2017
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Owners of the plug-in hybrid minivan are being warned not to plug in and not to park inside a garage.
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2017-2019 Hyundai Ioniq Electric recalled for rare unintended-acceleration issue
A bad electrical ground is being blamed for a rare issue potentially creating continued acceleration after the driver lifts off the pedal.
Stephen Edelstein -
2017-2018 Kia Optima Hybrid, 2017 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid recalled for engine issue
An issue with the gasoline engine in some hybrid models from Kia and Hyundai has triggered a recall—and in some cases, a warranty extension.
Stephen Edelstein -
2018 Nissan Leaf battery technology, a deep dive
When the first-generation Nissan Leaf debuted in 2011, it quickly became the best-selling electric car in history, with no real competition. By the time the most recent version debuted in 2017, it was nearly outdated before it left dealers’ lots due to a shorter range than rivals from Tesla...
Green Car Reports -
2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car: owners' impressions after a year
Californians got the chance to buy Chevrolet Bolt EV electric cars before everyone else, and the compact hatchback has sold well in the state, aided by its 238-mile rated range. Last February, readers John and Mimi Porter of San Diego shared their first impressions of the new silver Bolt EV they...
John Voelcker -
Tesla Model 3 Long Range rating of 310 miles: Is it understated?
Amidst all the coverage on Wednesday of the Tesla Model 3 production numbers, we realized we'd forgotten one piece of the Model 3 saga. That would be the official EPA range and efficiency ratings for the 2017 Tesla Model 3 Long Range version. Those were issued at the end of November, and they...
John Voelcker -
When the history of modern electric cars is written, the BMW i3 will likely go down as something of an anomaly. Its carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic body shell, aluminum underpinnings, and battery-electric powertrain with an optional range extender are a combination not offered by any other maker, now or perhaps ever. We spent four days and 316 miles with a new 2017 BMW i3 REx model this past August, and have been mulling over our impressions of the car ever since. DON'T MISS: BMW i3 REx: owner's 3 years with range-extended electric car Our test 2017 BMW i3 came with the optional REx...
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How many Model 3s will Tesla deliver by Dec 31? Twitter poll results, again
What a difference a few months makes. In June, one month before the delivery of the first 30 Tesla Model 3, we polled our Twitter followers on how many of the lower-priced electric cars Tesla would deliver by the end of this year. The view then was pretty rosy, with more than half the respondents...
John Voelcker -
Configuring a Tesla Model 3: buyer walks through the process with us
Very few of the 455,000 people who put down $1,000 to reserve a place in line for the Tesla Model 3 electric car have received the opportunity yet to configure their cars online and place a firm order. The volume of Model 3s is still apparently at low numbers—a few hundred last month...
John Voelcker -
How many Model 3s will Tesla deliver by Dec 31? Take our Twitter poll, again
More than five months ago, before the 2017 Tesla Model 3 officially launched, we published the results of a poll asking how many of the lower-priced electric cars would be delivered by the end of this year. Survey respondents on Twitter were optimistic, with more than half suggesting Tesla would...
John Voelcker -
Tesla Model 3 video review compares lower-priced electric car to Model S
There have been no full reviews of the 2017 Tesla Model 3 to date by automotive media outlets, meaning professional test drivers spend a few days with the car putting it through a standard battery of tests. A few early video reviews, apparently by owners, have also vanished from the Internet...
John Voelcker -
2017 Volkswagen e-Golf: weekend drive report and range test
The thought came like a flash while on the highway heading into New York's Catskill Mountains: This is what all cars will be like soon. The 2017 Volkswagen e-Golf is absolutely the most normal, invisible, unremarkable electric car you can buy today. No one knew it was electric, or paid it any...
John Voelcker -
Only one topic really mattered in the Tesla third-quarter financial results call for analysts held Wednesday afternoon: Model 3. In light of far lower September deliveries than promised as late as July by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, all interest focused on the more-affordable, higher-volume electric car that's meant to catapult Tesla to selling half a million cars a year. The news for October deliveries was, to put it bluntly, not good. DON'T MISS: Parts order for Tesla Model 3 cut by 40 percent starting in December: report Model 3 deliveries had kicked off in late July with a highly touted ceremony...
