Going green is the new black

When hearing the term “luxury vehicle,” it’s safe to say your mind doesn’t automatically jump to phrases like “fuel-efficient” or “environmentally friendly.” Let’s be honest: Owning a gas-guzzling speed machine dressed to the nines inside and out is a serious status symbol in most cultures. But there’s a new trend taking over the luxury automotive world, and it’s covered in green.

The demand for high-end hybrid cars is on the rise, not only for their notable mileage boost and decreased emissions, but also for the social gains of adopting the green technology. That tech has been trying to get its foot in the luxury door for a while now, but not without first facing a bit of adversity. With two of the biggest green technology sales duds being the Lexus LS 600h L and BMW’s 7-series Active hybrid, it wasn’t always smooth sailing and sunny skies for the green machines. It’s a fact that we are creatures of habit, and the public just wasn’t yet sold on an electric car that could simply be plugged in and ready to go.

Nevertheless, this new-wave green technology is here to stay, and it’s becoming more and more appealing each model year. Here are some of the most notable luxury hybrid vehicles either currently on the market or slated to make their debuts in the coming model years.

2014 BMW i3

BMW has been trying to get into the green state of mind with its “i” models, particularly the i3. This light-weight city car is made from carbon-fiber materials and sports a 22 kWh lithium-ion battery pack under the hood, making 168 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. With an estimated range of 188 miles, fuel expenses become almost obsolete. The i3 goes on sale in the United States starting in spring of 2014 and will set buyers back about $42,275.

2014 BMW i8

The German automaker also has the i8 hybrid sports car in the works, slated to debut in showrooms around the same time as the i3. The i8 is a radically styled plug-in, going from 0-60 in just under 4.5 seconds and getting the equivalent to 94 mpg. This particular plug-in starts out at $136,625.

2015 Mercedes-Benz S500

This plug-in version of the flagship S-class sedan first went public at the 2013 Frankfurt motor show in September. The green car has exceeded Europe’s fuel-mileage test, achieving an estimated 75 mpg. The S500 packs a 3.0-liter V6 turbocharged engine under the hood, combined with the 107-hp electric motor, bringing the total output to 436 hp and 605 lb-ft of torque. Mercedes-Benz says the S500 can drive up to 18 miles on electric power alone. The sedan will be in showrooms starting late next year.

2014 Infiniti Q50 Hybrid sedan

Infiniti is adding some green to its popular Q50 hybrid sedan, formerly the G37. The Q50 combines 360 hp with a respectable 29/36 mpg. The Q50 hybrid starts at $45,205.

2014 Cadillac ELR

This luxury coupe shares its plug-in powertrain with the Chevrolet Chevrolet Volt, bringing together a 1.4-liter I4 generator, a 55-kW electric motor and a 16.5-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. The ELR makes a combined 181 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, all while getting an estimated 33 mpg combined and 82 mpg in EV mode.

2014 Ferrari LaFerrari hybrid

First off, the name “LaFerrari” literally means Ferrari in Italian, giving us the impression that this thing is so badass it needs no introduction. The LaFerrari combines insane power with fuel economy you’d see in a car with an eighth of its power. This $1.58 million hybrid boasts a total output of 963 hp, with top speeds reaching 217 mph. The LaFerrari combines a 6.2-liter V12 normally aspirated engine with a 163-hp electric motor. This Italian supercar gets an impressive 16.6 mpg, and with a 0-60 time of less than three seconds, that’s more than respectable for this relative rocket. If Enzo were still with us today (May he rest in peace), we’d like to think he’d be proud of this noteworthy achievement.

2015 Porsche 918 Spyder hybrid

Porsche has a few high-end hybrids in the works, but following the LaFerrari, this only seemed appropriate. The 918 Spyder supercar features a 4.6-liter V8 engine combined with two synchronous electric motors bringing the system output to a grand total of 875 hp and 844 lb-ft of torque. This supercar can go about 20 miles running on electric power alone. The Spyder boasts a 0-60 time of 2.6 seconds--a one-on-one race with the LaFerrari could be interesting--and can reach top speeds of 214 mph. So if you’re a part of the elite group that can afford this high-performance hybrid and couldn’t get your hands on the LaFerrari since they sold like hotcakes before they even left the production line, the 918 Spyder isn’t too bad of a tradeoff.

By Natalie Sejnost