At the end of 2022, plug-in hybrids accounted for around 27.2% of sales in the electric auto scene. At the end of 2023, that number was up to 29.6%. Even as BEV technology is improving by leaps and bounds and charging stations are popping up along the highway like wildflowers, the versatility of a plug-in is still hard to beat, and we’re seeing more and more automakers doubling down on PHEVs.
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If you ask two people to test a plug-in hybrid’s range, they’re going to produce two wildly different numbers. Your actual range may vary depending on your driving style and even your climate (you can expect more mileage in 80-degree Fahrenheit weather). But these estimates will let you know which car outperforms which car on a comparative basis. These are the top 10 PHEVs most likely to get you to work and back without burning a drop of gasoline.
2024 Mercedes-Benz S580e
Engine |
4.0-Liter Twin-Turbo V8 |
---|---|
Power |
496 hp |
Torque |
516 lb-ft |
Fuel Economy (combined) |
20 MPGe |
Estimated Electric-Only Range |
56 Miles |
The 2024 Mercedes-Benz S580e is an all-wheel-drive sports sedan that achieves a 0-60 time of 4.4 seconds with a pair of electric motors and a twin-turbo 8-cylinder engine. The S580e doesn’t offer the best fuel economy in the world, but with 56 miles of total electric-only range courtesy of a 28.6 kWh battery, that doesn’t really matter. With that kind of range, you can use the sedan as your daily driver on battery alone and save the gas for the track.
Pricing starts at around $118,450 before you add in delivery fees, taxes, options, and whatever additional expenses you might have to pay depending on your dealer and your state. There are more practical daily drivers if you’re buying a hybrid in order to save money on gas, but few of them are stylish, comfortable, or fun to drive. Getting all of that with minimal range anxiety makes the S580e one of the best hybrids on the market.
2024 Land Rover Range Rover Sport Hybrid
Engine |
3.0-Liter Twin-Turbo Inline-Six |
---|---|
Power |
434 hp |
Torque |
457 lb-ft |
Fuel Economy (combined) |
51 MPGe |
Estimated Electric-Only Range |
48 Miles |
Who would have thought that a car notorious for obliterating gas would eventually end up on a list like this? Back when the Sport was powered by a 4.2-liter supercharged V8 and later a 5.0-liter supercharged V8, you couldn’t drive 200 miles without stopping at a gas station. Now, you can theoretically run a Range Rover Sport for weeks without having to see a gas station.
The best thing about this PHEV is that it can still hustle. That sonorous 3.0-liter inline-six is mated to a 141-hp electric motor, resulting in a combined output of 434 hp, which is much more than the OG Sport. Thanks to improvements over the years, this PHEV also weighs significantly less than the original car, despite the 31.8 kWh battery.
In a perfect world, you’d install a Level 2 charger at home, in which case the battery would charge in roughly five hours. That means you wake up every morning with 48 cheap miles, which is more than enough for the average American’s daily commute.
2024 Toyota Prius Prime
Engine |
2.0-Liter 4-Cylinder |
---|---|
Power |
220 hp |
Torque |
139 lb-ft |
Fuel Economy (combined) |
52 MPGe |
Estimated Electric-Only Range |
45 Miles |
If you compare MPG estimates, you’ll notice a steep disparity between daily-driver plug-ins like the Prius Prime and performance hybrids like the Mercedes S580e. Put simply, automakers like Porsche are specifically using their electric motors to improve performance, while automakers like Toyota are typically using their motors for improved fuel consumption.
The result is that the Prius Prime actually has more total range than the S580e, even while it comes up 11 miles shorter on all-electric range. With a full 10.6-gallon tank of fuel and a freshly charged battery, the Prius Prime can go 551 miles between refuels with half a gallon left in the tank to make it to the gas station.
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2024 Toyota RAV4 Prime
Engine |
2.5-Liter 4-Cylinder |
---|---|
Power |
302 hp |
Torque |
165 lb-ft |
Fuel Economy (combined) |
94 MPGe |
Estimated Electric-Only Range |
42 Miles |
If you want to go off-roading without range anxiety, it’s hard to pick a better SUV than the RAV4 Prime. It has eight and a half inches of ground clearance, on-demand all-wheel drive, and, most importantly for this discussion, it can go 42 miles on a single battery charge. It also delivers an incredible 94 MPGe in hybrid mode.
Versatility can be a major hang-up if you’re buying an off-roader. The ones that do well off the beaten path might be very thirsty and ungainly on city streets and highways. The RAV4 Prime’s generous battery life allows it to run all week without a single fill-up, and then you can take it out into the woods on the weekends and see what that four-cylinder hybrid engine can really do.
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2025 Porsche Panamera E-Hybrid
Engine |
4.0-Liter Twin Turbo 8-Cylinder |
---|---|
Power |
670 hp |
Torque |
685 lb-ft |
Fuel Economy (combined) |
48 MPGe |
Estimated Electric-Only Range |
40 Miles |
The Porsche Panamera E-Hybrid can travel 40 miles on a single charge and hit 87 mph. This is a performance car that’s still a performance car when the engine is off, and it’s probably the most fun you’ll have with any car listed here. The third-gen model launched in 2023 with a whole host of upgrades, including a bigger battery. The 2025 edition packs a 21.8 kWh battery.
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At 48 MPGe, the Panamera is one of the more fuel-efficient performance models on this list, pairing speed and practicality rather nicely. With the Sport Chrono package, the base model can hit 60 mph in just 4.2 seconds, and the car boasts a top speed of 174 mph. Upgrading to the Turbo E-Hybrid model gets you a turbocharger that brings your 0-60 times down to three seconds even.
