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U.S. News & World Report lists its best electric and hybrid vehicles for 2024
Cars from Hyundai and Volvo claimed five of the top 10 spots on U.S. News & World Report’s ranking of the best electric and hybrid vehicles for 2024, while Tesla is shut out.
Testers with the publication evaluated nearly 100 EVs and hybrids, scoring them based on price, driving range, performance and other factors. The best EVs offer a mix of power, speed and fast-charging capabilities, said John Vincent, senior editor for vehicle testing.
“Today there’s an electric vehicle for almost every segment of the market,” he told CBS MoneyWatch. “Electric cars are our future. They’re going to come faster than some people think, and they really solve a lot of problems.”
For now, however, many motorists remain unconvinced, with concerns about range, charging speeds and reliability. Although a record 1.2 million EVs were sold in the U.S. last year, according to Cox Automotive data, that amounted to just under 8% of the automobile market. EVs have more problems and are generally less reliable than gas-powered cars, according to a 2023 study from Consumer Reports.
Here are U.S. News’ top 10 electric and hybrid vehicles for 2024.
Best luxury electric car: Lucid Air
This luxury sedan, which starts at $69,076, has the longest driving range of any EV, according to a U.S. News review.
The Lucid Air “is a very cool car,” Vincent said. “It’s incredibly fast, it’s incredibly efficient and can drive 500 miles on a single charge. It’s a better Tesla Model S than the Tesla Model S.”
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Best luxury electric SUV: Volvo XC40 Recharge
The XC40 Recharge scores well in safety, partly because it has features like lane-departure warning and traffic-sign recognition, according to U.S. News. The vehicle starts at $52,450 and and can travel 293 miles on a single charge.
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Best electric SUV: Hyundai Ioniq 5
The Ioniq 5 also scores well in safety, with such features as forward automatic emergency braking and rear cross-traffic alert. The vehicle starts at $41,800 and has a single charge driving range of 220 miles.
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Best electric car: Hyundai Ioniq 6
This spacious sedan seats five and offers a smooth ride, according to a U.S. News review. Its standard base model starts at $37,500, while a higher-end model, the Limited, starts at $53,650.
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Best electric truck: Ford F-150 Lightning
The electric version of Ford’s most popular pickup truck has one of the most spacious cabins in its class, according to U.S. News. The base model can tow 5,000 pounds and the upgraded version can tow 7,700.
“You can move from the gas-powered F-150 to the F-150 Lightning and not notice a lot of difference in how it performs,” U.S. News’ Vincent said.
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Best luxury plug-in hybrid: Volvo S60 Recharge
The Volvo S60 offers some of the fastest battery charging times on the market, according to U.S. News. The vehicle can get a full charge in about nine hours with a 120-volt power outlet and in around four hours using a 240-volt outlet. The S60 comes in five different models, ranging in price from $51,950 to $58,550.
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Best plug-in hybrid: Kia Sportage Plug-In Hybrid
The Sportage Plug-In gives drivers a smooth ride over rough pavement and the engine has zip, accelerating from 0 to 60 miles per hour in about 7 seconds, according to U.S. News. The vehicle comes in two models — the X-Line, starting at $39,490, or the X-Line Prestige, starting at $43,990.
Best hybrid car: Toyota Camry Hybrid
The Camry Hybrid has a “generous amount of advanced driver-assistance features, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control,” according to U.S. News. It comes in five models, with prices that range from $28,855 to $34,295.
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Best hybrid SUV: Hyundai Tucson Hybrid
The Tucson has one of the most spacious interiors of all hybrid SUVs, according to U.S. News. The vehicle can tow up to 2,000 pounds and comes in four models, ranging in price from $32,575 to $39,715
Best luxury hybrid: Lexus NX Hybrid
Drivers will notice this luxury vehicle’s leather upholstery, large touch screen and head-up display, according to U.S. News. The Lexus NX has five models, ranging in price from $43,465 to $60,005.
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NEW YORK — Former New York Gov. David Paterson and his stepson were attacked in New York City on Friday night, authorities said.
The incident occurred just before 9 p.m. on Second Avenue near East 96th Street on the Upper East Side, according to the New York City Police Department.
Police said officers were sent to the scene after an assault was reported. When officers arrived, police say they found a 20-year-old man suffering from facial injuries and a 70-year-old man who had head pain. Both victims were taken to a local hospital in stable condition.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the former governor said the two were attacked while “taking a walk around the block near their home by some individuals that had a previous interaction with his stepson.”
The spokesperson said that they were injured “but were able to fight off their attackers.”
Both were taken to Cornell Hospital “as a precaution,” he added.
Police said no arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.
The 70-year-old Paterson, a Democrat, served as governor from 2008 to 2010, stepping into the post after the resignation of Eliot Spitzer following his prostitution scandal. He made history at the time as the state’s first-ever Black and legally blind governor.
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A 17-year-old boy was critically injured and a person is in custody after a gunman opened fire on a SEPTA bus in North Philadelphia Friday evening, police said.
At around 6:15 p.m., Philadelphia police were notified about a shooting on a SEPTA bus traveling on Allegheny Avenue near 3rd and 4th streets in North Philadelphia, Inspector D F Pace told CBS News Philadelphia.
There were an estimated 30 people on the bus at the time of the shooting, Pace said, but only the 17-year-old boy was believed to have been shot. Investigators said they believe it was a targeted attack on the teenager and that he was shot in the back of the bus at close range.
According to Pace, the SEPTA bus driver alerted a control center about the shooting, which then relayed the message to Philadelphia police, who responded to the scene shortly.
Officers arrived at the scene and found at least one spent shell casing and blood on the bus, but no shooting victim, Pace said. Investigators later discovered the 17-year-old had been taken to Temple University Hospital where he is said to be in critical condition, according to police.
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Through their preliminary investigation, police learned those involved in the SEPTA shooting may have fled in a silver-colored Kia.
Authorities then found a car matching the description of the Kia speeding in the area and a pursuit began, Pace said. Police got help from a PPD helicopter as they followed the Kia, which ended up crashing at 5th and Greenwood streets in East Mount Airy. Pace said the Kia crashed into a parked car.
The driver of the crashed car ran away but police were still able to take them into custody, Pace said.
Investigators believe there was a second person involved in the shooting who ran from the car before it crashed. Police said they believe this person escaped near Allegheny Avenue and 4th Street, leaving a coat behind.
According to Pace, police also found a gun and a group of spent shell casings believed to be involved in the shooting in the same area.
“It’s very possible that there may have been a shooting inside the bus and also shots fired from outside of the bus toward the bus,” Pace said, “We’re still trying to piece all that together at this time.”
This is an active investigation and police are reviewing surveillance footage from the SEPTA bus.