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Tesla Model 3 interior details, features emerge from pair of videos
While the 2017 Tesla Model 3 electric car is now being delivered in small numbers to company friends and employees, not all the specifications, features, and details for the electric car are available. Now more information has emerged, in the form of a pair of videos—one by a detailer and...
John Voelcker -
RWD Tesla Model S 75 gone after September 24, as electric-car range continues to change
This year has seen a dizzying profusion of changes to the features, options, and available versions of the Tesla Model S luxury electric car, now in its sixth model year. Anyone who wants to buy a new Model S with rear-wheel drive, however, must act fast. The 2017 Tesla Model S 75, the sole variant...
John Voelcker -
2017 VW e-Golf lease can cost more than longer-range Chevy Bolt EV
Model years can be confusing: the 2017 Volkswagen e-Golf electric car just went on sale this month, at a time when some other makers have already rolled out 2018 models. The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV, meanwhile, went on sale since last December; at some point this fall, we expect to get information on...
John Voelcker -
2017 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid: review of plug-in hybrid SUV
The Porsche Cayenne is the second best-selling vehicle in the German sports-car maker's North American lineup, as SUV sales swamp those of passenger cars at luxury brands. A considerable number of the pricey SUV models sold here have been the Cayenne S E-Hybrid plug-in hybrid variant: 1,316 out of...
John Voelcker -
Life with Tesla Model S: assessing my new 100D vs old 2013 electric car
About two years ago, under the influence of an eager Tesla representative, I briefly considered trading in my trusty 2013 Tesla Model S 85 for a new Model S 90D. But after a 24-hour test drive, the advantages of the 90D—40 miles more range, all-wheel drive, and Autopilot...
David Noland -
The deals, incentives, and rebates currently available on the 2017 Nissan Leaf are generous and well documented. A handful of utility companies across the United States have offered generous discounts, likely backed by Nissan itself, to move the current-generation Leaf from dealerships to driveways. All of this has occurred as the 2018 Nissan Leaf prepares to launch early next year in North America. DON'T MISS: Nine things you should know about the 2018 Nissan Leaf electric car One YouTuber recently documented his electric-car purchasing journey and explained why he bought a 2017 Nissan Leaf...
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Toyota Prius owners: Hyundai will give you $1,000 to buy an Ioniq Hybrid
The Toyota Prius is undoubtedly the world's best-known hybrid car, and it's now been in production over four generations for more than 20 years. There have been more than 6 million Priuses built so far, and the U.S. represents the car's largest single market. That means lots of current Prius...
John Voelcker -
2017 Volkswagen e-Golf, 125-mile electric car, starts at $31,315
The 2017 Volkswagen e-Golf gets several notable updates, including a larger battery pack and more powerful electric motor.
Stephen Edelstein -
2017 Chevy Bolt EV battery may fail due to faulty cell; new pack needed for a few GM electric cars (updated)
General Motors has informed "a few hundred" owners of 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric cars that their cars could suffer from a problem with the lithium-ion battery pack that could cause it to fail without warning. The cars were among the very earliest Bolt EVs produced for public sale, so are...
John Voelcker -
Chevy Bolt EV reviewed by BMW i3 driver: electric cars compared
Owners of specific electric cars sometimes tend to become boosters and fans for their particular EV as well as plugging in to drive in general. So it was with Tom Moloughney, whose purchase of the very first 2014 BMW i3 REx range-extended electric car in the U.S. he wrote about for us three years...
John Voelcker -
Does Tesla Model 3 compete with Bolt EV and Leaf, or BMW 3-Series?
There's a new generation of the BMW 3-Series sport sedan coming next year, and rumors suggest there will be an all-electric version in 2019 or 2020. If so, there's only one car that it would be targeting: the Tesla Model 3, the 220-mile or 310-mile electric sedan from the Silicon Valley carmaker...
John Voelcker