Toyota hybrid vehicles for sale at a dealership in Chicago, Feb. 6, 2024.
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Hybrid vehicles led the 2024 top vehicle rankings released Tuesday by influential product testing organization Consumer Reports.
Such “electrified” vehicles, including plug-in hybrid models, represented six of the top 10 picks by the nonprofit consumer organization. The non-hybrid models rounding out the list were the all-electric Tesla Model Y crossover and three gas-powered vehicles with no hybrid variants.
It marks the second consecutive year that seven electrified or fully electric vehicles have been included in Consumer Reports’ top picks, as automakers release numerous models of the vehicles to meet consumer demand as well as tightening federal fuel economy regulations.
Toyota Motor had the most top picks of any automaker, at four, followed by Subaru at two. Tesla, Ford Motor, Mazda and BMW each had one vehicle on the list.
Toyota’s four vehicles in the top 10 rankings were all hybrid or plug-in hybrid vehicles.
“The markets are changing. There’s a lot more powertrain choices today than there have really ever been,” Jake Fisher, senior director of auto testing at Consumer Reports, told CNBC. “When we’re looking at the top vehicles, the top picks, a lot of them turn out to be electrified choices, because they just tend to do the things that people really want from a car.”
Both hybrids and plug-in hybrids have a traditional engine combined with EV technologies. A traditional hybrid such as the Toyota Prius has electrified parts, including a small battery, to provide better fuel economy to assist the engine. Plug-in hybrids typically have a larger battery to provide for all-electric driving for a certain number of miles until an engine is needed to power the vehicle or electric motors.
Fisher said plug-in hybrid vehicles, which bridge the gap between a regular hybrid and an EV, are a “dark horse” for the U.S. automotive industry that many consumers are just beginning…
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