They are not yet a weight segment within all the cars sold in Europe. But zero or low emission engines have grown significantly in 2014 and the environmental conditions of large cities in the old continent will undoubtedly favor this progression.
Among the more than twelve and a half million vehicles sold in Europe during 2014, only 54,400 were pure electric with zero emissions (less than 0.5 percent). The best-selling electric model is the Nissan Leaf with 14,658 registrations, followed by the Renault Zoé, with 11,000 registered sales in 2014. But the highest volume of business among electric vehicles is for Tesla, which has sold 8,735 Model S units in that period, still absent in the Spanish market but which costs about 60,000 euros in the countries of the European Union.
As for hybrids, plug-in or not, the trend in our continent has also been positive, unlike in the United States where they have registered a decline in sales. Toyota and Lexus, prominent leaders in the hybrid sub-segment, have quantified a growth of 13 percent in Europe compared to 2013. Lexus even sells almost all of its cars with hybrid engines in Western Europe, having in fact become a specialized brand in this type of technology.
The hybrid and electric novelties of the 2015/2016 season are the following:
Audi A4 e-tron
We will see him in Geneva at the beginning of March. The new A4 saloon already foresees from the beginning a plug-in hybrid version that would incorporate the technology already known in the . Its commercialization will surely take place before the end of the current year.
Audi Q7 e-tron
It won’t arrive before 2016, but it will be faster, lighter and more efficient. Especially with the plug-in hybrid engine of this version.
Audi R8 e-tron
The e-Tron version of the restyling carried out on the R8 will be exhibited at the next Geneva Motor Show. On the other hand, though, the models animated by this energy have not been commercialized. The new edition of the R8, which will be released this year, will finally have a high-performance electric version.
BMW 730e/740e
The Munich brand is very strongly committed to hybrid motorization in its models. So much so that it has planned to launch two engines of this type for its flagship, the 7 Series. It will combine two thermal blocks, four and six cylinders, with another electric drive. We will see them at the next Geneva Motor Show.
BMW 3 Series eDrive
BMW’s best-selling model will also sign up for the hybrid solution, although it would not be on sale before the end of the year. But knowing the effectiveness of the brand, surely the “concept car” that announces it is already prepared.
BMW X5 eDrive
It will be the brand’s first plug-in hybrid and its small 136-horsepower TwinPower Turbo four-cylinder 1.5-cylinder heat engine in combination with another 95-horsepower electric engine registers an average consumption of just 3.8 liters per hundred kilometers. It would already be in production and will be marketed during 2015.
Chevrolet Volt
This model has the honor of having been the first plug-in hybrid car to the electrical network, a technology that already seems to be the trend to follow. Recently presented in Detroit, its second generation incorporates a lighter electric motor and substantially improves the capacity of its batteries, which now weigh less and have 20 percent more storage power compared to the current Volt. A possible marketing date in Europe has not yet been decided by Chevrolet.
Ford Focus Electric
Presented at the last New York Motor Show, the American compact incorporates this electric version into its range. Equipped with a 140-horsepower electric motor, its lithium-ion batteries allow a maximum range of 122 kilometers. Initially it is intended for the North American market, to stand up in that market to the . But Ford could also market it in Europe if the demand situation requires it.
Ford Mondeo HEV
With a consumption of only 4.2 liters per hundred for a power of 186 horsepower, the HEV variant is manufactured at the Almussafes plant in Valencia. It is not a plug-in hybrid and the thermal and electrical system is mounted on the four-door sedan body. With the discounts applied, it begins to sell in our country from 28,300 euros.
Honda Jazz Hybrid
The new generation of the small Japanese minivan arrives this season in our market and, like its predecessor, it will have a hybrid version that would arrive in Europe in the middle of the year. Its technology is announced to be improved and would serve the brand to close the gap in terms of the hybrid segment with respect to Toyota.
Honda HR-V Hybrid
The proliferation of urban SUVs has decided Honda to revive this model but adapting it to current needs. With an aesthetic very close to that of its older brother CR-V, it will include a hybrid version in its range. It will take advantage of the same state-of-the-art technology that we will see in the Jazz. Its commercialization is expected for the second half of 2015.
Honda NS-X
After many years of painstaking development, for this century. It has just been presented in Detroit and it is already known that its four engines, a gasoline V6 and three electric ones, develop a power of close to 600 horsepower. With all-wheel drive and overwhelming performance, the Japanese GT will hit the market by the end of the year.
Kia Optima Hybrid
Hyundai is going to bet very strongly on the hybrid car and has left it reflected in its new Sonata recently presented and which for now will not be marketed in Europe. The close industrial relations with Kia benefit it from a constant transfer of technology and its Optima saloon will not be an exception. The new generation of this model will reach our market at the end of 2015 and with it will come a hybrid version of the latest technology. The hybrid motor developed by Hyundai may also be plug-in and is characterized by including the electric motor in the automatic gearbox itself.
Lexus RC Hybrid
The Japanese brand already sells almost all of its cars with hybrid engines. The elegant and sporty is not going to be an exception in this trend. After the commercialization of the F version with a powerful 460-horsepower V8 engine, a hybrid version with low consumption and emissions will arrive starting in the spring.
Mercedes C 300 Plug-in Hybrid
The most popular saloon from Mercedes could not avoid offering a hybrid engine version. It will combine a four-cylinder gasoline with an electric one and we could already see it at the next Geneva Motor Show.
Mercedes B-Class 250 e
The electric motorized B-Class, with a Tesla-sourced powertrain system, has already reached the market. Direct rival of the BMW i3, it offers a range of up to 240 kilometers, its engine develops 177 horsepower and stands out for its spacious interior. It will undoubtedly be one of the most versatile electric among the next offer of this type of vehicle.
toyota prius
This is the pioneering model that has popularized the hybrid car and has the advantage of having hit the first one and having invested more time in research and development. Although the replacement of the current one is still missing, it is already known that the new fourth-generation Prius will spend 10 percent less, will be more agile and will improve its performance.
Renault Zoe
The popular French electric is going to be renewed imminently. Its most important modification will be the adoption of a new, more efficient engine, as well as improvements in its finish and new optional equipment.
Smart Fortwo & Forfour Electric
Its official arrival is scheduled for the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, although its commercialization will no longer take place until the beginning of 2016.
Tesla ModelX
Long awaited (since its announcement in 2012), it seems that it will finally arrive this year. With all-wheel drive, an electric motor on each axle, more than 350 horsepower, gull-wing opening rear doors, and an impressive range of around 400 kilometers, it will be one of the most comfortable cars due to its accessibility, space, and silence. marching. It will have a sports version of almost 700 horses whose performance will make more than one established sports car pale.
Volkswagen Passat GTE
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