Back in 2020 Wards Auto changed the name of its iconic annual "Ward's 10 Best Engines" list to the clunkier, but more accurate "Ward's 10 Best Engines and Propulsion Systems" to reflect the increasing amount of EVs, hybrids and PHEVs in the world.
Five years later those electrified propulsion systems have comprehensively trounced straight ICE in the latest list, with all but one of the winners on the 2025 list being electrified in one way or another.
With the exception of the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1's exceptional 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8, every other winner had some form of electrical involvement, with four of the final 10 being fully electric.
Out of the 28 nominees, 20 were electrified, with 10 being BEVs, six being hybrids, three plug-in hybrids and one mild hybrid. The finalists were eventually whittled down into the final list of ten, made up by four BEVs, three hybrids, two PHEVs and the single ICE.
While the Corvette ZR1's spectacular flat-plane crank V8 was the sole non-electrified winner, it was joined in the ICE stakes by the hybrids (the Ford F150's 3.5-litre turbo V6, the Honda Civic's 2.0-litre four-cylinder and the Lexus LX700h's 3.6-litre turbo V6) and PHEVs (the BMW M5's 4.4-litre turbo V8 and the Mercedes-AMG E53's 3.0-litre turbo inline six).
The fully electric powertrains that made up the rest of the list came from the Lucid Gravity, the Nissan Leaf, Hyundai Ioniq 9 and the Dodge Charger Daytona.
"As the auto industry moves away from near-term timelines for all-electric propulsion, consumers are more than ever embracing electrification, namely in the form of hybridisation,” said Christie Schweinsberg, judge and manager of Wards 10 Best awards programmes.
"The hybrid winners on our 2025 list strike a perfect balance of power, fuel economy and value. They are also some of the most technically complex powertrains we’ve ever tested, once again showcasing the talent of automotive engineers to deliver alluring specifications, oftentimes with limited budgets."