Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV)

  • Chevrolet Bolt EV being charged outside Go Forth electric-car showroom, Portland   [photo: Forth]

    Remember all those brownouts we experienced last week because everyone plugged in their electric cars? No? Oh right, that didn't happen. It still isn't happening. And it's unlikely to ever happen. That's the conclusion of a study by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), using infrastructure investment data from California's biggest electricity providers. DON'T MISS: Utility V2G test with BMW shows electric cars can aid the grid Using California—America's largest EV market— the NRDC blog post spells out two key takeaways as part of its study into demand on the grid from...

  • Smart crash test
    Insurance claims on electric cars vary hugely, though perhaps predictably

    When buying a car, one point to consider during the process should be insurance costs. Aside from any finance or lease payment, and fuel costs if you cover lots of miles in a not-very-efficient vehicle, insurance is likely your biggest car-related expense. Thankfully, the Insurance Institute for...

  • 2018 Nissan Leaf electric car, test-driven by Shiva of Fremont, California, Oct 2017
    2018 Nissan Leaf: an early Leaf driver's impressions (he has a Tesla too)

    First sales of the 2018 Nissan Leaf, the second generation of the pioneering electric car, should come this month. But Nissan has quietly been showing the 2018 Leaf to electric-car shoppers for several months now, hosting drives at dealerships and other venues. Several of our readers and...

  • Allego 175 kw Ultra-E Charging Station in Germany
    Europe takes the lead in very fast electric-car charging

    Europeans will soon have the opportunity to enjoy quiet, emission-free, long-distance motoring with far shorter charge times when driving electric cars along Germany's autobahns. The charging network Allego has rolled out its first 175-kilowatt ultra-fast charging stations—dubbed "Ultra...

  • 2018 BMW i3s
    2018 BMW i3s: range, efficiency lower for sportier model of electric car

    As a given generation of any vehicle ages, German companies in particular often spice up the allure of the aging car with new and sportier versions. Porsche is a master at rolling out new versions of its models across the entire life of a generation, but BMW has learned the trick too. Thus in the...

  • Fisker EMotion
    Before Fisker EMotion luxury electric sedan debut, founder touts future solid-state battery

    As they say, it's what's inside that counts. That's doubly so for Fisker, Inc., the second auto company founded by famed automotive designer Henrik Fisker. The first declared bankruptcy; its new Chinese owners renamed it Karma. In an interview with Car and Driver, Fisker (the man) claims...

  • Zev Gitalis takes his 97-year-old grandfather for a ride in his Tesla Model S electric car [YouTube]

    "I hear you got an electric car," says a 97-year-old man, looking every bit like a 97-year-old man, suspenders and all. "Is it outside?" The man behind the camera is Zev Gitalis, and the man in front of the camera is his grandfather. DON'T MISS: South's good ol' boy drag racers whupped by Tesla, not happy about it Outside sits not a Nissan Leaf nor a Chevrolet Volt, but a Tesla Model S awaiting its chance to astonish his paternal ancestor—and Zev caught the whole experience on camera. One idyllic summer afternoon in Toronto, Ontario, Zev's grandfather first inquired about the car from...

  • Chrome exhaust pipe
    2017's most important green car story: internal-combustion engine ban in China

    The most important green-car story of 2017 came on September 10, in a report by the Associated Press that covered articles in two Chinese state media outlets on a statement by a deputy industry minister. Speaking at "an auto industry forum," the AP wrote, Xin Guobin said his ministry has begun...

  • 2016 Tesla Model X on the street in Vancouver, BC, Canada  [photo: Matthew Klippenstein]
    Canadian electric-car news: apartment charging, electric trucks, Electra Meccanica Solo

    Of all the Canadian electric-car news that rounds out 2017, the Vancouver suburb of Richmond’s new requirement that 100 percent of apartments and condominiums be ready for plug-in vehicles may be the most significant. Access to charging in multi-unit residential buildings, or MURBs, has long...

  • Faraday Future FF 91
    Faraday Future, primary investor crushed by mounting debt, lawsuits

    Struggling Faraday Future and its founding investor Jia Yueting are facing financial and legal woes that threaten the company's existence. Jia specifically has been placed on an official list of debt defaulters on a website run by the Chinese government after the LeEco founder failed to follow a...

  • Tesla Semi
    If electric semi tractors are real, their running-cost advantage could be huge

    Emotions play a big role in purchases of passenger vehicles, but fleet decisions are generally driven by numbers, spreadsheets, and the almighty dollar. And it's in the equation of overall cost where early adopters of electric and other alternative-fuel semis could make a financial killing. Haulers...

  • 2018 Ford Fusion Energi
    Ford: China will lead our electric-car effort, 300-mile electric SUV to be built in Mexico

    As we start to look toward the 2019 model year, it's worth noting that Ford hasn't introduced a single new hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or electric vehicle since 2013. In fact, the company is now clearing the decks and killing off old models. The C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid tall hatchback went out of...

