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BEST OF BOTH WORLDS A quick glance at five plug-in hybrids that are redefining automotive design. BY S H AU N TO L S O N
A
s the automotive landscape shifts, soon vehicles that are equipped only with traditional, gas-powered engines will be rendered obsolete—or antiquated. While many automakers are doubling down on all-electric designs, it will likely take some time before the vast majority of cars out on the road are exclusively powered by rechargeable electric batteries. Here’s a glance at five efficient models produced by a diversified group of automotive brands.
FUTURE EFFORTS: The
2022 i4 and iX will both be fully electric vehicles. Other existing models will be modified to include hybrid variants, as well. STARTING PRICE: $44,550; bmwusa.com
Land Rover Porsche MOST EFFICIENT HYBRID: 2020
Panamera
4 E-Hybrid* RANGE ON BATTERY CHARGE:
14 miles
OTHER SUSTAINABILITY FEATURES:
Equipped with Porsche Connect, an app to help find charging options and to monitor vehicle functions. FUTURE EFFORTS: Porsche has confirmed that the next generation of the Macan will be a fully electric vehicle, the first all-electric compact SUV that Porsche has produced. According to Oliver Blume, the chairman of the board of management for Porsche AG, the company “will be investing more than six 58 PA S A D E N A
M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 2 1
billion euros in electric mobility” by 2022. He estimates that by 2025, 50% of all new Porsche vehicles could be equipped with an electric drivetrain. STARTING PRICE: $103,800; porsche.com *The 2021 model, to be unveiled this spring, will likely offer better range and efficiency, since it is equipped with an updated battery with more capacity. (EPA figures were not available at the time this story went to press.)
BMW MOST EFFICIENT HYBRID: 330e
PHEV Sedan miles OTHER SUSTAINABILITY FEATURES: Qualifies for up to $5,836 in federal tax credits and also qualifies for state-issued incentives for plug-in electric vehicles. RANGE ON BATTERY CHARGE: 22
MOST EFFICIENT HYBRID: 2021 Range Rover P400e and Sport P400e RANGE ON BATTERY CHARGE: 19 miles OTHER SUSTAINABILITY FEATURES: When cruising at speeds faster than 65 mph, the suspension will lower the body by 0.6 inches to reduce drag. The vehicle’s Predictive Energy Optimization system will analyze traffic and whether the trip that is programed into the navigation system is urban or rural, and then it will seamlessly combine the
