The Top 10 Fastest Hybrids On The Market

While you usually think of hybrid vehicles as slow and boring, modern hybrids are getting faster and more fun to drive. Most of them also manage to get amazing fuel economy, though some are not that impressive at the pump (but make up for it in other ways). Some are practical while others are pinup models, but either way most of them are quite expensive. While there are faster hybrids out there on the racetrack (all Formula 1 cars feature hybrid systems and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans Audi finished first and second with their R18 e-tron hybrids, while Toyota finished third in their TS040 Hybrid), here is a list of the top ten fastest (really the 9 fastest and 1 of the slowest) hybrids currently available for the road, sorted by their 0 to 62 mph acceleration times. With all the selection, which one would you choose if money were no object?

10) Toyota Prius

0 to 62 mph – 10.4 seconds

Top speed – 112 mph

The Toyota Prius is not a fast car – it takes almost twice as long to reach 62 mph as the number 9 car on this list. As the latest generation of the first practical hybrid, it is however often referred to as the benchmark. The 1.8l 4-cylinder normally aspirated gasoline engine makes 99 HP and the electric motor makes 80 HP. Combined they make a fairly pitiful (by modern standards) maximum of 136 HP. The Prius is fairly economical however, rated at 50 miles per gallon using the EPA combined ratings and 60.3 miles per gallon on the EU combined driving cycle.

9) Lexus LS 600h L

0 to 62 mph – 5.6 seconds

Top speed – 130 mph

The Lexus LS 600h L is the top of the line and most powerful of the LS models. Powered by a 5.0l normally aspirated V8 and an electric motor, the total system power is 438 HP, enough to scoot the large car along. Combined fuel economy is rated at 20 miles per gallon by the EPA, which isn’t all that exceptional (the much lighter BMW ActiveHybrid 7 is approximately the same size and rated at a combined 25 miles per gallon, while only being a little slower, despite being down almost 90 HP).

8) BMW ActiveHybrid 3

0 to 62 mph – 5.5 seconds

Top speed – 130 mph

The BMW 3-series has traditionally been known as a small fun to drive sedan, and even the ‘frugal’ models like the 328d diesel and ActiveHybrid 3 don’t disappoint when it comes to performance. A 3.0l TwinPower Turbo inline 6-cylinder engine makes 300 HP and an electric motor adds another 55 HP for a total of 335 HP. The ActiveHybrid 3 is rated at 28 miles per gallon combined by the EPA and 40 miles per gallon on the EU cycle, which isn’t great for a car this size (especially when you consider that the 328d is rated at a combined 37 miles per gallon by the EPA, though its 0 to 62 mph time is more than 2 seconds slower).

7) Infiniti Q70 Hybrid

0 to 62 mph – 5.5 seconds

Top speed – 155 mph

Powered by a 302 HP 3.5l normally aspirated V6 gasoline engine as well as a 67 HP electric motor, the combined 360 HP work to move this luxury hybrid unexpectedly quickly. Rated at 31 miles per gallon in rear wheel drive guise and 30 miles per gallon in all wheel drive form on the EPA combined driving cycle, this mid-sized car is somehow a tiny bit more economical (though obviously initially more expensive, and – spoiler alert – also a touch slower) than its little brother, the Q50 Hybrid.

6) Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid

0 to 62 mph – 5.5 seconds

Top speed – 167 mph

A few years ago we never would have expected to see hybrid Porsches (or even a four door Porsche for that matter). While the Panamera has been knocked for its looks, you can’t knock its 50 miles per gallon equivalent (25 miles per gallon when running on the gasoline engine alone) combined EPA fuel economy rating and 76 miles per gallon on the EU combined cycle. The E-Hybrid is a plug-in hybrid with an all-electric range of around 20 miles. Powered by a 333 HP supercharged 3.0l V6 and a 95 HP electric motor, total system output is 416 HP.

5) Infiniti Q50 Hybrid

0 to 62 mph – 5.1 seconds (5.4 seconds in AWD trim)

Top speed – 149 mph

The Infiniti Q50 Hybrid uses a similar powertrain as the Q70 Hybrid (a 302 HP 3.5l normally aspirated V6 and a 67 HP electric motor to make a combined 360 HP). The Q50 Hybrid is available in either rear wheel drive or all wheel drive models, though the AWD system does slow the car down slightly (though even with AWD the Q50 Hybrid is still faster than the Panamera S E-Hybrid). Both RWD and AWD models are rated at 30 miles per gallon on the EPA combined driving cycle, making this Infiniti a practical, fast, and economical sedan (once you get over the purchase price that is).

4) BMW i8

0 to 62 mph – 4.4 seconds

Top speed – 155 mph

The BMW i8 uses a 231 HP turbocharged 3-cylinder gasoline engine to power the rear wheels and a 131 HP electric motor to power the front wheels and provide all-wheel drive. The combined 357 HP is enough to get the fairly lightweight plug-in hybrid moving nicely. The electric motors can be used alone at speeds of up to 75 mph and the batteries store enough power for an all-electric range of 22 miles. The i8 is rated at an amazing 112 miles per gallon on the EU combined cycle, which might make it the most efficient car on this list (but note that the EU fuel economy ratings are even less relevant to real world driving than ours are).

3) Porsche 918 Spyder

0 to 62 mph – 2.8 seconds

0 to 124 mph – 7.9 seconds

0 to 186 mph – 23.0 seconds

Top speed – 214 mph

According to Porsche the 918 Spyder can not only hit a top speed well over 200 miles per hour, but it can also get 67 miles per gallon of gasoline equivalent when fully charged, or 22 miles per gallon when run only on gasoline (78 miles per gallon on the EU combined cycle). The car is a plug-in hybrid that uses a 127 HP electric motor on the front axle and a 154 HP hybrid module on the rear axle. In conjunction with the normally aspirated 608 HP 4.6 liter V8 the combined total power output is 887 HP. In the default E-Power mode you can even drive approximately 19 miles using only the electric motors, which can accelerate the car to 62 mph in 6.2 seconds and reach a top speed of 93 mph without using a drop of gasoline.

2) McLaren P1

0 to 62 mph – 2.8 seconds

0 to 124 mph – 6.8 seconds

0 to 186 mph – 16.5 seconds

Top speed – 217 mph

The McLaren P1 is a plug-in hybrid that manages to get 727 HP out of its twin turbocharged 3.8 liter V8, and then adds a lightweight electric motor that generates 176 HP for a total of 903 HP. The electric motors can be used in E-Mode to drive the car approximately 6 miles without the gasoline engine, or they can be used to fill torque gaps and help eliminate turbo lag to create sharper throttle response, while also improving drivability. McLaren rates the car at 28.3 miles per gallon on the EU combined cycle, which isn’t bad for a car with this kind of power and performance.

1) Ferrari LaFerrari

0 to 62 mph – less than 3 seconds

0 to 124 mph – less than 7 seconds

0 to 186 mph – 15 seconds

Top speed – More than 217 mph

The Ferrari LaFerrari is a hybrid, but one that has been built purely for speed, and not for economy (Ferrari rates it at a bit less than 17 miles per gallon). The 6.3 liter normally aspirated V12 engine puts out 789 HP while the electric motor puts out 161 HP, for a combined output of 949 horsepower. The electric motors help fill in the torque gaps of the V12, particularly at lower RPMs when pulling out of corners. While the acceleration times and top speed number seems like they could have been made up just to one-up the McLaren, this car is fast and serious competition for the P1.