What did we learn about the Tesla Model 3 electric car this week?

Why is the EPA planning to remove an exhibit on climate change?

This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending on Friday, August 4, 2017.

Friday, we noted that while the Trump administration plans to freeze or even roll back fuel-efficiency rules, known as CAFE, automakers don't want them tossed out entirely—but do want some changes.

The Tesla Model Y will use the Model 3 platform, according to CEO Elon Musk, who said he had been "reeled back" by his team from what would have been "insanity."

Andrea Kerr driving Fiat 500e electric car in autocross, Great Park, Irvine, Califronia, July 2017

Andrea Kerr driving Fiat 500e electric car in autocross, Great Park, Irvine, Califronia, July 2017

On Thursday, our reader Doug Kerr wrote about taking an electric car to the track: his daughter Andie drove her Fiat 500e in a local autocross, and he told us how it went.

A piece we published on the net number of Tesla Model 3 reservations may have contributed to CEO Elon Musk's response: Tesla has 455,000 net reservations for the new model, he said.

Wednesday saw us report on another new propaganda video from a fossil-fuel lobbying group that distorts the facts about electric cars: we debunked it.

A North American Mazda executive suggested that combustion engines can get cleaner, but that electric-car sales would collapse without federal subsidies.

(Days later, Mazda and Toyota announced they will build a U.S. assembly plant together—Mazda will assemble a new small SUV—and will also cooperate on electric-car technologies.)

Teaser for 2018 Nissan Leaf debuting on September 6, 2017

Teaser for 2018 Nissan Leaf debuting on September 6, 2017

On Tuesday, we showed an image from the Norwegian crew that caught the 2018 Nissan Leaf electric car without camouflage during an advertising shoot.

Tesla board member (and new Model 3 owner) Steve Jurvetson posted a video showing Tesla Model 3 Easter eggs on the car's central touchscreen.

We kicked off the week on Monday with another milestone in much faster fast charging: Porsche has installed a working prototype for its 350-kilowatt, 800-volt fast charging station at a new German site.

CEO Sergio Marchionne has been known for  years as an electric-car skeptic, but with diesel on a downslope globally, Fiat Chrysler plans to embrace electrified cars in a big way.

Sunday, we described a secret focus group for a new Buick small electric SUV based on the Chevrolet Bolt EV; it likely won't come until next year or 2019.

2018 Tesla Model 3

2018 Tesla Model 3

The biggest weekend news, though, was about the Tesla Model 3.

It officially launched into production on Friday at a Handover Party that revealed some (but not all) specifications and features of the first two versions to be delivered.

We ran down the reviews of the Tesla Model 3, which were largely positive and in many cases downright glowing.

Finally, coal is facing significant headwinds: the CEO of CSX said the railroad will never buy another train for coal transport, deeming the fuel to be on a terminal downward slope.

You'd never know that at the agency that protects our air, water, and land from pollution: it may replace a climate-change display with one lauding coal's role in the U.S. economy.

Those were our main stories this week; we'll see you again next week. Until then, this has been the Green Car Reports Week in Reverse update.

________________________________________________

Follow GreenCarReports on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.