Car Sales
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Earlier this week we reported the Model 3 is possibly the fifth best-selling car in the U.S., based on Tesla’s update on deliveries. These Model 3 numbers released Tuesday are likely an anomaly; they’re based on a coordinated surge in U.S. deliveries in September. But also to be fair, we missed one other distinction: The Tesla Model 3 was, pending confirmation from a wide range of sources—also in September—the best-selling passenger car from a U.S. automaker. CHECK OUT: Will Tesla Model 3 be most "made in America" car, beating Toyota Camry? The website...
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2018 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid price drops by $1,350The 2018 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid may cost car shoppers less, the company announced last week. The price drop on base models will save buyers $1,350 on 2018 models, which should help the car attract more customers. It comes in the same two trim levels as before. Base models will start at...
Eric C. Evarts -
Tesla dominated electric-car sales in Canada in JuneElectric cars accounted for nearly 3 percent of all passenger vehicles sold in Canada in June, thanks to a surge of Tesla Model 3 deliveries. With the California-based automaker famously coy about country-by-country deliveries, June delivery data won’t be finalized until later this month...
Matthew Klippenstein -
Plug-in electric car sales for April: Leaf sales lag, spendy Porsches take offThe landscape for plug-in electric and hybrid cars appears to be little changed.
Aaron Cole -
2018 Hyundai Ioniq Electric "Unlimited" subscription more limited this yearWhile global demand for the Hyundai Ioniq Electric appears to be strong, supplies have remained limited. The battery-electric compact hatchback, rated at 124 miles of range by the EPA, forgoes the "weird styling" of contenders like the previous Nissan Leaf. In the U.S., however, the all-electric...
John Voelcker -
Lexus lowers hybrid prices to reduce premium over gasoline substantiallyGas is cheap in the U.S. and has been for years. Hybrids are no longer a cutting-edge or cool technology; they're just another powertrain. The result is that hybrids have been quietly ebbing as a proportion of total vehicle sales. DON'T MISS: 2018 Lexus RX 450hL hybrid three-row SUV priced from...
John Voelcker -
How to sell electric cars in these early years poses a quandry for all automakers. Tesla chose to avoid existing franchised dealerships and set up its own "stores," where shoppers can learn about plug-in electric vehicles, and their advantages, and have questions answered by Tesla representatives. Buyers then order online. Other makers have had less success with dropping an electric car or two into dealerships accustomed to gasoline vehicles. DON'T MISS: Car dealers are woefully unprepared for electric vehicles: study Today, Renault will open its first electric-car-only showroom to display...
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How to buy or lease an electric car: advice from owner who's done it four timesMost shoppers seem to view visiting a franchised auto dealer to negotiate the purchase or lease of a new car with a distinct lack of enthusiasm. In fact, as electric-car driver Douglas Kerr notes, the process is often compared to having a cavity filled. Kerr has now leased or bought four separate...
John Voelcker -
Dealers start to worry about ebbing repair income from electric carsThe average vehicle on U.S. roads these days is more than 10 years old, despite three successive years of record new-vehicle sales. That's a result not only of the 2008-2010 recession but also vastly more durable and reliable vehicles compared to those of previous decades. All of those vehicles...
John Voelcker -
Looking at leases on 2018 Nissan Leaf electric car: how do they stack up?This past Tuesday, the 2018 Nissan Leaf—an entirely redesigned second generation of the pioneering electric car—officially went on sale in the U.S. It's quicker and has more features than its predecessors, not to mention a significantly longer range: 151 miles combined, according to the...
John Voelcker -
Why everyone leases electric cars rather than buying (and maybe you should too)Leases are a minority of overall car sales in the U.S., though the numbers soar for pricier luxury vehicles versus the less expensive, plain-Jane vehicles that serve as daily transport for most drivers. That rule flips for electric cars: Most pricey Teslas appear to be purchased outright, while...
John Voelcker -
First Euro prices for Jaguar I-Pace electric car released; US $70K to $80K?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...
Mark Stevenson -
Since Tesla began selling electric cars directly to customers throughout the U.S., the electric-vehicle maker has had to play franchise-law whack-a-mole in multiple state courts. On Tuesday, Tesla scored a decisive victory when the Missouri Court of Appeals reversed a lower court's ruling that would have left Tesla without a state dealer license. In the court's ruling, the judge criticized the tactics of the Missouri Auto Dealers Association, Tesla's opponent. DON'T MISS: Tesla can still sell cars in Missouri stores, pending appeal, after dealer lobby lauds victory According to the St. Louis...
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Car dealers are woefully unprepared for electric vehicles: studyYet another study has revealed that many dealerships across the United States still don't prioritize electric cars and haven't prepared for their growth. The latest report showed dealerships still practice the same unhealthy habits uncovered in earlier studies, including a lack of electric-car...
Sean Szymkowski -
2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid starts at $34,290 with 47-mile rangeThe 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid will start at a recommended price of $34,290 including delivery, making it the least expensive plug-in hybrid sedan on the market this year. Honda says it will go on sale December 1, and it will be offered at all Honda dealers in the U.S. That means that for...
John Voelcker -
New entry-level 2018 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid LE model starts at $28,100Toyota's popular RAV4 crossover utility vehicle will gain a new entry-level hybrid trim for the 2018 model year, offering a remarkably good price against a gasoline-only RAV4 crossover. The 2018 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid LE trim lets buyers choose the greater fuel efficiency of a hybrid powertrain for...
Sean Szymkowski -
Canada electric-car news: EV Awards, surging Solo sales, electric-bus boomComing in mid-October, Canadian Thanksgiving roughly coincides with the return of ice hockey. This year, the country’s plug-in electric vehicle fans have their own reasons for giving thanks—and not just because the National Hockey League followed Tesla’s lead and expanded into...
Matthew Klippenstein -
Tesla has now sold 250,000 electric cars, more than GM (but fewer than Nissan)Electric-car maker Tesla posted its best quarterly sales results in company history after it closed out the third quarter with 26,150 units sold. Despite the figure's cause for celebration, the figure may be interpreted as a downside by some since the third quarter's sales in 2017 just inched past...
Sean Szymkowski -
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 the 2018 version. Comparing the two 2017 compact electric hatchbacks shows significant differences in range and lease cost. DON'T MISS: 2017 Volkswagen e-Golf, 125-mile electric car, starts at $31,315 Surprisingly, the top version of the electric car with the lower EPA-rated range (the 2017 VW...
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Toyota Prius owners: Hyundai will give you $1,000 to buy an Ioniq HybridThe 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 -
Latest Tesla referral programs draw new CA dealer lobby complaintTesla has once again ruffled the feathers of the California New Car Dealers Association with a new round of referral programs. The Silicon Valley automaker has used referral programs for years; they usually provide perks for current owners who get friends, coworkers, and colleagues to buy a new...
Sean Szymkowski -
China's electric-car sales now twice those in US for Jan-June 2017Hard numbers provide the latest evidence that shows China is by far the world's largest market for plug-in cars—or new energy vehicles, as they are referred to locally. The latest round of sales figures show the Chinese bought almost exactly twice the number of plug-in vehicles as car buyers...
Sean Szymkowski -
Tesla wins Michigan court fight to get e-mails by lobbyist, lawmakerAs a Tesla lawsuit over the state of Michigan's dealership franchise law grinds on, the Silicon Valley automaker scored a recent legal victory. A federal magistrate has ordered two Michigan lawmakers to turn over their communications to the company's lawyers, including emails they sent to lobbyist...
Sean Szymkowski -
Tesla Model 3 won't be delivered in Michigan to buyers; lawsuit grinds onAn 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...
Sean Szymkowski