Best Hybrid and Electric Cars of 2011

The arrival of two landmark 2011 models is jolting the world of alternate-fuel vehicles. Neither the 2011 Chevrolet Volt nor the 2011 Nissan Leaf is a hybrid of the sort that’s become familiar over the past few years, but both preview a future rich with options to gas-only vehicles.

Volt and Leaf are electric vehicles (EVs) that plug-in to home or commercial sockets for their battery power -- though they have an important difference that demonstrates the variety emerging even within the EV class. In short, the Leaf relies solely on battery power, while the Volt carries a gas engine as a backup. Each is rolling out in limited volume and won’t be available nationally until 2012. By then, additional EVs from other automakers will also be on sale.

Volt and Leaf are game-changers, but “traditional” gas-electric hybrids like the Toyota Prius dominate our Best Hybrids and Electric Vehicles of 2011 because they dominate sales of alternate-fuel-vehicle now and will for the next several years. Indeed, four EVs are available in 2011, but each on a low-volume, limited-distribution basis. By contrast, shoppers can choose from among 24 gas-electric hybrid models from 13 different automotive brands. Hybrids are available in virtually every automotive category, including cars and SUVs, even pickups. Prices range from the $18,950 Honda Insight hatchback to the $100,000-plus Lexus LS 460hL and BMW ActiveHybrid 7 luxury sedans.

The best selling hybrid by far is the Prius; Americans bought 140,928 of them in 2010. Insight finished a distant second, with 20,962 sales. But even as automakers increasingly turn to hybrids to meet stricter exhaust-emissions and fuel-economy standards, hybrids overall represent less than 10 percent of total U.S. car sales. The most optimistic forecasts say the share could increase to 20 percent by 2020. Predictions for EVs range from a low of 3 percent of the market to as high as 15 percent by 2020.

All hybrids combine a gas-burning engine with electric-motor power, but not all hybrids tap those sources in the same fashion. The 2011 fleet of hybrids divides into two main technical categories: full hybrids and mild hybrids. The main differentiator is that – battery charge permitting -- full hybrids can drive at low speeds on electric power alone. Mild hybrids can’t do this.

Full hybrids operate on their gas engine, their electric motor, or any mix of the two. Onboard sensors determine the combination that will most efficiently balance acceleration and fuel efficiency for a given driving situation. Mild hybrids essentially employ a less powerful electric motor to assist the gas engine with extra oomph for acceleration. This enables them to use a smaller gas engine than they might otherwise need to achieve the same acceleration, but not to travel on electric power alone.

Mild-hybrid systems tend to be less expensive than full-hybrid setups, but they aren’t as fuel-efficient. Both systems, however, rely solely on onboard recharging, a process that requires use of the gas engine or energy captured through regenerative braking. And both save additional gas by automatically shutting down the engine when the car is stopped -- battery charge permitting -- then restarting it when the accelerator pedal is depressed. Both systems are configured to keep accessories running during engine shut-down. Incidentally, this “stop-start” technology is making its way into pure-gas cars as a fuel-saving feature. 

Hybrids have been humming along America’s highways since 1999, when Honda introduced the original Insight. But the next wave of gas-electrics is about to break: the plug-in hybrid. These are distinct from EVs and more like traditional hybrids in that they have gas and electric power sources that continue to share propulsion duties. As the name suggests, however, plug-ins can give their batteries an initial charge by drawing power from commercial or household electrical outlets. Plug-in capability imbues these new-wave hybrids with enough additional juice to extend the time and range on which they operate exclusively on gas-saving, emissions-free electric power. When that initial charge is used up, plug-ins operate as conventional gas-electric hybrids.

