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Plug-in hybrids have been trickling out onto the market over the past few years, but if this year's Detroit auto show was any indication, any major automaker that doesn't have one might as well be caught with its proverbial pants down.
The second-generation of the pioneering Chevrolet Volt was shown in Detroit, putting competitors on notice. Chevrolet says the new Volt can go 50 miles on a battery charge before needing its gas engine. It will go on sale towards the end of the year.
As the Volt has epitomized, plug-in hybrids serve as a key transitional technology to electric cars. Plug-ins have a big battery and electric motor that work for most trips. But the batteries aren't as big as full-electric cars, so they have a very limited urban electric range. The gas engine provides power for longer trips to prevent range anxiety.
Other automakers have been following suit, applying this concept to their own product line and brand identity. Below are highlights gathered at the Detroit show.
Based on the updated A3, the just-introduced Audi A3 E-tron has enough battery capacity for an 18-mile trip. Charging takes 2.25 hours on a 240-volt charger. A 150-hp turbocharged 1.4-liter engine kicks in for longer trips. Combined, they produce up to 208 hp. For now the E-tron won't come as a sedan, and it doesn't have packaging space for Audi's signature Quattro all-wheel-drive system. It is expected to go on sale next year.
Audi also showed a plug-in diesel hybrid version of its next-generation Q7 SUV. Historically, automakers have been reluctant to combine expensive hybrid and diesel technology, but the Q7 has no shortage of affluent buyers.
BMW showed the plug-in hybrid version of the X5 SUV that it announced last spring, and it revealed its final, overly complex model name. The X5 xDrive 4.0E will sport a miserly 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and a big, 9-kWh battery pack. BMW claims a range of 15 to 20 miles on electricity. Expect sales to begin late this year.
Hyundai is expanding the Sonata model range by adding hybrid and plug-in hybrid variations. The powertrain equation for the hybrid starts with a 154-horsepower four-cylinder gas engine paired to a revised six-speed transmission, sending power to the front wheels. The integrated 38-kW (51 hp) electric motor is more powerful than the previous-generation unit. Plus, it receives juice from a larger lithium-polymer battery pack. The vehicle can run electric-only at speeds up to 75 mph.
The new plug-in promises 22 miles on electric power and uses a 51-hp electric motor to boost power to a total of 193 hp. Charging should take about 2.5 hours.
Mercedes-Benz showed a new plug-in version of its bread-and-butter C-Class sedan, set to join the lineup next fall. Boasting 34 more horsepower than the basic turbo model, the C-Class Plug-in can go 18 miles on a charge. Perhaps a bigger breakthrough is a navigation system that will automatically switch guidance from electric to hybrid driving considerations based on your route and energy consumption. By integrating navigation, the system can smartly save as much battery charge as possible for city driving, where it's most effective. The little Benz also retains an impressive amount of trunk space for a plug-in hybrid.
At the Detroit show, Mercedes also provided a sneak-peek of the upcoming GLE plug-in hybrid in a video clip. This model will effectively slot between the C-Class Plug-in hybrid and the regular GLE. Following a new naming convention, the coupe-like GLE SUV shares its underpinnings with the ML-Class.
Fitted with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the Volvo XC90 Plug-in hybrid will have an electric-only range of 25 miles. The battery pack sits under the rear seat (neat packaging that allows for a proper third-row seat), and a rear electric motor gives the XC90 PHEV all-wheel drive. The XC90 with 2.0-liter turbocharged and supercharged four-cylinder engine goes on sale in the spring, followed in the summer by the plug-in.
Yet another variant of Volkswagen's upcoming big three-row SUV, the Cross Coupe GTE is a plug-in hybrid concept that the company says can go 20 miles on a charge. That could be just the thing for driving into zero-emission European cities. The gas engine would be a quick 276-hp V6, and the concept would have electric all-wheel drive.
Many of these plug-ins didn't get a lot of play in Detroit, but their near ubiquity demonstrates their importance to automakers across the spectrum, driven by air quality regulations and a growing handful of cities that don't allow internal combustion cars to drive in their urban centers.
See our complete coverage of the 2015 Detroit auto show.
—Eric Evarts
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