The real question is what the economics look like for plug in hybrid vehicles.
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In green car news, Ford's new 2013 C-MAX plug-in hybrid was rated the most fuel-efficient plug-in hybrid available in the US this week.
Focus Electric, Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid and C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid all have an LED charge port that displays a circle of light directly related to battery life.
Sales data shows that consumers have been showing more interest in plug-in hybrid and hybrid vehicles, over all-electric cars which have a limited driving range.
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If we get plug-in hybrid cars, you can plug it in at night and sell back electricity to the utility, and then charge up your car again in the morning before you leave.
As they do, hybrid and plug-in hybrid componentry batteries, power electronics, traction motors, plugs, onboard charge inverters and thermal plumbing required to keep everything happy will gradually be integrated into light-vehicle powertrains to backfill the horsepower gap.
For example, the venerable Toyota Prius line of hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars continues to handily beat all comparable comers across the U.S., with combined sales among its four model variations registering 236, 659 units last year, representing a 73.4 percent increase.
While hybrid, plug-in hybrid and full electric cars largely remain niche vehicles, representing less than three percent of all vehicles sold nationally, 15 U.S. cities combine to account for nearly 30 percent of all hybrids and 41 percent of all electric vehicles on the road according to R.
Still to come this fall is the eye-catching 2013 Fusion, featuring a broad choice of powertrains: three four-cylinder engines, a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid.
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How this happens remains to be seen, but there are four distinct options on the table: hybrid cars, plug-in hybrid cars, battery electric cars, and fuel cell cars.
What's more, the company says its also readying an all-electric version of the vehicle in addition to the plug-in hybrid model, with promising to last for around 120 miles before needing a recharge.
The 2013 Ford Fusion, for instance, has a choice of four-cylinder gas engines getting 33 to 37 mpg on the highway, but will also be available as a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid.
It's a future in which renewable electricity is fueling plug-in hybrid cars and energy-efficient homes and businesses.
So far, Mercedes-Benz launched its 2014 E Class Hybrid and Volkswagen showcased the Crossblue plug-in hybrid SUV.
Among several new fuel-frugal electrified models for 2013, Ford pulls the wraps off the tall-roofed C-Max Hybrid and C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid wagons.
In the next two years, there will be 20 different either electric or hybrid or gas -- or plug-in hybrid cars hitting the road.
Austin, Texas, is leading a growing number of cities in calling for car companies to produce plug-in hybrid vehicles that can go hundreds of miles on a gallon of gas.
And Porsche debuted the 2014 Panamera S E-Hybrid, the company's first plug-in hybrid vehicle.
It's clear the Detroit automaker is going after the hybrid juggernaut that is the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid with this one.
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California late last month issued rules requiring that one in seven cars for sale in the state in 2025 be zero-emission or a plug-in hybrid.
Many of its newer models, in fact, are small, fuel-efficient cars like the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid and Cruze compact.
Fisker Automotive said in May it had delivered 1, 000 Karmas to customers globally since the plug-in hybrid went on sale.
China, America, Europe and the rest of the world must rapidly accelerate the pace of improvement in a whole suite of clean energy technologies, from nuclear and solar alike to plug-in hybrid vehicles, energy storage, and advanced biofuels.
Toyota is banking on the success of new and restyled vehicles, including the Camry, Camry Hybrid, and Prius V, which will be joined this year by a plug-in hybrid Prius, set to be shown on Tuesday in Detroit.
That night in the Hamptons, McMullan gushed about how much he loved the silent drive of his plug-in hybrid and how stylish it looked.
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McLaren is set to officially unveil its 903-horsepower P1 hybrid supercar at the Geneva show, and Volkswagen will show off its new XL1 plug-in hybrid, which gets a whopping 261 miles to the gallon.
Fisker Automotive, which makes plug-in hybrid electric cars, is reportedly undergoing major layoffs, reported GigaOm.
Michigan-based ALTe has developed a turn-key plug-in hybrid conversion for fleet and niche vehicles.
The batteries will power the Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in hybrid coming later this year.
The new Ford Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid boasts 108 MPGe (miles per gallon of gas equivalent).
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