8 Plug-In Hybrids With the Least Electric Range
Automakers' race to electrify is now on as they trade oil for trickle charges. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) are a great choice for those who want some useable electric range, but also need the comfort of knowing there’s a traditional gas engine available for backup.
The ideal plug-in hybrid is a commuter-friendly vehicle with a big battery and plenty of electric-only range. But some plug-ins use their hybrid powertrain for performance enhancement, and these vehicles don’t usually have a big battery pack, which is why they don’t have that much range on battery power.
Of the plug-in hybrids on sale in the US in 2023, these models have the least electric range.
8. Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring
Lincoln’s Aviator Grand Touring is the manufacturer’s only plug-in hybrid and just the second one sold by parent company Ford in the US. Its powertrain consists of a 3.0-liter EcoBoost engine paired with a 75-kW electric motor that draws from a 13.6-kWh battery. The total power output for the Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring PHEV is 494 horsepower and 630 lb-ft of torque.
The electric-only range for the Aviator Grand Touring is approximately 21 miles. While this range is generally within the average commute distance, it is still relatively short compared to other PHEVs.
7. Porsche Panamera E-Hybrid
Porsche’s Panamera E-Hybrid was the first PHEV from the German automaker. The luxury model (available as either a hatchback or a wagon) pairs a 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V6 with an electric motor integrated into the eight-speed automatic transmission and connected to a 17.9-kWh lithium-ion battery. The Panamera E-Hybrid cranks out 455 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque.
The hybrid powertrain enables the Panamera E-Hybrid to achieve an EPA-estimated electric-only range of 19 miles.A Level 2 EV charger supplied with 240 voltsis recharges the Panamera hybrid completely in approximately three hours.
6. Mini Cooper SE Countryman
You might find a Mini Cooper on this list about plug-in hybrids a bit odd, but the manufacturer’s quirky, urban-friendly Countryman small SUV does have a PHEV variant. The Mini’s 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine is augmented with an electric motor and a relatively small 10 kWh battery; the engine drives the front wheels, while the electric motor drives the rear wheels for a combined all-wheel drive system.
The automaker’s SUV offers an EPA-rated all-electric range of 17 miles. Using a Level 2 charger, the time it takes to top up the battery is around 2.5 hours.
5. Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid
Next up is another Porsche, which offers a relatively mediocre electric-only range for a PHEV. The Cayenne E-Hybrid features a 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 working with an electric motor in the eight-speed transmission, which is powered by a 14.3-kWh battery. The total system output of a Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid is 455 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque.
The electric-only range of Porsche’s Cayenne E-Hybrid is rated at 17 miles. While 17 miles is not the most practical range available on a PHEV, it is arguably impressive for an SUV that weighs over 5,000 pounds.
4. Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid
In contrast to the Porsche above, the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid is an eco-friendly, outdoor-focused crossover. It combines Subaru’s familiar 2.0-liter flat-four engine with two electric motors. One motor functions as an engine starter as well as a generator that replenishes the 8.8 kWh on-board battery while driving.
The second motor actually drives the wheels in the hybrid and electric drive modes, and it too can charge the battery thanks to regenerative braking. The Crosstrek Hybrid weighs over 1,000 pounds less than the Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid, and both plug-in hybrids achieve the same electric-only range of 17 miles.
3. Ferrari 296 GTB and GTS
The Ferrari 296 is an example of a supercar using plug-in hybrid technology for performance enhancement. The 296 is Ferrari’s second PHEV and its first road car with a six-cylinder engine. The 296 combines a 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V6 mill with an electric motor and a 7.5-kWh battery pack. In total, the Ferrari pumps out 654 horsepower and 546 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels, although it’s worth noting that the front wheels are exclusively powered by electricity.
Dropping the 296 into its EV mode, the plug-in hybrid supercar can travel up to an estimated 15.5 electric-only miles. Although relatively meager, the Ferrari is designed to use its electrification purely to move the mid-engine coupe to 60 mph in less than three seconds, and help it run cleaner so that it remains legal in the face of increasingly stringent emissions regulations.
2. Ferrari SF90 Stradale
Should the Ferrari 296 not be a suitable plug-in hybrid for you, Ferrari offers the SF90 Stradale as well. As the automaker’s first hybridized V8, the SF90 Stradale is also its most powerful road car to date. In the engine bay sits a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 that alone makes 769 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque. Add in three electric motors (two in the front and one in the rear) and a 7.9-kWh battery, and an SF90 produces nearly 1,000 horsepower.
As for electric-only range, a Ferrari SF90 Stradale is rated to go approximately 15 miles using only its battery, marginally less than the 296 model.
1. McLaren Artura
The plug-in hybrid that offers the least electric-only range of all PHEVs for sale in the US in 2023 is the McLaren Artura, the Woking-based firm’s first production PHEV. The Artura’s powertrain melds a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 with an electric motor mounted between the engine and an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. The Artura’s power peaks at 671 horsepower and 531 lb-ft of torque.
With a 7.4-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, the Artura can achieve an EPA-estimated 11 miles of electric-only driving.
If a PHEV Has Low Range, It’s Probably a Hybrid Supercar
Plug-in hybrids are a nice alternative to pure EVs and regular hybrid models, but not every PHEV is built to focus on its electric-only range. Most of the PHEVs with the worst electric-only range are built by supercar makers looking to use electrification to boost performance and get from zero to 60 quicker, while also cutting emissions.
While some of the vehicles listed above are on the IRS' list of vehicles that qualify for a clean vehicle tax credit, don’t expect the government to be funding a midlife crisis Ferrari purchase.
If you want to ensure that your EV purchase is eligible for the clean vehicle tax credit, we’ve rounded up all qualifying vehicles.
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