In February, 17,239 plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles were sold with Tesla leading the electric vehicle sales with 5750 units of its Model 3 being picked up by consumers. The Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Bolt also did well, selling 654 and 1225 units, respectively. Tesla sold an additional 1100 of its Model X and 800 of its Model S as well.
For plug-in hybrids, the Honda Clarity PHEV led the market, selling 1213 vehicles. The Toyota Prius Prime also sold well, tallying 1205 sales for the month.
The Geneva Auto Show has seen the launch of a number of plug-in hybrid models, and Jeep is the latest automaker to show off its wares. Jeep has plug-in hybrid versions of its Renegade and Compass models on display at the show. Each vehicle carries around 50km of all electric range and between 190-240hp.
The plug-ins also carry greater torque as a result of their electric motor/internal combustion engine combination powertrain. As Market Screener notes, the plug-in hybrids offer improvements on Jeep’s “legendary off-road capability,” and include electric all-wheel-drive technology. Read more.
Audi will unveil four new plug-in hybrid models of its existing A6, A7, A8 and Q5 vehicles, according to a report by Navva. The vehicles are slated to have at least 40 km of all-electric range and will be revealed at the Geneva Auto Show. Multiple styles of each model will be available. Read more.
Toyota has confirmed that its new hybrid Corolla will replace its Prius C in its eco-friendly product line-up. The Prius C is a smaller version of Toyota’s standard Prius, and is rated at 48/43/46 mpg. In comparison, the 2020 Corolla hybrid carries a 53/52/52 mpg rating, a noticeable improvement.
Autoblog commented, “While it makes sense in theory that one Toyota hybrid will replace another, the Corolla Hybrid is a much different vehicle than the Prius C… Assuming pricing isn’t considerably lower, Toyota will be selling two vehicles that are awfully similar.” Read more.
Subaru has announced it will reveal electrified, hybrid versions of two of its classic designs at the Geneva Auto Show next month. A new report from Motor Trend points out that a likely candidate for electrification is the Forester, a top-seller for Subaru. The company has not specified whether the vehicles will be standard or plug-in hybrids. The automaker writes on its website, “Get ready for the all-new, all-powerful e-Boxer range,” a nod to its hybrid-electric boxer engines. Read more.
Mercedes has announced it will electrify its entire line-up by 2022, with ten more plug-in hybrids to launch by the end of this year. According to a new report from Inside EVs, the luxury automaker will focus on full-electric, plug-in hybrid and mild hybrid vehicles, all bearing the EQ Power label.
In 2019, the brand will launch ten more plug-in hybrids featuring gas and diesel engines. In addition, Mercedes will also debut its first EQC model which will lead the brand’s full-electric vehicle roll-out.
Mercedes’ parent company Daimler will also launch a variety of EQ Power models in the coming years. Read more.
Green Car Reports has published its monthly round-up of best deals on hybrid and electrified vehicles. For non-plug-in hybrids, the Ford Fusion Hybrid is the best deal of the month to lease at $179/month with a little over three thousand due at signing, though the model is available for slightly under the leasing standard of 12,000 miles of use per year.
The Honda Clarity PHEV is the most attractively priced plug-in for February. For states that follow California’s emissions standards, but are not California, the vehicle is available for leasing at $209 a month for thirty-six months with about $2300 due at signing. In California, the vehicle can be leased for $99 more per month.
Hyundai’s Ioniq electric car is the best deal of the month for full-electric vehicles—$239 a month with $2500 due at signing. As Green Car Reports points out, the deals get even better in California.
For the full list of top deals, read more.
Toyota’s 2020 Corolla Sedan Hybrid has been awarded a “very impressive 53/52/52” EPA rating, according to Car Scoops. The rating compares favorably with Toyota’s top-selling Prius, rated at 54/50/52 mpg. The Corolla Hybrid and the Prius share the same powertrain. For the Corolla, this means a 1.8L 4-cylinder Atkinson cycle engine in combination with dual electric motors and a nickel-metal-hydride battery. The hybrid achieves 121 horsepower in total, while the non-hybrid Corolla models achieve slightly more. For the full breakdown of the Corolla hybrid, read more.
A hybrid version of the Ford F-250 pick-up truck will make its debut at the NTEA Work Truck Show this March. XL, formerly XL Hybrids, will show the plug-in F-250 that employs its electrification platform. The company had previously released a plug-in hybrid F-150 and a standard hybrid F-250. The company caters to municipal and utility fleets, according to a report from Green Car Congress, and the F-250 plug-in model employs regenerative braking.
The reports notes, “Because the XL plug-in hybrid electric system works in parallel with the factory gas-powered engine, fleets will not need to be concerned over vehicle range, performance or infrastructure requirements, and XL’s Ford eQVM certification ensures that all standard OEM warranties on the vehicle will remain intact.” Read more.
Volvo’s luxury brand Polestar will be releasing its first vehicle this year. The Polestar 1, as the vehicle is known, will employ a high-performance “twin-charged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with a pair of electric motors,” according to Car Scoops who caught the vehicle cold weather testing recently. The vehicle will have an all-electric range of 93 miles. The plug-in will have a carbon fiber section along its chassis, “radically improving the [vehicle’s] torsional stiffness.” Polestar is set to begin regular production in mid-2019, with 2019’s vehicles already sold out. Read more.