Sean Szymkowski, Contributor
Articles
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Carmaker lobbyist urges fuel-economy deal to keep emission limits, but stretch them out (updated) Sean Szymkowski
Automakers appear to have united behind a surprising position: reviews of emission rules should not involve scrapping the current standards.
The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a lobbying group...
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Tesla Model 3 won't be delivered in Michigan to buyers; lawsuit grinds on
An ongoing lawsuit continues to complicate life for potential buyers of the Tesla Model 3, and the automaker's other electric cars, who live in Michigan. Tesla and the state remain locked in a legal battle over the state's franchise law, which requires automakers to sell vehicles only via an...
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Electric-car discovery, education centers are now a thing
Breaking with routine and tradition is never easy, especially when it comes to buying, owning, and operating a vehicle powered by an internal-combustion engine. Around the world, roughly 1 billion vehicle owners stop at fuel stations and keep cars powered by fossil fuels running—and have done...
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Better alkaline batteries, made rechargeable, to power electric cars?
Alkaline batteries have been a staple energy source for decades, but their potential has been capped by their chemical properties. Notably, alkaline batteries cannot be recharged, which means their application is often limited to single uses in small devices such as flashlights and remote controls...
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Tesla Model 3 Performance version coming, after 'production hell' ends
Now that the Tesla Model 3 has officially entered production, the electric-car maker's main goal will be to ensure the manufacturing process ramps up smoothly. With 1,800 new reservations reportedly placed each day for the affordable electric sedan, Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to Twitter to confirm...
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Best deals on hybrid, electric, fuel-efficient cars for August 2017
As North America rounds out the final weeks of summer, plenty of discounts and deals remain on fuel-efficient, hybrid, and electric cars. The month of August sees a number of familiar nameplates remain as best buys, while a few newcomers arrive to represent excellent new values. Below are August's...
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Continental, a major supplier for automakers around the world, has come out with a bold prediction: internal-combustion engine development by German automakers will essentially end by the year 2025.
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Faraday Future gets $14 million; factory moved to CA from Vegas
Electric-car maker Faraday Future has received an emergency injection of $14 million to move its FF 91 luxury electric car closer to market. The rescue funds come in the form of a loan from Innovatus Capital Partners, after Faraday Future pledged its California-based headquarters as collateral. For...
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Nissan Leaf electric car platform to spawn more models, SUV included: report
The 2018 Nissan Leaf apparently won't be the brand's lone electric car for much longer, if a new report with details on plans to expand the electric car's underpinnings to additional models proves accurate. Following the introduction of the second-generation 2018 Nissan Leaf, the electric car's...
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Smallest SUVs most popular in US Midwest, less so in west, south
The small SUV segment has ballooned into a hugely important market for many automakers, as consumers continue to shift from traditional sedans to crossovers and other utility vehicles. The smallest of the expanding array of SUVs on the market offers the flexibility of a hatchback or wagon, combined...
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VW exec to plead guilty to diesel cheating charges after jail, house arrest
It has been almost two years since Volkswagen changed the prospects for diesel-powered cars when it admitted to eight years' worth of cheating on emissions tests for its so-called clean diesel vehicles. The effects of the German automaker's diesel scandal are still unfolding today, not only in the...
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Tesla Model S, Model X electric cars updated with new features
Before the Tesla Model 3 officially entered production, the electric-car maker shuffled features on its Model S to provide a clear distinction between the two sedans. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has often said those looking for luxury will be happiest in a Model S, while the Model 3 remains a much more...
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Major oil companies are beginning to take the threat of electric cars seriously, and the latest evidence comes from British Petroleum.
BP has begun discussions with electric-vehicle makers to partner...
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Decline of oil: Bloomberg suggests what it could look like
Predictions on the future of global energy vary greatly, but many analysts largely believe that peak demand for the oil industry is coming relatively soon. The world's largest oil companies, however, see it differently: they say their business will only continue to grow through the year 2040. Exxon...
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New propaganda video on electric-car tax credits: time to debunk!
The U.S. federal income-tax credit for purchase of an electric car has seen its share of attacks over the years. Now a new video seeks to twist the facts to paint those subsidies in a bad light. While facts don't lie, it's easy to create a new narrative by taking carefully chosen facts out of...
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EPA museum may axe climate-change display, add one on coal
The museum at the Environmental Protection Agency may soon be in for an overhaul to reflect the agenda of the Trump administration. It's no secret Scott Pruitt, current EPA administrator and climate-science denier, has worked to deregulate many of the agency's regulatory efforts to promote fossil...
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Tesla Model 3 Easter eggs, discovered by board member Steve Jurvetson
The few dozen 2017 Tesla Model 3 owners who've already taken delivery of their electric cars will find a few surprises inside if they look closely enough. The Silicon Valley automaker handed over the first examples of its new Model 3 to customers, one of whom happens to be Steve Jurvetson...
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Porsche prototype 350-kw electric car fast-charging station installed
Porsche has big plans to expand the capability of the Combined Charging System (CCS) DC standard into much higher voltages to allow much faster electric-car charging. Now, it's completed a first step: at the brand's new branch office in Berlin-Adlershof, Porsche has installed a prototype...
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The name Green4U is likely not well-known by many, but the company aims to change that with the introduction of an all-electric race car.
The company is the latest project by Don Panoz, best known as...
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U.S. government climate scientists restricted, sidelined, limited
Months into Donald Trump's presidency, it is clear the administration has worked diligently to downplay the role of science in setting policy on energy. Some moves to diminish scientists' roles have been more evident than others, but a new report details what has gone on behind the scenes. In...
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Mercedes, Porsche to join Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Renault in Formula E racing
The changing of the guards in motor racing is underway: both Porsche and Mercedes-Benz have announced they will join the FIA Formula E electric-car racing series in 2019. To make that possible, both German teams will end their tenures in respected motorsport; Porsche will end its World Endurance...
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UK to ban diesel, gasoline car sales by 2040; follows France, Norway, Holland bans
The United Kingdom will follow in the footsteps of some European countries as it announced plans to ban the sale of gasoline- and diesel-powered cars by the year 2040. The initiative closely follows a similar announcement from France, which also declared 2040 as the year it will phase out...
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Chinese maker BYD plans U.S. expansion into other electric industrial vehicles
It's been several years since Chinese electric-car maker BYD retreated from plans to sell cars in the United States, but now it may be ready to get more serious about the market. BYD has found success in building and selling electric buses for public transportation agencies, but it has not yet...
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National Drive Electric Week to be bigger than ever: 175 events so far
The White House's energy week may have been low on renewable and zero emission technology, but National Drive Electric Week is poised to make up for it. Each year, Plug In America, the Electric Auto Association, and the Sierra Club join forces to implement one week of electric car events, parades...
Sean Szymkowski