2026: Year of the Hybrid



 

     2025 Toyota Prius Nightshade - the Toyota Prius is only offered as a hybrid

     as are the Camry and Sienna -Photo by Brian Moody 



                                                                                                                                                                                       


2026 is absolutely going to be the year of the hybrid. Not necessarily because people are going to choose that over other types of cars, but because it’s the kind of new car they’ll end up with, regardless of what they were seeking. 


A perfect example of this is the Toyota Camry. Think of what a buyer might be looking for when shopping. They’ll want a good, reliable, attractive, efficient car that will still be worth a decent amount of money when they go to sell it in 5 or 10 years. That’s a Toyota Camry. It just doesn’t matter that it’s a hybrid; the pleasant and spirited driving dynamics, moderately “nice” interior, and good value are enough. 


It’s the same story with the Toyota Sienna. I don’t think the Sienna is the best minivan, but 36 mpg is pretty impressive for a multi-passenger family van. Capital One’s Auto Navigator put it this way: “With consumers still looking to save money at the pump, they're flocking to more affordable hybrid cars.” Both the Camry and the Sienna only come as a hybrid; there’s no other choice. 


Clean Air

Hybrids also scratch the itch of wanting to “do good” when it comes to the environment and air quality. Remember, any vehicle that burns less gas is putting less pollution in the air. According to the California Air Resources Board (CARB), in an article celebrating their 50th anniversary, “In 1967 there were 239 first-stage smog alerts (including 68 stage 2 smog alerts which restricted outdoor activities especially for children and other vulnerable populations).” The article goes on to say there were “none” when it came to smog alert days by 2018. This didn’t happen because of electric cars. It likely didn’t even happen because of hybrids. However, increasing fuel economy, cleaner gas, and better emission controls all contributed to the cleaner air. Hybrids help improve air quality by simply burning less gas, plus they don’t require a lot of heavy lifting in terms of infrastructure and inconvenience. A hybrid uses the existing infrastructure.


Today’s hybrid easily delivers 40, 50, or even 60 miles per gallon, depending on driving habits and terrain. What does air quality look like when hybrids and plug-in hybrids reach 75 or even 100 miles per gallon? 

I’ve often heard, regarding electric cars, “It’s only an extra 40 min to charge up to 80 percent.” Who wants to refuel, then drive away at ¾ full? Plus, that 40 minutes…, that “only” sounds like someone without toddlers. Every parent knows, once the family truckster is rolling, you do not stop unless it’s critically necessary.  That’s why 80 percent of EV owners charge up at home. For those who don’t have that ability, a hybrid is perfect. 


Smooth Handoff

One thing that's changed regarding hybrids is that they are now much smoother. I can remember driving a Ford Fusion Energi more than 10 years ago and thinking what an amazing car it was so long as it was in “electric only mode.” As soon as the gas engine kicked in, it made a very unpleasant sound and made you not want to drive the car.  Today, that problem has been eliminated. There may be a handful of cars that still feel clunky, but most have a seamless handoff when it comes to the gas/electric part of the car. Volvo does this especially well, as does Toyota. If you haven’t driven a hybrid in more than 5 years, try one again; you’ll probably like it.


Notable Hybrids 

Hybrids that work the best and provide the most rewarding driving experience are cars like the Honda Civic Hybrid, Honda Accord Hybrid, Kia Carnival, Kia Niro, Nissan Rogue plug-in hybrid, Toyota Crown, Toyota Prius, Volvo XC90, and Volvo XC60. There are others, but these are much better than average. 


New Kind of Hybrid

Soon, a new kind of hybrid will be available – maybe it should be “re-available.” Nissan will soon introduce a series hybrid version of the Rogue. Most of today’s hybrids are parallel hybrids because the gas engine and electric motor(s) work together to drive the vehicle. A series hybrid only uses electricity to move the car. This type of hybrid uses a gasoline engine to generate electricity, and that electricity (stored in a small battery) is what drives the car. The Chevy Volt was supposed to use the same principle but later it was revealed that the gas engine drove the wheels in some circumstances. Still, Nissan’s technology, called e-Power, is already in use outside the U.S., so it should be ready for primetime by fall of 2026. 





Scout Motors is reviving the spirit of the International Scout vehicles from a generation ago. 

 - Photo by Scout Motors


                                                                                                                                                                                        



Scout Motors will have a gasoline-powered “range extender” that operates similarly, but it is optional. In the new Rogue, that setup is the only way it comes. BMW, Hyundai, Jeep, Kia, and Ram are just a few of the other automakers where a range-extending EV is on the way. BMW already used this technology in the i3. It's unclear whether automakers using range extenders on their otherwise electric cars view them as hybrids. Still, in many forms, shapes, and sizes, hybrids will dominate 2026. 





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