The best "green" car deals you can get now
Electric and hybrid cars may be the technology of the future, but manufacturers are using a time-tested playbook to move them now: great deals in August as the 2018 model year ends. Rebates, zero percent loans and good lease deals all make hybrids and electrics more affordable than usual.
One exception: The most glamorous "affordable" electric, Tesla Model 3, won't be offering any discounts from its $49,000 suggested retail price, given its waiting list of several hundred thousand buyers. However, the Model 3 now has met the company's crucial production target of 5,000 cars per week.
If it meets the current 22,000 projection for August, the Model 3 likely would be the fifth-best-selling car in the country. Cleantechnica.com pointed out that would put Telsa's entry-level electric car just ahead of the July sales for Nissan's Sentra and behind only Toyota's Corolla and Camry, and Honda's Civic and Accord. (This comparison is for sedans only, not SUVs and pickups.)
Let's take a closer look at the electrics and hybrids that are offering great August deals:
Nissan Leaf
The Leaf is the cheapest electric car available, according to Green Car Reports. The 2018 model is being offered in a lease deal of $219 a month for 36 months with $3,979 due at signing. This involves a $10,025 subsidy from Nissan on the price of the car, the website said.
This deal makes the Leaf cheaper than current pricing on the Chevrolet Bolt, its chief competitor.
This lease deal is available only for the base $29,990 S model. But you can get $2,000 cash back for the better-equipped $32,499 SV, which includes navigation.
Reviewers like the Leaf for its lively acceleration and handing. Its EPA rating is 112 MPGe -- the electric car equivalent of miles per gallon. The Leaf can go 151 miles between charges.
Chevrolet Volt
The Volt gives you more driving range -- 420 miles with its combination of electric and gas motors -- than competitors. The current offer is for a lease deal of $234 per month for 36 months with no down payment.
The Volt wins praise for its quick acceleration and easy-to-use tech features. The combined city-highway MPGe rating is 106.
Ford Fusion Hybrid
In its current offering, the Fusion Hybrid is cheaper to buy than to lease, according to Green Car Reports. Ford Motor Credit is offering $3,000 cash back, plus zero percent financing on your loan.
Reviewers like the Fusion Hybrid for its upscale cabin and sporty handling. The EPA has rated it in the agency's conventional way since it isn't a plug-in hybrid like the Chevrolet Volt. That rating is for 31 MPG in the city, 40 on the highway and 34 combined.
