I Took A Family Trip With A Hybrid And An Electric Truck: The Hybrid Gave Me Range Anxiety

Two Trucks & Two Trips

There's one criticism of electric vehicles that seems to come up in nearly every conversation: "EVs seem fine, but the infrastructure just isn't there if you want to drive across the country." I've heard this line so many times, it's become a cliché. Though it was far from a cross-country pilgrimage, this month gave me an excellent opportunity to put the EV condemnation with two trips to visit my in-laws in South Florida.

My wife and I needed to drive down to her parent's house, a distance of around 200 miles from where we live in Central Florida, twice in the month of July. For the first trip, we drove down in a 2026 Toyota Sequoia TRD Pro, a twin-turbo V6 hybrid, theoretically easy because it can be refueled at any gas station. The second time, we took a 2026 Chevrolet Silverado EV Trail Boss, an electric truck with a 205 kWh battery.

Only one of these vehicles gave me range anxiety, and it wasn't the EV.

A Gas-Guzzling Hybrid

The third-generation Toyota Sequoia replaces the outgoing model's ancient and thirsty V8 with a hybridized twin-turbo V6 that's supposed to be more powerful and more fuel efficient. Well, it's definitely more powerful. The i-Force Max powertrain produces 437 horsepower and 583 lb-ft of torque, obliterating the outgoing V8's 381 hp and 401 lb-ft ratings. A $2,299 TRD Performance Package boosts the Sequoia further to 466 hp. We were able to hit 60 mph in just 6.14 seconds with the performance package.

There's no disputing the i-Force Max's performance; it's a force to be reckoned with, and the louder exhaust on the TRD Pro lets everyone else know it too. Fuel economy is less impressive though, as I averaged just 18.5 mpg on my trip down South. The EPA says the Sequoia should get 19/22/20 mpg city/highway/combined, but perhaps those numbers don't account for the the TRD Pro's roof rack dragging it at highway speeds. For reference, the old V8's EPA numbers are 13/17/14 mpg.

My relatively easy trip to South Florida drained the Sequoia's tank to around one-quarter indicated. Though I wasn't in danger of running out of gas, there is something comical about a hybrid SUV needing a fuel stop after a 200-mile road trip. Based on its 22.5-gallon tank, the Sequoia should travel about 450 miles between fill ups, but in my experience, you will be lucky to eke out 300 miles from the TRD Pro version.

Note: To make this a more fair comparison, a Tundra TRD Pro has a 32.2 gallon tank and would go much further, but it would also cost more to fill up.

A Big Battery EV

While the Sequoia arrived in South Florida with just one-quarter of its fuel tank remaining, the Silverado EV needed only 45% of its gargantuan battery to make the journey. Chevy says the Trail Boss version will go 478 miles on the Max Battery, second only to the Work Truck trim, which can go 493 miles. To get that range, you'd likely have to drive below 70 mph on the highway, which is like asking to be honked at in Florida.

Even while keeping up with traffic, the Silverado turned up to my destination with plenty of battery to spare. I could have even made it back to Central Florida on the same charge, if I didn't need to do any driving in South Florida. Since my in-laws do not have an EV charger, and trickle charging the Silverado would be a trivial pursuit, I took it to the closest Tesla Supercharger about 15 minutes away, stopping for a coffee on the way there.

The entire stop took about an hour, including grabbing drinks for my wife and me and a 20-minute charging session, but it got us to 80% battery, enough to drive around and make it home.

Hybrid Vs EV Cost

These two vehicles may not be the same body style, but they serve similar functions and they are very close on price. The 2026 Sequoia TRD Pro rings in at $82,465 and our tester had a few options that brought the final price to $88,486. As for the Silverado EV, you will pay $89,195 for the Trail Boss Max Battery and our tester had an MSRP of $93,185 equipped. The Tundra TRD Pro is significantly cheaper than the Sequoia, starting at just $72,565.

Factoring our fuel stops, the Sequoia requires premium gasoline with the TRD Performance Package, so the fill-up cost $65.26. By comparison, my Supercharger stop cost $34.12 for 58.84 kWh, taking it to 80% battery and hitting a 190 kW peak. These numbers are not apples-to-apples, since the Sequoias pit stop filled its tank completely, but the cheaper charging session gave me plenty of juice to get home with over 20% charge remaining.

More EV SUVs And EREVs

The Silverado EV was an excellent vehicle to use for this test thanks to its massive battery, but the Cadillac Escalade IQ would have been superior. It has an EPA-rated 460 miles of range, but some outlets have squeezed over 500 miles out of it. The extended Escalade IQ L offers more space, and is actually the longest SUV on sale today at 228.5 inches. General Motors seems to be backing off its electrification push, but we would love to see a less expensive Suburban or Yukon EV built on this platform.

For shoppers who still won't be convinced by my little anecdotal experience, extended range electric vehicles (EREVs) could bridge the gap between hybrids like the Sequoia and EVs like the Silverado and Escalade IQ. EREVs are propelled by electric motors with smaller (but still sizable batteries) that deliver around 150 miles of range. Owners will charge them up and drive them around as EVs most of the time, but EREVs also have a gasoline generator under the hood that can deliver additional range on-the-fly.

The upcoming Scout Terra and Traveler Harvester models will go 150 miles on electric power, then a four-cylinder will add another 350 miles of range. The Ram 1500 REV uses a 92 kWh battery to go 145 miles with a 3.6-liter V6 contributing up to 690 miles of total range. Lastly, the upcoming Ford F-150 Lightning promises over 700 miles of total range, a lofty goal that should keep up with even a big-tank diesel truck.

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