Plug-In

Jeep’s new 4xe sub-brand of electrified vehicles has added the iconic Wrangler to its growing list of plug-ins. The Wrangler 4xe boasts up to 25 miles (40 km) of all-electric mobility and an estimated 50 MPGe (4.7 l/100km).

The current-generation Mitsubishi Outlander was introduced in 2014 and a plug-in hybrid model (PHEV) arrived shortly thereafter. The PHEV combines the best of both worlds, offering the experience of all-electric driving with the assurance of longer range via a gasoline engine. We jumped behind the wheel to put it through its paces.

Volvo is known for safety, but consistently delivers some of the more well-designed luxury vehicles in the American market as well. With the 2020 S60, Volvo has found a sweet spot that combines luxury, safety, and daily driveability in a small sedan.

Mercedes redesigned the GLC-Class crossovers in 2016 and has made a few changes for the 2019 model year. We drove the GLC 350e plug-in hybrid Merc and found it to be a fun drive thanks to efficiency not being its focus. It’s enjoyable and luxurious with a couple of quirks to keep it interesting.

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.

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.

Times are changing, and buyers expect their big four-wheel drives to be designed with the environment in mind. That's where the new Range Rover Sport PHEV, launched as a part of a mid-life refresh, comes in.

Since 2001, BMW has aggressively expanded the range of cars wearing a Mini badge. Coupes and funky vans have joined the classic hatch, but no car signals a bigger departure from the compact simplicity of the original Sir Alec Issigonis' Mini than the latest Countryman SUV.

​The BMW 7 Series has been boosted with V8 and V12 options, but there's been no hybrid variant to cater for oligarchs with an environmental conscience. That hole has been plugged with the 740i ePerformance, a limousine with claimed economy figures to rival three-cylinder hatchbacks.

It's not just automotive powerhouses preparing for an electric driven future; smaller players are also developing electric powertrains in an attempt to put them ahead of the curve. The Haval HB-02 concept is evidence of this, with a plug-in hybrid powertrain offering 65 km of pure EV motoring.

The Society for Automotive Engineers International has approved publication of its first wireless charging guidelines. The announcement paves the way towards an industry-wide wireless charging standard for automobiles.​

BMW has announced details of a plug-in hybrid variant of the 3 Series sedan, which will be called the 330e iPerformance. Available in the third quarter of 2016 and starting at US$44,695, the iPerformance offers a twin-turbo engine coupled to a plug-in powertrain.​