Dear EarthTalk: Which are the most fuel-efficient hybrid and/or all-electric cars available to consumers today (just the affordable ones, please!)?—Jack Madison, Chicago

Given increased environmental awareness, high gas prices and a continually slumping economy, it’s no wonder that more fuel efficient cars are all the rage these days. The best deal going may be Honda’s hybrid, the 42 miles-per-gallon (MPG) Insight ($18,350). Meanwhile, the newest version of Toyota’s flagship hybrid, the Prius ($23,015), garners an impressive 50 MPG. Other solid choices include Toyota’s 41-MPG Camry hybrid ($25,900), Ford’s 39-MPG Fusion hybrid ($28,700), Lexus’ 42-MPG CT 200h ($29,120) and Lincoln’s 39-MPG MKZ Hybrid ($34,755).

For even greater efficiency and lower sticker prices, consider going electric, whereby you can charge your vehicle at ordinary electric outlets at home or work. Mitsubishi’s new MiEV ($29,125) electric is the most fuel efficient car available to U.S. consumers in the 2012 model year, achieving 112 “MPG-equivalent” (the U.S. Environment Protection Agency’s rating for electric vehicles that swaps in electricity for gas in its calculations) and a 62 mile range per full charge—not bad considering four adults can fit fairly comfortably inside. Another option is Smart’s FourTwo Electric ($28,752), a two-seater with an 87 MPG-equivalent. And Nissan’s all-electric Leaf ($35,200) achieves 99 MPG efficiency for a range up to 100 miles.

So-called “plug-in” hybrids also allow drivers to charge their vehicles’ electric batteries via common power outlets, but also can use gasoline as needed for a longer range. Though pricey at $39,145, the Chevy Volt may save you money in the long run because it gets a whopping 94 MPG-equivalent in its preferred all-electric mode. An onboard gas generator produces more electricity as the vehicle is driven, extending the car’s range with a full tank of gas to some 375 miles. Toyota released a plug-in version of its Prius ($32,760) this year, as well. It gets 87 MPG in electric mode (but this will only get you 15 miles without gas assistance) and a respectable 49 MPG in regular hybrid mode.

Another factor to consider when deciding which of these new uber-efficient vehicles may be right for you is the availability of additional incentives. Buyers of a new Volt, MiEV, FourTwo Electric or Leaf, for example, can cash in on a federal tax credit of $7,500—and some states may offer additional incentives—bringing the overall cost of these cars down to within the range of similarly sized traditional car models. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) posts all of the relevant federal tax incentives online at its Fuel Efficient Vehicle Tax Information Center website. For state-by-state incentives, check out the Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE), a free online resources maintained by the North Carolina Solar Center and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC).

Of course, consumers don’t have to go hybrid or electric to enjoy improved fuel efficiency these days. Scion’s iQ ($15,265) and Honda’s CR-Z ($19,545) each get 37 MPG out of sporty little gas-powered internal combustion engines. Kia, Toyota, Chevrolet, Hyundia and Nissan also make smaller traditional cars that get a respectable 33-34 MPG for sticker prices under $15,000.

CONTACTS: DOE’s Fuel Efficient Vehicle Tax Information Center, www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/taxcenter.shtml; DSIRE, www.dsireusa.org; Edmunds’ “Decoding Electric Car MPG,” www.edmunds.com/fuel-economy/decoding-electric-car-mpg.html.

EarthTalk® is written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss and is a registered trademark of E - The Environmental Magazine (www.emagazine.com). Send questions to: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Subscribe: www.emagazine.com/subscribe. Free Trial Issue: www.emagazine.com/trial.

9 Comments

1. 1. ChazInMT 10:40 AM 9/16/12

   The CR-Z is a Hybrid, FWIW. Really aren't a car people here I guess.

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

2. 2. Bob_CA 12:43 PM 9/16/12

   What seems a logical arrangement to me would be to have an all-electric car with a generator/charger on a small trailer. You wouldn't need to drag the weight around (or even buy the generator) if you didn't need it, and in principle at least the generators could be shared or perhaps rented when you need to head out of town for some reason. As a true serial hybrid, the generator engine (which could be gas, diesel, or whatever) is either off or running at optimum RPM which simplifies the fuel control system and drastically improves efficiency over the sort of operation a normal car engine has to be able to accommodate. The car's electronics would control the generator as well, and the generator could provide power for cruise, as well as charging both while driving or even when parked. It's bit less convenient than having the generator under the hood, but the weight savings and the ability to use one generator for more than one vehicle would seem to be a substantial benefit. The trailer would have to be designed along with the car to have the least impact on handling as possible. Safety in rear-end collisions would be an issue, but no more than for existing trailers. While a lot of drivers would consider the idea impractical, those who drive mostly in the city might be able to go electric if they knew that on the infrequent occasions that they needed to make a longer trip there was a way to do it.

