Yahoo Autos Here Are Some Hybrids You Probably Forgot About
While Toyota introduced the world to the first mass-produced hybrid, the Prius, in 1997, many automakers didn’t follow with their own hybrids until the early to mid 2000s. Models from companies like Honda, Lexus and Ford introduced buyers to hybrids in new market segments, like family sedans, luxury sedans and SUVs.
Lets take a look back at some hybrid models you may have forgotten about. While many of these models went out of production years ago, if it hadn’t been for some of them, the EV transition would look a lot different than it does today.
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Acura’s last attempt at a full size luxury sedan, the RLX, was never a popular or a big seller. Toward the end of the models life, Acura tried to inject a bit of sportiness to liven up the RLX by adding a Sport Hybrid model. Honda’s 3.5-liter V6 got paired with dual electric motors and a trunk mounted lithium ion battery back combined to give the Sport Hybrid 377 horsepower. That all got paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and Acura’s SH-AWD system. Performance was decent. It could hit 60 in just under five seconds and get 28 mpg combined. None of this was cheap though. The RLX Sport Hybrid cost nearly $63,000. It was discontinued in 2021.
Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid
The Silverado and its GMC Sierra sibling were some of the first hybrids ever offered by GM when they hit the market in 2004. Like many of the hybrid cars of the era, they were “mild hybrids.” An electric motor was placed inside the transmission’s flywheel, which acted as more of a start/stop/alternator for the 5.3-liter V8. When the truck came to a full stop and then needed to get going again, a 48V batter powered the electric motor. There was also a regenerative braking system that stored powered in three 14V batteries under the rear seat. The result was a half-assed effort at a green truck that only produced modest fuel economy gains.
Chrysler Aspen Hybrid
The Chrysler Aspen Hybrid and its Dodge Durango Hybrid twin were doomed from the start. They debuted just as the world economy imploded in 2008. The specs were ok for the time. Chrysler went to GM for its two-stage hybrid setup to pair it with their 5.7-liter Hemi V8. With dual electric motors, total system output was nearly 400 hp. The result though was an expensive setup that wasn’t worth it for the gains it gave.
Fuel economy improved over the standard Aspen/Durango to 13 mpg/28 mpg highway but it was still V8-like at 19 city/20 highway. And the hybrid option added $4,000 to the price. Production stopped after just two months, resulting in one of the rarest Chryslers ever made.
Cadillac CT6 PHEV
Cadillac introduced a plug-in hybrid version of its CT6 luxury sedan for the 2016 model year. Cadillac paired a 2.0-liter turbocharged I4 with dual electric motors, a CVT and an 18.4 kWh battery pack. The result was what Cadillac described as V6 like performance with electric efficiency. Total system output was 335 hp and 432 lb-ft of torque. It could hit 60 in 5.2 seconds and had 30 miles of all-electric range. It was expensive though at just over $76,000. And all the battery tech intruded in its trunk space. It was discontinued for the 2019 model year.
Ford Escape Hybrid
The Ford Escape Hybrid is still around. Its just that now it’s a near $40,000 plug-in hybrid. However the first generation Escape Hybrid had the distinction of being the first hybrid SUV offered for sale.
The hybrid setup in the Escape was so similar to Toyota’s that the two companies had to come to a patent agreement between them. Ford used a 133 hp Atkinson cycle I4 and an electric motor. Performance was comparable to V6 powered Escapes at the time but it was very efficient. Front wheel drive versions got 30 mpg city/28 highway/30 combined. Even going for all-wheel-drive didn’t hurt efficiency with those versions getting 28 city/26 highway/27 combined. The Escape Hybrid lasted two generations before it was dropped with the third-gen Escape. Mazda also received a version of the hybrid system for its nearly identical Tribute Hybrid.
Honda Accord Hybrid
