PHEV

While the world waits for electrics to improve their range and charge time figures, the plug-in hybrid is a terrific compromise. Ford has released a plug-in hybrid version of its new Escape SUV that allows fully electric city driving and extended range gasoline touring when necessary.

Mitsubishi is going plug-crazy at Geneva, with the new Engelberg Tourer next-generation sport utility concept. The vehicle incorporates the Dendo Drive House System, which creates an energy ecosystem between a home and an electric vehicle.

BMW’s i division has launched a wireless charging system for plug-in hybrids. The factory-fitted, fully-integrated inductive charging system is a world-first. BMW says that production for BMW Wireless Charging will begin in July and is available for order now, for the 530e iPerformance model.

​Electric three-wheeled scooters that tilt into turns occupy one of the more interesting spaces when it comes to futuristic vehicle design. Peugeot's new hybrid scooter is no exception, built to weave its way through urban centers and hum along at freeway speeds when the time is right.​

BMW is busy electricking all kinds of things. The latest is the MINI Countryman hybrid, the first of the British brand’s line to get a power cord and go mainstream. Unlike MINI EV experiments of the past, the Countryman PHEV retains all of the good qualities of the (wait for it) biggest MINI.

In an effort to bring the fuel consumption and emissions benefits of plug-in hybrid technologies to heavy duty vehicles in the construction industry, Chinese companies Efficient Drivetrains, Inc. (EDI) and Shannxi Automotive have teamed up to develop the world's first PHEV cement mixer truck.

Plug-in hybrids promise serious benefits for anyone who spends lots of time sitting in traffic, but the technology hasn't taken hold in the world of commercial vehicles just yet. Ford is hoping to change that with its new Transit PHEV, which will be put to the test in London this year.

Taking inspiration from nature, engineers at the UC Riverside have found a way to cut the fuel consumption of many PHEVs by over 30 percent, just by changing the way the split between combustion engine and battery power is handled.

Starting in July 2016, BMW will begin using the iPerformance designation on all of its plug-in hybrid vehicles. The iPerformance sub-brand will be debuted at the Geneva Motor Show on the BMW 7 Series plug-in hybrid, which will be called the 740e iPerformance.

The plug-in hybrid electric vehicle Mercedes-Benz introduced earlier this year has undergone a lifecycle analysis of energy consumption starting from manufacture through to daily use.

The Hyundai IONIQ is an electric vehicle planned for production in 2016. The car will be officially revealed soon, but the Korean automaker has begun teasing it, building up to its initial unveiling in Korea in January 2016.

Only a few years ago, hybrids either came in the Prius flavor, or were only available on upper end Lexus products. But now, a company as declaratively proletariat as Hyundai is rolling out a plug-in hybrid – one that can can travel 22 miles before you even have to start burning fossil fuels.