Plug-In Hybrids

Road Test: 2014 Ford Fusion Energi

Compared to its head-to-head competition from Toyota and Honda the 2014 Ford Fusion Energi has more power, more electric-only range and comparable EPA mileage ratings. We think it’s got styling that puts it beyond those two and pricing that’s comparable when you look at equipment.

Top 10 MPG Best-Sellers of 2014 (January-June)

Overall, 2014 has been a good one for the automotive market and generally the alternatives – diesels, plug-in hybrids and pure electric cars – have been outpacing the market. The big question mark is the hybrid market.

Top 10 Best-Selling High-MPG Cars of 2014 (January-March)

While overall sales languished a mere 1.3 percent above the first quarter of 2013, high-mileage electric cars, plug-in hybrids, and clean diesels continued a torrid pace similar to what they were experiencing during most of last year. The only laggard in this group was gas-electric hybrids, which dropped almost 16 percent compared to last year, based heavily on declining sales of several Prius models.

Engine Downsizing Gains Ground

The global drive to reduce greenhouse gases and increase vehicle fuel efficiency is pushing automakers to reduce the size of their engines – while trying to keep all of attributes consumers expect from their cars. Engineers from GM, Porsche and VW have pushed the limits of technology to produce engines that are more efficient, meet increasingly stringent pollution standard and yet make better horsepower and torque than previous generations.