ownership
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In late July, we published an article describing one electric-car driver's experience in adding solar panels to his home to help with charging his family's five electric cars. That reader, who'd like to be known just as Shiva, has now owned a 2016 Tesla Model S for a year. He recently outlined for us how that experience has gone, and how it's changed his perception of what it's like to own and operate a car. What follows are his words, lightly edited by Green Car Reports for clarity and style. DON'T MISS: One electric car owner's experiences in adding solar panels: why, what, and how Now that...
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To honor Energy Week, lease an electric car: 10 lessons from new EV driver
The White House has declared this week the inaugural "Energy Week," and what better way to mark the occasion than by driving electric cars? Cars that plug in to use grid energy for travel are a great catalyst for reducing energy consumption and reducing our use of fossil fuels. Now one reporter who...
Sean Szymkowski -
BMW i3 REx: owner's 3 years with range-extended electric car
This week, my 2014 i3 REx turned three years old; I picked it up on May 21, 2014. For the most part I’ve been very pleased with the car. It’s definitely not perfect, but then again no car is. It has fit my needs and driving demands perfectly and I only needed to drive on the range...
Tom Moloughney -
Thinking of buying a 2017 Chevy Bolt EV? Read the owner's manual!
General Motors issued the owner's manual for the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car.
Stephen Edelstein -
Electric cars are great for U.S. suburbs; cities, not so much
New York City is not well suited to electric cars, apparently.
Stephen Edelstein -
Tesla Model X for trailer towing: Edmunds is not convinced
The Tesla Model X's towing ability is a pro, but it comes with quite a few cons.
Stephen Edelstein -
The Toyota Prius has the lowest average maintenance costs over 10 years of any model, according to website YourMechanic.
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Tesla enlists owners' clubs to be lobbying army; insists on it, in fact
Tesla wants "official" owners' clubs to aid its lobbying efforts.
Stephen Edelstein -
Tesla Owners Throw Party To Thank Store, Service Staff
Minnesota Tesla owners throw a celebration for retail and service staff.
Stephen Edelstein -
Four Years And 70,000 Miles Later, 2011 Nissan Leaf Going Strong
See what it's like to drive a Nissan Leaf electric car for four years.
Stephen Edelstein -
The Passion Of The Tesla: One Owner's (Unprompted) Paean
People who buy new cars generally like and enjoy them during the first months or years of ownership. Many Tesla owners, however, seem to love their cars with a deep, abiding, even overwhelming passion. This is one such story. A longtime personal friend and his partner recently acquired a 2014 Tesla...
John Voelcker -
What Do Hybrid Owners Say About Their Cars? How About Everyone Else?
A new study looks at the views of hybrid owners, and everyone else, on hybrid cars.
Stephen Edelstein -
Car ownership rates in European cities are falling.
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More Data Confirms: Electric-Car Drivers Really Love Their Cars
Studies show the U.S. electric-car fleet is growing, and maturing.
Stephen Edelstein -
Three Years With The First Nissan Leaf Electric Car Sold In The U.S.
The first person to take delivery of a Nissan Leaf electric car still enjoys it 30,000 miles later.
Stephen Edelstein -
Tesla Model S Vs Chevy Volt: Owner Compares Electric Cars
I've been leasing a 2011 Chevrolet Volt for almost two years now. And about three months ago, I took delivery of a 2013 Tesla Model S, the 60-kWh version. So I've gotten an extended first-hand look at arguably the two most technically advanced production cars in the U.S.--and the two best-selling...
David Noland -
Why One-Third Of Electric-Car Buyers Might Not Buy Another
Electric-car owners tend to be enthusiastic evangelists for the good points of driving on grid power. At least, the ones we hear from usually are. But there's another group of plug-in electric car owners who aren't quite as enthusiastic. In fact, up to one-third of electric-car buyers in Japan say...
John Voelcker -
Oh, By The Way? The Era Of The Private Car Is Over
As a reader of this blog -- a blog about cars -- chances are good that you own a car yourself. That's not unusual: today, many Americans depend on automobiles to get to work, to run errands, to see friends and loved ones. But as Emily Badger at The Atlantic points out, tomorrow will likely be a...
Richard Read -
We often read statistics to show that the average American drives only a short distance each day, suggesting that even an electric car with a relatively short range would be suitable for most journeys. A new survey seems to indicate that owners think so too--as households with electric cars are using it as their primary car. The survey by the California Center for Sustainable Energy (via U-T San Diego) reveals that 85 percent of plug-in vehicle owners say that it's their primary car, though almost all owned a conventional car as well. That means that owners are using their electric cars every...
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2011 Nissan Leaf: One-Year Drive Report
On March 28, 2011, I took delivery of a European-specification 2011 Nissan Leaf. Yesterday, a few days short of our 1-year anniversary with the car, its odometer passed the 15,000 mile mark. But what have we learned about Nissan’s first electric car after living with it daily for a year?...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Chevy Volt Electric Car Owners Most Satisfied, Consumer Reports Says
Despite the NHTSA inquiry into battery-pack fires following severe crash tests of the Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric car, the car's 5,000 or so owners to date seem to be unworried. Comments on Volt owner forums largely dismiss worries about any risk of fire during accidents, and many owners...
John Voelcker -
Who Actually Buys 2011 Chevy Volt Electric Cars, And Why?
Despite media attempts to conjure a "sales battle" between the 2011 Chevy Volt and the 2011 Nissan Leaf, both companies are selling every car they can manage to get into the showrooms. Now Chevrolet has released its first look at who is actually buying its Volt range-extended electric cars. The...
John Voelcker -
More Smart ForTwo Trouble: Owners Least Likely To Buy Another
As regular readers know, we've never been big fans of the Smart ForTwo minicar. It's not that we dislike small two-seaters; in fact, we think they're cool (unlike most U.S. car buyers, we should add). No, our problems with the Smart stem from its unpleasant driving quality--the slamming shifts from...
John Voelcker