As Subaru looks to the future, it is focused on producing electric versions of its existing models. It will launch its first plug-in hybrid model next year and introduce its first all-electric model by 2021.
While other automakers are designing new electric models, Subaru leans towards installing electric powertrains to its current cars. This eliminates the need Fro Subaru to partner with another automaker.
Workhorse is considering producing a consumer version of its W-15 plug-in hybrid pickup due to strong interest.
The W-15 is powered by a pair of electric motors located in the front and the rear of the vehicle. The two motors generate a combined output of 460 horsepower and allow for a maximum payload capacity of 2,200 pounds. The truck has an all-electric driving range of 80 miles and a total range of 310 miles.
BMW has announced that it will offer an optional wireless charging system for the 2018 530e iPerformance plug-in hybrid. The wireless system will be able to charge the 9.2 kWh battery in three hours.
Here’s how the system works: There is a base plate with an integrated primary coil, and a secondary coil underneath vehicle. An alternating magnetic field is generated between the two, thus delivering power without cables.
Green Car Reports highlights the best deals this month on hybrid and electric vehicles:
Ford C-Max: Lease options start at $169 per month with $1,999 due at signing. It is by far the most inexpensive lease on a hybrid vehicle this month, undercutting the Toyota Prius C by $80 per month.
Lexus CT 200h: Lease options start at $249 per month for 36 months with $1,499 due at signing.
Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid: Lease options start at $289 per month for 36 months with $1,999 due at signing. It is also eligible for more than $5,000 in tax credits and rebates.
Volvo XC90 T8 “Twin Engine” Plug-In Hybrid: Volvo is offering $15,000 bonus cash towards the XC90 T8 Excellence model of the luxury crossover utility.
Ford Focus Electric Hatchback: Lease options start at $149 per month for 36 months, with $2,639 due at signing.
Gas2.org has compiled a useful guide to hybrid vehicles that helps potential car buyers under hybrids and how they work. The guide begins with the basics, explaining how a hybrid works and the different types of hybrid vehicles. It then dives into more detail, explaining the benefits of regenerative braking and describing how hybrid sales differ from traditional auto sales.
If you’re thinking about purchasing a hybrid vehicle, check out this guide.
GreenCarReports.com shares six things you should know about how hybrid cars have changed over the years.
(1) Dedicated hybrids no longer have to look weird.
(2) Hybrid cars are way better to drive than they used to be.
(3) In particular, they’re a lot quieter inside.
(4) Real-world gas mileage still varies with driving style, speed, and temperature.
(5) Plug-in versions of standard hybrids are getting a lot more common.
(6) Gas is cheap, so you can get good deals on hybrids these days.
To sum up, hybrid cars are a lot more pleasant than they used to be, and require fewer sacrifices in comfort, driving quality, and general enjoyment.
They still return gas mileage that’s higher than any vehicle without electrification, and your neighbors won’t raise their eyebrows at the shape of the new car in your driveway.
Finally, you’ll likely get a better deal on a better car than you would have just two years ago.
What’s not to like?
Cars.com gave the 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid a spin and said the experience was “about as pleasant as driving a hybrid hatchback can be.”
One intriguing feature — a button that uses the car’s electric battery to quickly recharge a the 12-volt battery that’s integrated into the car’s lithium-ion hybrid battery pack to get you back on the road if the battery gets drained.
HybridCars.com reports that Mercedes new S-Class will include a plug-in hybrid that can travel over 30 miles in electric-only range. The all-new S-Class will launch in European markets this summer.