When hybrid cars first hit the scene in 1999, a gas-electric was the ultimate badge of earth-friendly cool. Toyota Prius models ferried Hollywood glitterati to the red carpet, and a decade later the original Chevy Volt made a huge splash before Tesla became a cult phenomenon. Looking toward the next few years, automakers have focused their green car dollars on full electric cars and plug-in hybrids. Here’s a look at the top 10 reasons to be excited about green motoring between now and 2018.
Volvo's all-new XC90 large crossover utility has been making waves for its super-cool Swedish design and advanced safety tech that approaches fully autonomous driving. What you might not know is the XC90 will come in a plug-in hybrid "Twin Engine" trim level, the T8, that can travel on electric power alone for around 17 miles while making 394 horsepower at full grunt thanks to a compact 2.0-liter engine that is both turbocharged and supercharged. Swedes will get the self-driving version first, in 2017.
