story, it takes as much as 20 times longer to add energy to a battery-only vehicle than it does a hybrid-electric vehicle. In a hybrid-electric vehicle, one can add up to 500 miles of range in about 120 seconds. Filling an EV from empty to full can take over an hour, even with the “fastest” DC charging systems. Jake says:
Teslas are not known for range. I will only get 200 to 240 miles, depending on how disciplined I am (in my Model Y). This Maverick hybrid electric vehicle has over 500 miles of highway range. That’s something I feel over the moon about.
Tesla’s Infotainment System Lacks Android Auto
Jake prefers to use phone mirroring to navigate and run his music and audio apps. He describes the infotainment screen in his Ford Maverick Hybrid-Electric Vehicle as “Giant,” and “Phenomenal.” Jake loves the way that Android Auto allows you to vary the size of the information on the total screen area. Jake says:
Ford has a very good way of displaying your music (while keeping the main portion of the screen enlarged for Google Maps Satellite View). Obviously, Tesla doesn’t even have this. I’m grateful to even have Android Auto.
Maverick’s Sound System Meets the Demands of a High-End Tesla Owner
Jakes’ Model Y is not a base trim, but a top trim and he raves about its sound system. However, he goes to great lengths to point out that the Maverick has an “Amazing” sound system with a subwoofer. Jake summarizes the Maverick’s sound system as “Fantastic.”
Ride Quality Is Better In the Ford Maverick Hybrid-Electric Vehicle Than In the Tesla
Jake summarizes the contrast between his Model Y and his Ford Maverick Hybrid-Electric Vehicle by saying:
Coming from my Model Y with is Earth-shatteringly rigid in the ride, I will say that the Maverick Hybrid rides amazing. It is very well-mannered.
Jake’s takeaway from the ride of the Model Y he owns matches our experience driving it. We also found that the Model Y was too stiff and that other vehicles offered a much better ride quality.
Maverick Hybrid-Electric Vehicle’s Spare Tire - Worthy of Note
Jake points out that his Hybrid-Electric Vehicle has a standard spare tire, a feature that is very hard to find in battery-only vehicles.
Pricing Of Jake’s Ford Maverick Hybrid-Electric Vehicle
Jake's 2025 Ford Maverick Lariat AWD Hybrid-Electric Vehicle had a price that rounded to $40K. He considers this a premium price for a truck of its size.
Do EV Owners Ever Go Back to Gas-Powered Vehicles?
Hybrids are not simply “fossil fuel-powered.” In America, 10% or more of the miles they cover are powered by ethanol, and depending on the model, up to 20% of the miles are electric - added by regenerative braking. Hybrid-electric vehicles do consume some gas, though. It is pretty common to hear battery-only vehicle advocates say that once a person buys an EV, “they never go back.” Clearly, they do, as our Tesla owners’ poll above illustrates.
Jakes's reasons for buying a hybrid-electric vehicle after owning a Tesla Model Y include:
- Needs an affordable pickup for work
- Needs greater range than a Tesla can provide
- Loves Android Auto
- Loves the audio of his Ford
- Prefers the ride quality of the Maverick
- Values a spare tire
What do you think? Are battery-only vehicles today able to handle every type of driving task the best, or are there still some cases where hybrid-electric vehicles are a better choice for green vehicle shoppers and owners? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.
You can view Jake's story in greater detail here.
John Goreham is a credentialed New England Motor Press Association member and expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE int). In addition to his eleven years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on Linkedin and follow his work on his personal X channel or on our X channel. Please note that stories carrying John's by-line are never AI-generated, but he does employ Grammarly grammar and punctuation software when proofreading.
Image of vehicle courtesy of Ford. Image of EV poll by John Goreham and courtesy of Facebook.