2024 Mercedes-Benz GLE450e
Engine |
3.0-Liter 6-Cylinder |
---|---|
Power |
381 hp |
Torque |
497 lb-ft |
Fuel Economy (combined) |
22 MPGe |
Estimated Electric-Only Range |
40 Miles |
It seems like it wasn’t even that long ago that SUVs were regarded as nothing but gas-guzzling road hogs, and now we’ve got a luxury model that can go 40 miles on a 23.3 kWh battery at a full charge. At 22 MPGe, there are more fuel-efficient hybrid SUVs out there (many of them are on this list), but it’s daily driving that really eats into your budget, and 40 miles is more than enough range for most mundane trips.
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The GLE450e can hit 60 mph in just 5.3 seconds, it does the quarter mile in 14 seconds, and it reaches a top speed of 155, making it one of the best-performing SUVs in its price range. The SUV’s 117.9-inch wheelbase gives it a fairly wide turning radius at just over 39 feet, so you can still say that full-size SUVs aren’t the most agile cars on the road, but that’s hard to worry about with 75 cubic feet of cargo capacity and one of the best cabins in the industry.
2024 Volvo S60 and V60 Recharge
Engine |
2.0-Liter 4-Cylinder |
---|---|
Power |
455 hp |
Torque |
523 lb-ft |
Fuel Economy (combined) |
74 MPGe |
Estimated Electric-Only Range |
40 Miles |
Volvos are sometimes regarded as a boring, safe version of a BMW, and that comparison isn’t entirely unfair. Reviewers will typically tell you that the S60 and V60 aren’t as fun to drive as something like a BMW 3-Series, and the car’s minimalist interior isn’t exactly trying to be your home away from home. But the car is certainly capable, with the sedan hitting 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds, making for very confident passing and merging on the highway.
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Volvo’s compact sedan offers a classy package with good road manners and a potent PHEV at the top of the lineup.
You can go 40 miles on a full charge without engaging the car’s 4-cylinder engine, tying it with the GLE450e and the Panamera, but the Volvo blows those two out of the water for overall range, delivering a very impressive 74 MPGe. With a 15.9 gallon tank, that will have the S60 going more than a thousand miles between fill-ups. In theory, you could drive all the way from California to New Jersey and only stop for gas two or three times.
2025 BMW X5 xDrive50e
Engine |
3.0-Liter Twin-Turbo Inline-Six |
---|---|
Power |
475 hp |
Torque |
516 lb-ft |
Fuel Economy (combined) |
58 MPGe |
Estimated Electric-Only Range |
38 Miles |
The 2025 BMW X5 is basically the same SUV as the 2024 X5 we reviewed a year ago. Most of the upgrades are devoted to safety tech, with stuff like standard lane-change assistance being added. If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it. The 25.7 kWh battery pack is the same one the SUV has carried since its inception in the 2023 model year, offering up to 38 miles of electric-only range.
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At 58 MPGe, the BMW X5 xDrive50e is the most fuel-efficient luxury SUV on this list. So, while the GLE450e offers a couple of extra miles of all-electric range, the X5 is going to be the smarter choice if you do a lot of highway driving and you need to consider how much you’re spending at the pump after driving four, five, six hundred miles in a week. Even so, 38 miles should be enough to get most commuters to work and back without refueling.
2024 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
Engine |
2.4-Liter 4-Cylinder |
---|---|
Power |
248 hp |
Torque |
332 lb-ft |
Fuel Economy (combined) |
64 MPGe |
Estimated Electric-Only Range |
38 Miles |
With a top speed of 110 mph and a 0-60 of 6.1 seconds, the Outlander PHEV might not be as much of a track star as some of the luxury SUVs listed here, but that’s not what you’re looking for in a family vehicle. With an electric range of 38 miles and fuel economy estimated at 64 MPGe, the Outlander PHEV will get you there without burning any gas on your daily routine, and it can handle road trips without racking up four figures at the pump.
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You get three rows, seven seats, and up to 64.3 cubic feet of cargo space, and a payload capacity of up to 1,456 pounds. Towing is limited to just 1,500 pounds, so it’s not going to be the most handy SUV if you’re hoping to pull a boat down to the lake. But, as far as family cars go, the Outlander PHEV might be one of the most practical hybrids on the road today.
2024 Volvo S90 Recharge
Engine |
2.0-Liter 4-Cylinder |
---|---|
Power |
455 hp |
Torque |
523 lb-ft |
Fuel Economy (combined) |
66 MPGe |
Estimated Electric-Only Range |
38 Miles |
You might not think it looking at the 2024 Volvo S90 Recharge, but it can hit 60 mph in just 4.6 seconds, and it boasts a top speed of 155 mph. Volvos might not be as tactile or as engaging as BMWs, but they’re a lot sportier than they look and quicker than their reputation would have you believe. With 38 miles of electric-only range and a very nice 66 MPGe fuel economy, the S90 Recharge is a versatile daily driver that can handle short and long trips with ease.
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The 2024 Volvo S90 Recharge operates on a single rear-mounted 107-kW motor with a 18.8 kWh battery. In electric-only mode, it’s RWD. But driving it in hybrid mode unlocks the car’s AWD capabilities. Of course, with just 5.7 inches of ground clearance, the AWD is really suited more for wet roads and rough weather than it is for gravel, sand, and mud. The XC60 Recharge is a better option if you want a Volvo hybrid that can handle any terrain you want to throw at it.