Despite this, automakers are rolling out more and more electrified cars that help meet corporate average fuel economy targets of 54.5 mpg (or an adjusted real-world value of about 40 mpg that we see on Monroney new-car stickers) by 2025.
The hidden truth of electrified vehicles is that they’re fun to drive. No gear shifting, no turbo lags, just pure torque.
The decision on whether to buy an electric vehicle is not simple. They cost more than gasoline vehicles, they take hours to charge up, and they have a limited range, most often under 100 miles. Plug-in hybrids typically have a shorter all-electric range, but have a gas generator or gas engine that can drive the car the same distance as a conventional gas engine car.
Federal tax credits ranging from $2,500 to $7,500 (depending on battery size) soften the blow to the wallet. But the federal credit and state rebates are subject to the prevailing political winds.
All-electric vehicle-maker Tesla and its two models in production, the Model S performance sedan and Model X three-row crossover, exceed 200 miles in range but can also exceed $100,000.
BMW will have a plug-in variant of every model in the next few years, starting with the X5 xDrive40e plug-in SUV, and the forthcoming 330e.
Mercedes-Benz will have at least 10 plug-ins by 2017, ranging from the extant B-Class and S-Class plug-ins to crossovers and possibly vans. There are more than a dozen affordable EVs and plug-in hybrid cars selling today, with dozens more on the way, including the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica minivan, the first of its kind to get a plug.
This roundup consists of plug-in cars that start under $50,000 and are available in most states, not just the EV-11 coastal states. The Chevrolet Spark EV, Fiat 500e, Smart ForTwo ED, Volkswagen E-Golf, and Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel-cell have limited availability. (MPGe data from fueleconomy.gov)
Electric vehicles
- BMW i3: $43,395 MPGe: 137/city, 111/highway, 124/combined Range: 81 miles/150 miles with range extender The i3 is a terrific driver, with a somewhat space-age looking two-tone graphics exterior with rear-hinged suicide doors. The interior has the look and feel of Scandinavian furniture. It is offered with a two-cylinder gas range extender.
- Chevrolet Bolt: Estimated $37,000 MPGe: TBD Range: Estimated 200 miles-plus Getting over 200 miles in range, the Bolt could be a game-changer when it hits dealer lots in the fourth quarter of 2016. Roomy interior, and plenty of cargo space in an attractive five-door package.
- Focus EV: $31,105 MPGe: 110/city, 99/highway, 105/combined Range: 76 miles With about a 75-mile range, the Focus EV doesn't go as far as many rivals do, but the actual driving experience with the car is quite good, and the recharging time is about four hours on a 240-volt charger.
- Kia Soul EV: $36,775 MPGe: 120/city, 92/highway, 105/combined Range: 93 miles With a 93-mile range, the nicely equipped and fun-styled Soul EV is one of our top choices for comfort and satisfaction. Only downside is price. Handy interior space. You can recharge in about five hours with a 240-volt charger, but you can also get a 480-volt charge (30-minute charge time) at Kia dealerships in California.
- Mitsubishi i-Miev: $23,940 MPGe: 126/city, 99/highway, 112/combined Range: 62 miles Every category has its bare-bones value-priced entry and the i-Miev is it for the EV category. Small, funny looking, a shorter driving range than rivals - 62 miles - and iffy highway handling. It will take seven hours to recharge even with a Level 2 240-volt charger. But it is cheap, and so it remains an attractive choice for those in the EV geek crowd who don't like spending much on cars.
- Nissan Leaf: $29,860 MPGe: 126/city, 101/highway, 114/combined (24 kW-hr battery pack) Range: 107 miles The 2016 Leaf is all-new for Nissan, with a less clunky and more stylish exterior design. The range is improved to between 85 and 107 miles. The Leaf is a handy package, with comfortable seating and a roomy interior. There are three trim levels for the Leaf, so getting all the goodies you want is not a problem, including the quicker charger, which will light up the battery in about four hours on a 240-volt outlet.
PHEVS
- Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid: $35,690 MPG: 38/city, 41/highway, 40/combined Gas+electric: 99 MPGe The Sonata is a terrific sedan to start with, and this extended-range EV has an all-electric range of 27 miles.
- Chevrolet Volt: $34,725 MPG: 43/city, 42/highway, 42/combined Gas+electric: 98 MPGe The Volt, which was the first plug-in hybrid on the market, is all-new for 2016, and sports a much sleeker style than the original. The back seat is still tight though. It takes about 4.5 hours to recharge on a 240-volt charger and the all-electric range is up to 53 miles.
- Ford C-Max Energi: $32,645 MPG: 40/city, 36/highway, 38/combined Gas+electric: 88 MPGe The C-Max, with perhaps the most utilitarian style package for passengers and cargo, will go about 19 miles on an electric charge before the gas motor kicks in. C-Max also has one of the best rides.
- Ford Fusion Energi: $34,775 MPG: 40/city, 36/highway, 38/combined Gas+electric: 88 MPGe All the benefits of a Ford Fusion, a handsome sedan, inside and out, but with a 20-mile electric range before the gas motor kicks in to get you the rest of the way.
Types of plug-in vehicles and the pros and cons of EV ownership
There are three basic types of electric vehicles: battery-electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles:
- Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) such as the Nissan Leaf and Ford Focus Electric are powered 100 percent by electricity. They have lithium-ion batteries and ranges of between 80 and 110 miles. That may not seem like much, but 75 percent of daily driving for an individual in the U.S. is under 40 miles per day. When they run out of electric charge, they must be hooked up to a recharger. It can take five hours to recharge a Nissan Leaf at a 240-volt charger, and more than 12 hours when connected to a standard 110-volt household outlet.
- Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) like the Chevy Volt and Toyota Prius Plug-in run a certain number of miles on the electric charge. When the charge runs out, a gasoline motor kicks on that continues to power the battery, which keeps moving the vehicle down the road.
- Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (HFCVs) are just going on sale now in California. The Toyota Mirai is the first to be offered to the general public. These cars have a fuel cell on board, which takes hydrogen stored in the onboard tanks and makes electricity from the hydrogen. The hydrogen tanks are filled up similarly to gasoline-powered cars. You hook up a nozzle to the tanks, and filling the tank takes less than five minutes. Finding a hydrogen station may take a lot longer.
PROS: EVs have excellent acceleration and are fun to drive. 100 percent EVs emit no pollution from the tailpipe. From cradle to the grave, BEVs produce on average less than half the emissions of comparable gas-powered vehicles, according to a 2015 study by the Union of Concerned Scientists. EVs have far fewer moving parts than an internal combustion engine vehicle and are potentially much cheaper to maintain. There are places that you can charge up an EV for free while your car is parked. Electricity for recharging is cheaper these days, and often tracks the price of natural gas and oil. But overnight charging at home uses the cheapest electric rates, thus giving owners some control and flexibility over recharging costs. An plug-in hybrid allows you to drive on battery power for a vast amount of typical driving, and has a gas-powered motor on board to kick in when the battery runs out, which appeals to one-car households that want to drive electric.
CONS: If you typically drive more than the range of the EV you own on a daily basis, and do not have an easy place at work to recharge, then owning a BEV is fraught with anxiety over running out of power. While there are no emissions out of the tailpipe of a pure EV, the power plants that supply the energy are typically powered by coal and natural gas. The price of an EV, without government subsidies, is much higher than the gasoline-powered counterparts. Some people do not want to support the sale of EVs by credits that are partially paid for with taxpayer money.
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