Glad to see some plug-in hybrid options. Interested to see the total 'cost of ownership' as I would get a sense of the complexity and quality of repairs, parts, and maintenance (especially if there are gas-only, and EV only versions, all else equal). Would be good if there was some way to monitor total EV miles driven vs total gas miles driven to see how the various EV vs gas propulsion systems fared and aged with use... choice and opportunity above all.

So PHEV Chev Volt was sold from 2011 to 2019. More than enough time to observe that human behavior/circumstance saw most just gassed and go. The plug in feature is purchased with the best of intentions...... but not fully used.

Kind of like keeping a Bible beside the bed...not read.. then dead....

What's the point of this thing exactly?
There are several all-electric SUVs available in the US, at a similar or lower price. Don't forget that gasoline SUVs get terrible "range" in the city (sub-20MPG for certain versions of the GLC), so you are paying more money and getting less performance, less range, less reliability, etc.

Why don't Nissan make an e-power vehicle with a much larger battery (say 12-16 kWh). This could run a small engine in a narrow power and rev band, presumably very efficiently for the ICE bits, bt would have enough kWh to keep to E power in cities and suburbs.

The Nissan/Infinity vehicle you describe would cost just as much as their EV Ariya, but it would have worse running costs, lower performance, and potentially lower reliability. They already sell an SUV with similar specifications, in selected markets, but it isn't very popular.

>>>>>>"So PHEV Chev Volt was sold from 2011 to 2019. More than enough time to observe that human behavior/circumstance saw most just gassed and go. "
Reply: According to Idaho National Laboratory: "A sample of 1,154 Chevrolet Volt drivers participating in The EV Project drove 73% of their total miles in electric vehicle (EV) mode over an 8-month study."
This means that they plugged-in whenever they could, except for long-distance driving. People who don't care to plug in would simply buy a HEV or an ICEV, they would not even consider a BEV.

>>>>>>>"Why don't Nissan make an e-power vehicle with a much larger battery (say 12-16 kWh) and small engine... "
Reply: Hmmm...Why,, indeed! It is VERY EASY to do so....Yet NO car makers who sell cars in the West or in West's dominated countries are doing it. Toyota has long waiting lists for their PHEVs but for many years now, is making VERY FEW PHEVs. GM dropped out of PHEV altogether, and others who make PHEVs are using big engines and in many cases with gear-shift transmission, thus they are heavy and costly.
In China, BYD is selling a high percentage of PHEVs having tiny engines, that are cost-competitive with the ICEVs in the same market, and selling those PHEVs like hot cakes.

>>>>>>>"There are several all-electric SUVs available in the US, at a similar or lower price."
Reply: Yeah, but what if many people prefer the convenience and versatility of a PHEV, and don't mind paying for it?

>>>>>>>>"Several automakers have tried what you propose in the past decade, and it hasn't worked commercially. BMW tried twice, with the i3 and then a cost-no-object supercar, GM tried it with the Volt, Mazda tried it with a rotary range extender..."

Reply:
1.. in the BMW i-3, BMW programmed for the battery to be almost drained before the engine would kick in, and this is a no no, because there must be enough charge remaining to help provide boost for hilly and mountainous area. So, the i-3 must have a GPS positioning system and topographic database to retain more battery charge for hilly and mountainous areas . For a cruising trip, the battery must remain fully charged in case of engine failure, so that the battery will enable the car to get to a safe place for repair or for towing.

2... In the BMW i-8, it is not the best thing to make PHEV a supercar because that role can be better fulfilled with a pure BEV. People with money can afford airplanes for long trips, only people with limited means would drive for long trips, and for that, they would prefer a PHEV because it will save them time.

3...GM dropped out of PHEV altogether, even thought the Volt has gotten good reputation and trust. GM should have use the Voltec 2 power train in larger vehicles like the Malibu, Equinox, etc...in order to gather more sales.

4... Toyota has long waiting lists for its PHEVs, but has produced very few of them. Toyota purposedly make the Prius Gen 4 real ugly so that it won't sell, then the Prius Gen 5 looks real good but Toyota simply do not make enough fulfill high demand for them.
5...Ditto for Mazda and Nissan...etc...etc...
6...BYD makes excellent PHEVs and very low cost, only $14,000, but then the US gov immediate put a 100% tariff on Chinese cars...
7...Do you see the picture and the pattern now?

Roger, I believe that you see the pattern too. There is a move away from ICE vehicles overall, with pure BEVs enjoying double-digit growth all over the world, at the expense of ICE (whether "hybrid" or fossil-only).

Companies that failed to invest in new tech, like Toyota, are desperately trying to greenwash their obsolete cars by adding plugs, but consumers are not impressed. The fact is that if you have the ability to plug-in a hybrid, you also have the ability to plug-in a BEV, with the added benefit of lower cost, better utility, better reliability, etc. Despite some people's predictions, there is absolutely no discernible move back toward fossil. Those customers are never coming back, and Toyota knows it.