Plug-In Hybrids
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Not every car buyer can afford a brand-new vehicle, which often makes gently used vehicles an appealing alternative. But while cars that plug in take only a small share of new-vehicle purchases today—about 1 percent—they apparently move quite fast off dealer lots once they're used. In fact, electric and plug-in cars dominate the top 10 fastest-moving used vehicles. DON'T MISS: Deal of the year? Used Fiat 500e electric cars at $6,500? Six of the top 10 vehicles boast some sort of electrification, and two of those are purely electric. According to iSeeCars, the fastest-moving used...
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Who sold 10,000 plug-in vehicles last month? (Not Tesla, Nissan, or Chevy)
When consumers think of battery-electric and plug-in hybrid cars, most likely conjure thoughts of Tesla, or perhaps Nissan with its Leaf and Chevrolet with its Volt and Bolt EV. However, none of those three brands managed to sell 10,000 plug-in cars during the month of September. That sales honor...
Sean Szymkowski -
Volvo's new Polestar electric-car brand to launch 600-hp model in 2019
Polestar, formerly Volvo's in-house tuning division, was recently separated from the Swedish brand; Volvo plans to turn it into a standalone brand. Polestar announced plans to build electric and electrified performance cars in the near future, and the brand revealed its first attempt with what it...
Sean Szymkowski -
2019 Land Rover Range Rover P400e plug-in hybrid revealed, on sale in US next year
Following the debut of the smaller Land Rover Range Rover Sport P400e plug-in hybrid, the luxury SUV maker revealed its larger sibling: the 2019 Land Rover Range Rover P400e. The Land Rover Range Rover P400e plug-in hybrid is the larger of the two, but the SUV boasts an identical electrified...
Sean Szymkowski -
If Toyota and Mazda make electric cars together, where's Subaru?
At the end of September, Toyota and Mazda announced they would form a joint venture with parts maker Denso to design, test, and build components for a shared electric-car platform. Earlier interviews with Mazda indicate that the small Japanese maker will create its first all-electric model for...
John Voelcker -
Plug-in electric car sales In Canada, Sep 2017: 1 percent now, 99 percent to go
The market share of plug-in electric cars in Canada appears to have topped 1 percent for the first time ever last month. Final sales totals won’t be available until registration data arrives later this month. We estimate that just under 1,900 vehicles with plugs were sold last month, compared...
Matthew Klippenstein -
The world has changed since last month's report on U.S. sales of plug-in electric cars. China has officially said it is considering dates for ending sales of new vehicles with gasoline or diesel engines. Even if that date proves to be 15 or 20 years in the future, the country's government has spoken—and the world's carmakers will have to play along or lose access to the world's largest vehicle market by far. DON'T MISS: GM to launch two new electric vehicles within 18 months, 20 by 2023 On Monday, General Motors said it would release two new electric cars within 18 months—and that...
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2019 Range Rover Sport P400e plug-in hybrid on sale in US in summer 2018: technical details
Six years after Land Rover confirmed it would introduce a Range Rover plug-in hybrid, the luxury-SUV brand has now provided an official on-sale date. A 2019 Land Rover Range Rover Sport plug-in hybrid model will both go on sale in the United States in the summer of 2018, likely followed by a...
John Voelcker -
2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV: first drive of plug-in hybrid SUV
Not too many people will ever drive the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, the plug-in hybrid version of the company's mid-size crossover utility vehicle. So it was fitting that the company launched the vehicle on dusty roads in the back country of Catalina Island: roads that not many people are...
Sebastian Blanco -
Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid gets ad support from Sesame Street characters
The 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid is a one-of-a-kind vehicle, the sole plug-in hybrid minivan offered for sale in North America. Its early months were plagued by a powertrain recall for a potentially faulty diode within the power inverter module. Now, the Pacifica Hybrid is back on sale in its...
Sean Szymkowski -
China electric-car rules to start in 2019; aggressive totals are world's highest
You may not have heard it happen, but the global automotive industry changed forever on Thursday. China released its plan to require substantial sales of plug-in electric cars by all makers who want to sell in the world's largest car market, and they start in little more than a year. The levels far...
John Voelcker -
BMW, Mercedes to offer wireless-charging options for plug-in hybrids next year
Every one of the modern electric cars on the market for almost seven years requires plugging in a cord to recharge the battery using grid electricity. Inserting the cord into the socket takes just a few seconds, and most cars today are charged overnight. But soon there will be another option...
