Plug-In Hybrids

  • 2011 Chevrolet Volt and 2013 Tesla Model S [photo: David Noland]

    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 to roughly 187,000 sales across the country of all new vehicles. DON'T MISS: U.S. plug-in electric car sales for Sep: Bolt EV hits new monthly high We got that total by adding reported September sales (943) to an approximation of 400 Tesla sales (June's number, since like September it was a...

  • 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV
    Plug-in electric car sales for Sep: Bolt EV hits new monthly high (final update)

    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...

  • 2019 Land Rover Range Rover Sport P400e
    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...

  • 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, Catalina Island, CA, Sep 2017
    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...

  • Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Sesame Street advertisement
    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...

  • Beijing smog
    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...

  • 2018 BMW 530e iPerformance wireless charging

    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: wireless charging, in which the car is positioned over a pad on the floor or ground, with no need to plug in anything. DON'T MISS: Using Plugless Power's wireless charging with Nissan Leaf: video Inductive charging, as it's known technically, transfers power through coils in the pad and corresponding...

  • 2017 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid, Catskill Mountains, NY, Aug 2017
    2017 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid: review of plug-in hybrid SUV

    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...

  • 2017 Audi A3 e-tron Sportback
    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...

  • 2018 Chrysler Pacifica
    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...

  • 2017 Renault Zoe
    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...

  • Ford Transit Plug-In Hybrid van for the UK
    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...

  • 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid

    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 Clarity Plug-In Hybrid's electric range has been certified by the EPA, and it's come in at a higher-than-expected 47 miles. DON'T MISS: Honda Clarity Electric, Plug-In Hybrid: first drives, impressions That puts the plug-in hybrid Clarity in the top three for battery range, following the range-extended...

  • 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV
    Plug-in electric car sales for Aug: Bolt EV leads Prime, Volt lower (updated)

    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...

  • Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid (U.K. version)
    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...

  • 2018 Chevrolet Volt
    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...

  • 2017 Toyota Prius Prime Premium
    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...

  • 2016 BYD Tang plug-in hybrid SUV, made in China
    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...

  • 2018 Tesla Model 3

    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 quickly production ramps up for the Tesla Model 3. DON'T MISS: China's BYD built more plug-in cars than any other maker last year The Bolt EV and Model 3 have rated ranges of more than 200 miles, and at least one version of the 2018 Nissan Leaf is expected to offer 200 miles or more as well. Meanwhile...

  • 2017 Renault Zoe
    European electric and plug-in hybrid sales for Jan-June 2017

    The numbers are in, which means it's once again time take a look at European electric and plug-in hybrid sales. Delivery and registration data is compiled from January through June of 2017, and once more, it remains clear Europe has a favorite electric car. The Renault Zoe walks away with an even...

  • 2017 Karma Revero, Palisades, NJ, Aug 2017
    2018 Karma Revero: first drive of reborn luxury plug-in hybrid sedan

    The 2018 Karma Revero remains as much of a head-turner today as the low, sleek four-door sedan was when it debuted a decade ago under another name. It also happens to be a range-extended electric luxury sedan, though we tend to think that the Karma would sell just as well if it ran on coal dust and...

  • 2017 Volkswagen e-Golf
    Plug-in electric car sales in Canada, July 2017: Golf season

    The Volkswagen e-Golf launched in Canada in late June, tallying 39 sales before the month’s end, and followed that with 84 units in its first full month of availability. Aided by the e-Golf, the Toyota Prius Prime and the soon-to-arrive second-generation Nissan Leaf, plug-in electric vehicles...

  • 2006 Toyota Prius and 2015 Nissan Leaf  [photo: John C. Briggs]
    Should we buy a Toyota Prius Prime, Chevy Bolt EV, or Volt?

    It's now time to shop for a new car for my wife, as her wonderful 2006 Toyota Prius has 144,000 miles and we're ready for something new. So I thought I might throw the question out to Green Car Reports readers. What car should replace our 2006 Prius hybrid? DON'T MISS: 2017 Toyota Prius Prime: gas...

  • Plug'n'Drive EV Discovery Centre, Toronto
    Canada electric-car news: EV Discovery Centre, more charging sites, ZEV mandates debated

    As Canada celebrates its 150th birthday, the plug-in electric vehicle sector has charged forward, with developments on the national, provincial and even municipal levels. Here’s our take on six of the most salient stories. Federal ZEV committee On May 26, the Canadian government announced its...

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