  • Volvo 40.2 concept

    Volvo has confirmed its second electric car for the brand will be a version of the V40 compact hatchback it plans to unveil within the year. Much like the all-electric Volkswagen e-Golf version of the standard Golf, Volvo will roll out a conventional version of its V40 hatchback on the new compact platform, then follow it up with an all-electric model at a later date. That car will be the third battery-electric model to use the company's Compact Modular Architecture (CMA), which now underpins the 2019 Volvo XC40 small crossover. DON'T MISS: 2019 Volvo XC40 small SUV to become brand's first...

  • Volkswagen MOIA electric ride-pooling van
    Volkswagen Moia electric mobility van is VW's Uber ride-sharing rival

    Every automaker has its niche. Mazda builds a brilliant (and efficient) sports car in the MX-5 Miata. Toyota pioneered the mass production of hybrid-electric vehicles 20 years ago with its Prius. The Tesla Model S made battery-electric vehicles exciting and desirable. And Volkswagen has diesel...

  • 2017 Tesla Model S
    All-wheel drive now standard on all Tesla Model S, Model X cars

    Tesla now offers roughly the same percentage of its model lineup with standard all-wheel-drive configuration as famed AWD proponent Subaru. The Silicon Valley electric-car maker has completely ditched rear-wheel drive in its Model S hatchback sedans and Model X crossover utility vehicles. Only its...

  • 2018 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid charging at Paso Robles Inn, Paso Robles, California, Dec 2017
    Electric car charging on the road has to be way, way better than it is today

    A couple of weeks ago, we charged a 2018 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid 15 times within two days. It was part of a contest during a two-day press drive for the car—though we were beaten by the team that charged their Niro a stunning 31 times in little more than 30 hours. But our experience...

  • 2018 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive Cabriolet, First Drive
    2018 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive Cabriolet first drive review: the perfect city car

    I try very hard to go into each review with an open mind, but in the case of the 2018 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive Cabriolet, I was prepared to dislike it. I expected an anemic driving experience in a vehicle that was somehow both small and cumbersome. I thought the Smart would be an automotive...

  • Santa delivers chocolates in electric Renault Zoe "sleigh"
    Santa Claus takes to UK streets in all-electric Renault Zoe 'sleigh'

    A publicity stunt by Renault in the United Kingdom had Santa Claus delivering chocolate all over the country earlier this month in a highly energy-efficient way. The social media campaign featured Santa testing a Renault Zoe EV, as a possible replacement for his reindeer-drawn sleigh. In all, Santa...

  • Jaguar I-Pace Concept, 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show

    While prices for the Jaguar I-Pace electric car that launches next year haven't been announced for the U.S., figures appearing across the pond provide a good starting point for some guesstimation. According to Dutch website Autoblog.nl, the I-Pace electric SUV will get a starting price of 82,000 EUR when it goes on sale this summer, with "First Edition" models topping 106,000 EUR. Straight conversions from Euros to U.S. dollars usually don't provide the best car-price estimates, but a Redditor attempted to tackle the math to figure out what you might expect to pay for an I-Pace here. DON'T...

  • 2015 Nissan Leaf
    Buyers still think used electric cars cost more than gas cars; they're wrong

    Some of us are perpetually on the hunt for a bargain, yet sometimes our preconceived notions get in the way of saving money on big purchases. Take car buying for instance. Many buyers will opt for a used car because we believe a new car is too expensive, but the truth is many new cars can be had...

  • Renault Fluence ZE charging at Better Place pubic charge spots in Israel [photo: Brian of London]
    How electric-car owners in condos can get their HOAs to OK charging stations

    It's no surprise the majority of electric-car owners today own their own homes. When you own your property, it's much easier to install a changing station in your garage, car port, or even on the wall of your home by the driveway. You only need to get permission from yourself, and possibly your...

  • Tesla Model 3 with BMW i3 driver Tom Moloughney, Dec 2017  [photo: Tom Moloughney]
    Tesla Model 3: impressions of a BMW i3 driver (and reservation holder)

    With DC fast charging fully electric vehicles can be charged to around 80% of their full battery capacity in under 30 minutes

  • Nio ES8 high-performance electric SUV
    Nio ES8 electric SUV to go on sale in China this month; half the price of Tesla Model X

    Another day, another electric vehicle from another startup carmaker in China enters the fray. The Chinese company Nio has now officially launched its first vehicle for the masses—an all-electric 480-kilowatt (644-horsepower) SUV to take on Tesla's Model X at just over half the price. The new...

  • BMW Group headquarters transformed into batteries in Munich
    BMW sold 100,000 plug-in cars this year: more than GM, probably Nissan too (Tesla TBD)

    You have to hand it to BMW. When the German automaker set out to eclipse last year's sales of plug-in cars by delivering 100,000 electrified vehicles globally this year, it was an ambitious goal. But as of the end of November, the automaker has achieved its goal—and in so doing has sold...

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