The 2014 Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle, rated by the EPA at 115 MPGe in all-electric mode, went on sale Jan. 15 at select New York and California Honda dealers with an MSRP of $39,780.

Combining hybrid efficiency with instantaneous electric-motor torque, the Honda Accord Plug-In is rated by the EPA with a maximum EV Mode driving range of 13 miles and a gasoline fuel-economy rating of 47 mpg city/46 mpg highway/46 mpg combined.

In addition to being Honda’s first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, the Accord Plug-In is the first production car in the U.S. to meet the new, more stringent LEV3/SULEV20 emissions standard, and will also qualify for single-occupant carpool-lane access in California.

The 2014 Accord Plug-in Hybrid is powered by an all-new Honda Earth Dreams technology two-motor hybrid system utilizing a powerful 124-kilowatt (kW) electric motor that also acts like a continuously variable transmission (e-CVT) mated to a 2.0L i-VTEC, Atkinson cycle four-cylinder engine. Electric-only operation is supported by a 6.7-kilowatt-hour (kWh) lithium-ion battery, with high efficiency regenerative braking provided by an all-new electric-servo braking system.

To maximize driving efficiency, the new two-motor hybrid system allows the Accord Plug-In powertrain to transition seamlessly between all-electric EV Drive, gasoline-electric Hybrid Drive; and direct Engine Drive. Two additional driving modes are available to manage battery capacity and tailor vehicle capabilities. In its default start-up mode, the Accord Plug-In acts as a pure electric vehicle and will remain in full-electric mode until the battery state of charge necessitates the automatic switch to gas/electric hybrid operation. At higher speeds and engine loads, such as during aggressive acceleration, the gasoline engine kicks in to provide additional power. There is also a button on the center console that allows the driver to manually select EV mode. In the driver-selectable “HV” mode, the plug-in Accord acts as a conventional hybrid, blending electric motor gasoline engine power to maximize fuel efficiency while maintaining the battery charge level.

According to the automaker, the plug-in Accord can be fully charged from a low-charge indication point in less than three hours using the supplied 120v charger when plugged into a standard 120v household electrical outlet (use of a dedicated GFCI outlet is recommended), and in less than one hour using a 240v Level 2 charger.