The Trump administration is aiming to revoke California’s ability to regulate tailpipe emissions. Volkswagen is making a new electric Beetle—but it’s not quite what you might think. Two-speeds are coming—to EVs. And we take a look at Ford’s latest and probably most important hybrid. All this and more at Green Car Reports.
Back after seven years, the 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid is again shaping up to be the most important hybrid in the automaker’s lineup—although this time it might really be more of a bridge to electric.
Even in the age of electric cars, multi-speed transmissions will persist. Two-speed gearboxes could be coming to more than the Porsche Taycan revealed earlier this week. They could make sense in a wide range of fully electric performance cars, pickups, or SUVs that need a special combination of low-speed hauling or extreme acceleration plus efficient high-speed cruising.
Volkswagen and a conversion company, eClassics, are teaming up to turn original Beetles to e-Beetles. What makes this conversion different is that it uses a production-level powertrain, from VW’s Europe-only e-Up.
The U.S. EPA and NHTSA, according to reports, are soon submitting a new national plan for fuel economy and emissions—one that would attempt to revoke California’s authority for regulating tailpipe emissions.
And watch out Porsche… maybe? Elon Musk has claimed that the Tesla Model S will make a run of Germany’s famous Nürburgring next week.
