Are electric vehicles really more environmentally friendly?
Overall, yes, especially in France: because French electricity has a very low carbon intensity.
It's currently less clear for an electric car driven elsewhere in Europe or the United States,
where the electricity mix is more carbon-intensive but the growth of renewables is changing this fast.
Even taking into account the manufacturing of the battery, an electric car driven in France
will emit about half the CO₂ emissions of an equivalent combustion car over its lifecycle.
The recycling or reuse of batteries is still little tested, but
their value is high and it seems likely that they will be recycled or
at least reused in stationary applications.
Source ADEME
Should I buy a plug-in hybrid vehicle?
It depends on how you use it. If you charge the battery regularly, the answer is yes, even if the range is limited. Plug-in hybrid vehicles have a bad reputation because in the past, due to very strong government incentives, they were purchased by opportunistic users who had no intention of charging them regularly. In this case, the extra weight of the batteries makes these vehicles even more polluting than an equivalent combustion vehicle. This justifies discontinuing government incentives for plug-in hybrid vehicles, but not rejecting them outright. They are a good solution when they are charged regularly.
I can't find an electric vehicle at a reasonable price, what should I do?
If you need to buy a vehicle but can't find an electric vehicle at a reasonable price, you have several options to have a positive impact on the climate. If you have a choice, a used car is probably preferable to a new car. The type of vehicle depends on your usage. If you drive little, you are the best possible owner for a polluting vehicle. If you drive a lot, buy the least polluting vehicle possible that suits your needs. If you buy new, you can reduce your emissions by buying a relatively small vehicle, or a hybrid vehicle.
Is the battery of a used vehicle reliable?
Overall, yes. Available data suggests that batteries lose less than 2% of their capacity per year. This means that a 5-year-old used car will have lost about 10% of its range.