Mitsubishi’s crossover plug-in hybrid entered the Canadian market only this past year, but the vehicle has already sold more units per annum than any other PHEV to enter the country. The automaker sold over 5000 units of its Outlander PHEV in the first eleven months of 2018, and expects to move notable volumes in 2019. Read more.
Auto Guide reviews the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid
The Chrysler Pacifica hybrid is at dealerships now, and Craig Cole at Auto Guide took the vehicle for a test trip. Cole writes, “If you’re shopping for a three-row crossover, stop what you’re doing and go check out the Chrysler Pacifica. Seriously, it’s worth dropping everything and heading over to your nearest Pentastar store for further investigation.” The hybrid is rated at 84MPGe, and 32mpg on average. The Pacifica also achieves 33 miles of electric only range, a number at the higher end for a vehicle of its size. To view the full story, read more.
Orders placed for hybrid police cars
Ford has been developing a hybrid version of its “pursuit-rated” Police Responder Sedan, and the automaker has begun taking orders for the vehicle. The hybrid sedan is a modified version of the 2019 Ford Fusion Hybrid that meets certain unofficial criteria making it pursuit-rated. Bengt Halvorson at Green Car Reports explains that the unofficial nod comes from the Michigan State Police and the LA County Sheriff’s Department which “test the full array of police vehicles each year.” Example tests include “32 timed laps of dynamics testing at Grattan Raceway without any major component failure” and timed tests to 60mph and 100mph.
New York City, Los Angeles, and South Miami have all placed orders for the hybrids. Ford plans to modify additional police vehicles to be hybrids in the coming years, including the Police Interceptor. Read more.
Best Hybrid, PHEV, EV deals for December 2018
Green Car Reports has published its monthly round-up of best deals on hybrid and electrified vehicles. For full hybrids, the best deal on the market is the Ford Fusion hybrid, a 2019 model. Ford is offering the vehicle with zero percent financing for sixty months and $3000 cash back.
The Chevrolet Volt is the month’s most affordable plug-in hybrid for purchase, with special pricing for GM employees, and those in California and Oregon. For those interested in leasing a plug-in, the Honda Clarity PHEV is on offer for $209 a month with $2299 due at signing.
The Nissan Leaf is again the most economic full-electric vehicle for leasing. The model is on offer for $219 a month for thirty-six months with a little under $3000 due at signing. The Chevrolet Bolt takes the top spot for most attractively priced electric vehicle for purchase.
For the full list of top deals, read more.
Jeep moving to production with Renegade PHEV
Jeep will launch its plug-in hybrid Renegade in 2020, and to make that happen, the automaker is moving forward with its production plans. The vehicle is slated to be produced at a Fiat Chrysler plant in Italy, and Jeep is reportedly investing a significant sum to prepare the factory.
The 2020 Renegade PHEV will have a single electric motor. Though FCA has not announced mileage estimates for the vehicle, there are rumors the vehicle’s performance will be on par with the Chrysler Pacifica PHEV. Read more.
Top PHEV in Europe: the Mitsubishi Outlander
The 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is a compact crossover hybrid that has proved surprisingly popular abroad, according to Aaron Bragman at Cars. The hybrid comes equipped with dual electric motors alongside a 2L four-cylinder engine and 12kW lithium-ion battery pack. The powertrain leads the hybrid to 310 miles of combined and 22 miles of electric-only range. Interestingly, the PHEV derives its climate control from its electric power, so turning on the heat cuts the all-electric range almost 23%. Read more.
November 2018 Plug-In Hybrid Sales Report
Overall plug-in sales, including those of battery electric vehicles, were up for the month of November, with 44,148 units sold. The Tesla Model 3 led the full-electric category, selling 18,650 vehicles for the month, followed by the Tesla Model X and Chevrolet Bolt EV in second and third place, respectively.
For plug-in hybrids, 3930 units of the Chevrolet Volt were sold, the highest sales for the category. The Toyota Prius Prime and Honda Clarity PHEV also performed strongly for the month, selling 2312 and 1857 vehicles, respectively.
Ford adds testing sites for PHEV transit vans in Europe
Ford has announced it will add a third site for its research of plug-in hybrid electric vans. The site is set to be Cologne, Germany, and the trial will run for twelve months. Ford’s plug-in hybrid electric vans will function within public sector municipal fleets in Cologne. The other two sites in Ford’s trial are London and Valencia.
The automaker designed the fuel-efficient plug-in vans to achieve greater than 31 miles of “zero-emission” range, with the vehicles total range up to 310 miles. The vehicles achieve full charge in about three hours, according to Green Car Congress. Read more.
Honda Insight Hybrid named Green Car of the Year
The Honda Insight Hybrid has won the Green Car of the Year award at the Los Angeles Auto Show, with commendations for its “style and nice driving characteristics.” The honor, awarded by the Green Car Journal, is “considered a major award among automakers,” according to Chris Woodyard at USA Today.
Two other electrified cars took home awards: the Jaguar I-Pace for Green Luxury Car and the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV for Green SUV. Read more.
2020 Range Rover Evoque to offer a mild hybrid powertrain
Land Rover has revealed its new 2020 Range Rover Evoque–and the two hybrid powertrains it is offering for the model. The first, a 48V mild-hybrid system helps reduce CO2 emissions to 149g/km. The second, a plug-in option to debut one year after the mild-hybrid, will offer significant improvement to CO2 emissions performance as well. Land Rover has announced the mild hybrid will carry a 42mpg rating. Green Car Congress has the story. Read more.