We have recently looked at which new all-electric vehicles (EVs) will be released in Australia in 2018, and this week we’re covering plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs). One step beyond hybrid vehicles without plug-in capability, such as Toyota’s Prius, PHEVs combine an internal-combustion engine with the possibility of short-range pure-electric motoring. The best-of-both-worlds solution (between a petrol/electric hybrid and a fully battery-powered EV) allows the vehicle to be plugged in to a domestic power outlet to charge its battery for electric-only operation with zero tailpipe emissions.

PHEVs currently available here include the BMW 330e, 530e and X5 40e, the Mercedes-Benz C 350e, E 350e and GLE 500e, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, Porsche Cayenne and Panamera E-Hybrid and Volvo’s T8 XC60 and XC90. While none of those models are cheap or popular, they do offer a stop-gap solution better suited to the distances Australian buyers often encounter; and are a better option than pure EVs, for which little public charging infrastructure yet exists. In 2018, a number of new PHEVs will join the local market.

Here we look at five such examples. The seven-seat Audi Q7 e-tron promises an astonishing combined fuel range (1400km), silent inner-city running and seamless diesel-electric operation. 145,000 (plus on-road costs). Both models offer a claimed electric driving range of 200km and, while the standard i3 claims a 150km/h top speed and 7.3-second 0-100km/h time, the i3s is said to hit 100km/h in 6.9sec and a 160km/h top speed.

Meantime, by mid-year BMW will also release a drop-top version of its plug-in petrol-electric supercar with comparable range and performance to its five-year-old coupe counterpart. Boasting updates it will share with the updated i8 Coupe, the BMW i8 Roadster will offer up to 55km of all-electric range and a 0-100km/h time of 4.6sec (0.2sec slower than the Coupe).

303,300 list price of the current i8 Coupe. Now for something at the more realistic end of the price scale: Hyundai’s IONIQ range of futuristic small hatches. Aimed directly at Toyota’s Prius, the Hyundai IONIQ PHEV combines a petrol engine with an electric motor and battery pack (with plug-in capability), and drives the front wheels via a dual-clutch transmission.

Hyundai says the PHEV variant will offer up to 50km electric range, with total system output of 104kW/265Nm. A combined fuel consumption number of 3.4L/100km is claimed. The first plug-in hybrid versions of the full-size Range Rover and its smaller Sport sibling are expected to arrive in local showrooms later this year.

Volkswagen may release a plug-in hybrid version of its volume-selling small hatch, dubbed the Golf GTE. Claimed to combine the performance of VW’s sporty Golf GTI with motorcycle-like efficiency, the Golf GTE is mechanically-identical to Audi’s short-lived Audi A3 Sportback e-tron. Its 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol and electric motor combination makes 150kW/350Nm and the GTE boasts a 7.6sec 0-100km/h dash and a 222km/h top speed.

That’s even less clear, but it’s likely to happen in the next few months. Aston Martin is working on an all-electric version of its Rapide luxury sedan, which it simply renamed ‘RapidE’. Like most other vehicles in this list, the RapidE is definitely a luxury vehicle. 40,000 are still fairly rare.

We expect that to change within the next year. If you want more electric vehicle and Tesla Motors news, make sure to follow us on Twitter or Facebook to get our latest articles. If you are interested in solar and energy storage, we suggest you get quotes from more than one installer to make sure you get the best energy solution for your house or business. UnderstandSolar is a great free service to link you to top-rated solar installers in your region for personalized solar estimates for free.

NextEV’s NIO EP9 should be one of such vehicles leading the charge. Billed as the fastest EV in the world at the time of its unveiling, the NIO EP9 overpowers the competition with 1,341 horsepower and a top speed near 200 miles per hour. If SUVs and crossovers remain the dominant sales force in the industry, why are most future electric vehicles sedans,