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

3. 3. ConcernedCitizen 02:15 PM 9/16/12

   What is crazy is Government Motors is losing money on the Volt, the government is giving an additional $7500 credit and it is still expensive.
   
   The push toward increased efficiency is forcing gas prices higher as oil companies raise them to maintain their profits. We will be safer from airborne particulates, but less safe from one of the riskiest things we do - driving as everyone is forced into tiny, high speed death boxes. It also drives up the price of all goods produced in the US as transportation costs increase. To top it all off is the loss of utility by switching to smaller vehicles.
   
   @Bob - that's a terrible idea. Why even have an electric vehicle if you are burning gas to power it? Towing around a gasoline bomb behind you makes it even more absurd, let alone expecting the majority of people who buy EVs be capable of handling trailer towing.

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

4. 4. Randomguy 02:53 PM 9/16/12

   Actually Bob's idea is pretty good. You dont have the trailer/generator hooked up all the time... just when you drive that 150 miles to visit your Grandma. Most of the time your car is just another pure electric.

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

5. 5. alan6302 03:31 PM 9/16/12

   Why use a trailer when a generator is light enough to throw in the trunk or under the hood.

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

6. 6. LarryW in reply to ConcernedCitizen 09:52 PM 9/16/12

   The Reuter's article is simply wrong (what do you expect to business types) in costing out the cost of production for the Volt to $89k, which Reuters actually admits in the original article -- but there are no conservatives capable of reading past headlines or the first sentence of the first paragraph.
   
   Prior to government bailout of GM, the Volt was on the board for production. Reuters "math" allocates pro rata the full investment to each Volt sold. By this calculation, and with a little math, Reuters estimates GM's initial investment ofnproduction, battery research, drive train research, design, robotic programming, etc. to be $1.8B.
   
   So you and these geniuses would tell me the first car off the assembly line cost $1.8B. Now that is an expensive subsidy. Of course, if GM the actually produced a second Volt, the subsidy would drop to $900,000,000. At ten Volts, the cost is a measly $180,000,000.
   
   Now, I wouldn't want to make your brain explode, but after selling 21,000 Volts, the cost per Volt drops to about $90,000 (Reuter's number). Now imagine if GM sold about 60,000, the cost per Volt is now at $30,000. Isn't that about $9,000 per Volt positive gross margin?

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

7. 7. oldmanfury 11:05 PM 9/16/12

   My 2001 Toyota Echo gets 41 MPG daily without environmentally unfriendly batteries. Small econo-cars get great mileage and don't require nearly the energy expenditure of hybrids. If you care about the environment, think about a used low-end car: they make a lot of sense. Also, if you haven't gotten used to thinking in inverse mileage to weigh the benefits of various models, look into it. Here's a fun exercise.
   
   http://teachers.usd497.org/agleue/unit_pdfs/unit_1_graphing_review/miles_per_gallon_practice_with_inverse_graphs.pdf
   

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

8. 8. Randomguy in reply to alan6302 11:09 PM 9/16/12

   Pretty simple generator and gasoline have some weight and take up some space. Taking them off the car makes the car a pure electric and pure electrics have the best "MPG-equivalent" Putting them in the car makes the car a hybrid which we already have. However as you can see from the article hybrids are not as effecient as a pure electric. Why??? Because they are always carring around a gas tank and a motor. Putting the gas tank and the generator on a little trailer removes them from daily driving. However whenever you need to go across country you hook up the gas powered generator and walla your 62 mile range become a 300 mile range... in addition you dont have a recharge time you just fill your gas tank up at the gas station. It seems a pretty simple concept to me. Kind of like when I have to haul too much stuff to grandmas house I just go out and hook my trailer up and haul that stuff over to her house... but I dont need to haul that much stuff around every day... so usually I leave my trailer at home. =)

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

9. 9. hotvocals 09:25 AM 9/17/12

   There is a little more to all this than we think....
   1.GThe range of an EV, is about 1/4 it's actual potential range. A car only needs about 1/4 of it's advertised horsepower to maintain a steady speed on level ground. But these cars use electricity full time to power the car. VW, has just developed a microdiesel based car, which runs at a low speed, and has about 50hp...this size diesel, at a constant 1500 rpm, can get about 90 mpg, when not taxed for acceleration, down shifting for inclines, etc. The car's electric motor/s only kick in on an as needed basis....so, the car, on the open road, gets somewhere between 60 and say, conservatively, 70m mph....and the battery charge lasts about 4 times more miles that the usual 50ish that EVs typially get.
   This car, with one charge, can go over 200 miles @ about 70 mpg hwy, or more, on one charge, and about 3 gallons of diesel fuel....so, $2 for electricity or so, and $15 or so, for 3 gallons of diesel....a $17 "fill up" to go 200 miles.... about 1/3 to 1/4 the expense of a car that fills up at $50 to $60, to go 200 miles, like a small engine car like an all gas fusion, accord, malibu, etc.

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this