Here are our best hybrid and electric vehicles of 2011:
1. 2011 Toyota Prius: Proven technology, iconic design, and a fuel-economy rating of 51/48 mpg city/highway – the highest among mass-produced vehicles – qualify Prius as the No. 1 hybrid. This five-passenger four-door won’t excite sporty-car enthusiasts; it’s a 134-horsepower hatchback that drives much like a compact car with a small engine. Perhaps that’s a secret to its success: there are no unpleasant surprises. The steering could be more precise, the ride more absorbent, some dashboard displays easier to read. But these demerits aren’t enough to overshadow the traits that appeal to legions of loyal Prius buyers: genuinely advanced, full-hybrid technology supported by equally visionary styling. And Prius doesn’t compromise function for futuristic design, furnishing midsize-car passenger room and cargo space within its compact-class exterior dimensions. Its styling broadcasts a certain environmental attitude and it boasts geek-arousing features aplenty, from solar roof panels that help cool the interior to a system that’ll automatically parallel-park it. Toyota will expand the Prius lineup for model-year 2012 with a companion plug-in version it says will furnish pure-electric operation at higher speeds and for longer distances than the conventional Prius hybrid. Until the Prius Plug-In Hybrid proves its promised superiority, the 2011 Prius is America’s top all-around hybrid. Base-price range: $23,810-$29,080. (All prices in this article include the manufacturer’s mandatory destination fee.)

2. 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid: This is the old-school approach to hybrid motoring: simply field a gas-electric edition of an existing model. Indeed, the Fusion Hybrid looks virtually identical to any other version of this handsome and popular midsize sedan. But beneath its skin is a top-flight hybrid system that teams a four-cylinder gas engine with an electric motor to generate a net 191 horsepower. It’s an unusually well-integrated setup, quite lively and virtually transparent in operation. The Fusion Hybrid can reach 47 mph on electric power alone and is rated an impressive 41/36 mpg city/highway. Prices aren’t bargain-basement, but you get to go green without forsaking balanced handling and good acceleration. And you’ll be entertained by clever dashboard graphics that include digital green leaves that “grow” to reward fuel-efficient driving. The full-hybrid Fusion had a companion in the Mercury Milan Hybrid until Ford discontinued the Mercury brand in 2010. The automaker, however, has transferred the same gas-electric hardware to its upscale division to create the $35,180 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, which is basically a gilded version of the Fusion Hybrid. Base price: $29,000.

3. 2011 Chevrolet Volt: Volt’s arrival is no less significant than that of the original Prius. This innovated car is designed to allow average-distance commutes on electric propulsion alone while alleviating so-called range anxiety by tapping an onboard gas-powered generator once its battery pack is depleted. Volt is a four-passenger four-door hatchback based on the conventional five-passenger Chevrolet Cruze compact sedan. It’s about as large as Prius on the outside but has less room inside. Chevy properly calls the 2001 Volt an “extended range electric vehicle.” In practice, the Volt falls somewhere between an EV and a plug-in hybrid. It’s driven exclusively by a 149-horsepower electric motor but it carries an 84-horsepower 1.4-liter gas engine to act as a generator for the electric motor once its battery pack is depleted. With the gas engine off, Volt generates zero exhaust emissions. It comes with a heavy-duty electrical cord that plugs into a port on its front fender. Its lithium ion battery charges fully in about 11 hours from a household wall socket or in about four hours from a 240-volt connection. Chevy estimates a range of 25-50 miles on fully charged batteries; EPA testing puts the average battery-only range at 35 miles. In any event, Volt’s EV range depends on factors such as vehicle speed, number of passengers, ambient temperature, and use of accessories like air conditioning. The combined range on one charge of electricity and a full tank of gas is about 400 miles, but miles-per-gallon comparisons are difficult to make. With a full battery charge, the EPA rates Volt at the equivalent of 93 mpg combined city/highway driving. With the battery depleted and the gasoline engine running to generate electricity, the Volt is EPA- rated a combined 37 mpg. Sharing an attribute with the Prius, Volt drives much like a normal car whether it’s running on the battery alone or with the engine generating electricity. It’s hundreds of pounds heavier than the typical car its size but has enough power to do 0-60 mph in a compact-class-average 9 seconds and will hit 100 mph. The price for this trailblazing technology is steep, but buyers are eligible for a federal tax credit of $7,500 to help reduce the initial purchase cost. Base price: $41,000.