Going Green
Acura NSX: Hybrid Power
Hybrid supercars from Porsche or Ferrari will set you back $850,000 or more. For a fraction of that price, the gas-electric NSX combines a 3.0-second dash to 60 mph and a 191-mph top speed with remarkable everyday drivability. A mid-engine, twin-turbo V-6 complements a trio of sophisticated electric motors. Two of those motors power individual front wheels, or apply electrical resistance to slow them down, delivering true “torque vectoring” to boost traction and handling. Add up those complex power sources, and the NSX generates a lusty 573 horsepower. Steering is entirely by-wire, with no mechanical connection between the pedal and brakes, yet the stoppers feel utterly natural. Decent, 21-mpg combined fuel economy is green icing on the cake.
(Base price: $157,800) 800.382.2238, nsx.acura.com
Tesla Model 3: Scarce Resource
Every green-car fan, it seems, wants to drive a Model 3. The question is: How long will they have to wait to do so? With a shapely design, remarkable performance, a choice of two batteries (220- or 310-mile driving range) and the vaunted, semiautonomous Autopilot (a $5,000 add-on), the Model 3 marks a leap forward in affordable EVs. But with the company “in production hell,” according to cofounder and CEO Elon Musk, only a trickle of Model 3s is emerging from its California factory—despite nearly a half-million names on a reservation list. Tesla says that subsequent orders will take 12 to 18 months to complete, but even that estimate seems optimistic. For such a talked-about amusement ride, long lines are a given.
(Base price: $36,200) 888.518.3752, tesla.com/model3
Jaguar I-Pace: Energy Boost
Sleek, swift and roomy, the luxurious I-Pace concept will become Jaguar Land Rover’s first all-electric car when its production version reaches showrooms this spring. The five-seat, AWD crossover gets 400 horsepower and a burly 516 pound-feet of torque from a pair of notably compact, efficient electric motors, developed entirely by Jaguar. The lithium-ion battery pack is an in-house design as well, with a generous 90 kWh capacity and an energy-dense, nickel-manganese-cobalt chemistry. The upshot is a 4.0-second sprint to 60 mph and a projected range beyond 220 miles.
(Base price: estimated at under $100,000) 800.452.4827, jaguarusa.com/ipace
Honda Clarity Fuel Cell: Early Adopter
No time to charge a purely electric car? The Honda Clarity converts hydrogen to electricity in an onboard fuel cell, covering 366 miles after a five-minute hydrogen fill-up—no longer than a gasoline car. Only available in California with a three-year lease, the roomy Clarity comes with $15,000 worth of credits for hydrogen fuel, enough to cover 20,000 miles a year. The state of California extends another $5,000 rebate. The catch? Only a few dozen hydrogen stations operate in Southern California, though backers hope to have more than 100 online by 2023. If you can’t lay hands on this rare, futuristic fuel-cell car, Honda is also rolling out two Clarity offshoots, a pure EV and a plug-in hybrid.
(Base price: $369 per month lease) automobiles.honda.com/clarity-fuel-cell
Cadillac CT6 Plug-In Hybrid: Shanghai Surprise
For sedans, which have lost market share to SUVs, electrified power trains are a route to continued relevance—and sales in China, where the government is aggressively incentivizing electric cars. Built in Shanghai, this spacious, slick-handling Caddy can travel 31 miles on electricity alone, more than double the electric range of competitors from BMW and Mercedes. The CT6 combines a gasoline turbo four; a conjoined pair of 100-hp electric motors; and a lithium-ion battery whose chemistry is shared with the Chevy Bolt EV. Total output is 335 horses, and the CT6 is a near-silent delight to drive. That includes a dizzying range of standard technologies and creature comforts, from semiautonomous driving and night vision to rear-seat infotainment screens.
(Base price: $76,090) 800.333.4223, cadillac.com/hybrids/ct6-plug-in.html
Acura NSX: Hybrid Power
Hybrid supercars from Porsche or Ferrari will set you back $850,000 or more. For a fraction of that price, the gas-electric NSX combines a 3.0-second dash to 60 mph and a 191-mph top speed with remarkable everyday drivability. A mid-engine, twin-turbo V-6 complements a trio of sophisticated electric motors. Two of those motors power individual front wheels, or apply electrical resistance to slow them down, delivering true “torque vectoring” to boost traction and handling. Add up those complex power sources, and the NSX generates a lusty 573 horsepower. Steering is entirely by-wire, with no mechanical connection between the pedal and brakes, yet the stoppers feel utterly natural. Decent, 21-mpg combined fuel economy is green icing on the cake.
(Base price: $157,800) 800.382.2238, nsx.acura.com
Tesla Model 3: Scarce Resource
Every green-car fan, it seems, wants to drive a Model 3. The question is: How long will they have to wait to do so? With a shapely design, remarkable performance, a choice of two batteries (220- or 310-mile driving range) and the vaunted, semiautonomous Autopilot (a $5,000 add-on), the Model 3 marks a leap forward in affordable EVs. But with the company “in production hell,” according to cofounder and CEO Elon Musk, only a trickle of Model 3s is emerging from its California factory—despite nearly a half-million names on a reservation list. Tesla says that subsequent orders will take 12 to 18 months to complete, but even that estimate seems optimistic. For such a talked-about amusement ride, long lines are a given.
(Base price: $36,200) 888.518.3752, tesla.com/model3
Jaguar I-Pace: Energy Boost
Sleek, swift and roomy, the luxurious I-Pace concept will become Jaguar Land Rover’s first all-electric car when its production version reaches showrooms this spring. The five-seat, AWD crossover gets 400 horsepower and a burly 516 pound-feet of torque from a pair of notably compact, efficient electric motors, developed entirely by Jaguar. The lithium-ion battery pack is an in-house design as well, with a generous 90 kWh capacity and an energy-dense, nickel-manganese-cobalt chemistry. The upshot is a 4.0-second sprint to 60 mph and a projected range beyond 220 miles.
(Base price: estimated at under $100,000) 800.452.4827, jaguarusa.com/ipace
Honda Clarity Fuel Cell: Early Adopter
No time to charge a purely electric car? The Honda Clarity converts hydrogen to electricity in an onboard fuel cell, covering 366 miles after a five-minute hydrogen fill-up—no longer than a gasoline car. Only available in California with a three-year lease, the roomy Clarity comes with $15,000 worth of credits for hydrogen fuel, enough to cover 20,000 miles a year. The state of California extends another $5,000 rebate. The catch? Only a few dozen hydrogen stations operate in Southern California, though backers hope to have more than 100 online by 2023. If you can’t lay hands on this rare, futuristic fuel-cell car, Honda is also rolling out two Clarity offshoots, a pure EV and a plug-in hybrid.
(Base price: $369 per month lease) automobiles.honda.com/clarity-fuel-cell
Cadillac CT6 Plug-In Hybrid: Shanghai Surprise
For sedans, which have lost market share to SUVs, electrified power trains are a route to continued relevance—and sales in China, where the government is aggressively incentivizing electric cars. Built in Shanghai, this spacious, slick-handling Caddy can travel 31 miles on electricity alone, more than double the electric range of competitors from BMW and Mercedes. The CT6 combines a gasoline turbo four; a conjoined pair of 100-hp electric motors; and a lithium-ion battery whose chemistry is shared with the Chevy Bolt EV. Total output is 335 horses, and the CT6 is a near-silent delight to drive. That includes a dizzying range of standard technologies and creature comforts, from semiautonomous driving and night vision to rear-seat infotainment screens.
(Base price: $76,090) 800.333.4223, cadillac.com/hybrids/ct6-plug-in.html
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