John Voelcker -
The Porsche Cayenne is the second best-selling vehicle in the German sports-car maker's North American lineup, as SUV sales swamp those of passenger cars at luxury brands. A considerable number of the pricey SUV models sold here have been the Cayenne S E-Hybrid plug-in hybrid variant: 1,316 out of 8,802 through August, for example. We put 300 miles on the plug-in hybrid Cayenne recently, and simply liked it better than competitors in the segment from BMW and Mercedes-Benz. DON'T MISS: What's the best Porsche Panamera? It's a plug-in hybrid now We should note that the current Cayenne is about...
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Electric cars near 2 percent of German market (plug-in hybrids included), surging past US
While Volkswagen's diesel scandal has fallen out of the public eye in the United States, its effects continue to be felt in Europe, where diesel-powered cars have long reigned supreme. Falling sales of diesel vehicles in many European countries are somewhat balanced by a boost for electric and...
Sean Szymkowski -
2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid sales have resumed after recall
The Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid is the sole plug-in hybrid minivan for sale anywhere in North America, but it hasn't had a particularly smooth rollout. Its seven seats and 33 miles of EPA-rated electric range make it appealing to families who want a plug-in vehicle with more than five seats and more...
John Voelcker -
European electric and plug-in hybrid sales for Jan-July 2017
The data has been crunched and the latest round of sales figures has arrived for a look at European electric and plug-in hybrid sales through the month of July. With another month on the books, Europe still continues to choose one specific electric car and one plug-in hybrid over all the other...
Sean Szymkowski -
Ford Transit van with range-extended electric powertrain revealed
As European countries continue to crack down on emissions from road vehicles, automakers are stepping up with solutions to reduce levels of smog-causing nitrogen oxides, especially in city centers. Ford identified the commercial vehicle segment as one it believes is ripe for electrification, and...
Sean Szymkowski -
2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid rated at 47 miles of range
While there will be three distinct powertrains offered in the Honda Clarity mid-size sedan, most U.S. shoppers will only ever see one of them on sale. That's the plug-in hybrid, which will go on sale "later this year" as the sole Clarity to be offered at all Honda dealers. Now the 2018 Honda...
John Voelcker -
The Chevrolet Bolt EV continued a steady sales rise last month as it solidified its position among the top three plug-in electric cars for which monthly U.S. sales are reported. In August, Chevy delivered 2,107 Bolt EVs, the first time the car had sold more than 2,000 units in a month after entering the market in mid-December last year. Close behind was the Toyota Prius Prime plug-in hybrid, at 1,820 sales, with the Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid in third place at 1,445 deliveries for August—its lowest monthly number since February 2016. DON'T MISS: Dethleffs solar-assisted electric...
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2018 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid goes on sale in UK
The Kia Niro Hybrid has been on sale in the United States since early 2017, but at its launch, the brand promised a plug-in hybrid version would arrive by the end of this year as well. Ahead of its U.S. launch, the Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid has now arrived in the United Kingdom with a 36-mile rated...
Sean Szymkowski -
How important will plug-in hybrids be in 2025? Poll results
Car shoppers may not be buying huge numbers of all-electric cars yet, but they largely understand how they work. It's a car, you plug it in to charge a battery, it runs on the battery, end of story. Plug-in hybrids are far harder to explain—are they short-range electric cars? are they...
John Voelcker -
What happens to plug-in hybrids over time? Take our Twitter poll
Last week, for the first time, we reminded regular readers about our regular Twitter poll in an article announcing the question of the week. That article seems to have earned us about three times as many responses as in previous polls, so we're going to make it a regular practice henceforth. This...
John Voelcker -
China's electric-car sales now twice those in US for Jan-June 2017
Hard numbers provide the latest evidence that shows China is by far the world's largest market for plug-in cars—or new energy vehicles, as they are referred to locally. The latest round of sales figures show the Chinese bought almost exactly twice the number of plug-in vehicles as car buyers...
Sean Szymkowski -
Which carmaker will sell most electric cars in 2020, China included? Poll results
Last year, China's BYD sold more plug-in electric cars than any other company in the world. That includes General Motors, Nissan, and Tesla. Now GM has launched the Chevrolet Bolt EV, the second-generation Nissan Leaf is just days away, and advocates, analysts, and enthusiasts are watching how...
John Voelcker