Car Sales
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A Boston-area dealer is optimistic about electric cars.
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Tesla takes it to Michigan, opens gallery in state that bans sales of its electric cars
Tesla opened a "gallery" in Michigan that can show electric cars, but can't sell them.
Stephen Edelstein -
Tesla a 'predator,' dealer lobby howls; second VA store OKed anyway
Virginia auto dealers rally against Tesla's proposal for a second retail store in the state.
Stephen Edelstein -
Hyundai Ioniq electric car offered on 'Ioniq Unlimited' subscription model
Hyundai will offer a subscription-based service for its Ioniq Electric as an alternative to traditional leasing.
Stephen Edelstein -
2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell to lease for $369 a month
Honda still says the 2017 Clarity Fuel Cell will go on sale before the end of the year.
Stephen Edelstein -
Dealers save $500 for car buyers, lobby group claims; 'false,' says Politifact
Tesla Motors' direct-sales model for electric cars has rankled franchised auto dealers. Dealer associations have attempted to block Tesla direct sales in multiple states, and have undertaken public-relations campaigns extolling the virtues of the franchise model. One of the latest claims made by...
Stephen Edelstein -
As its new electric car gets closer to public sale, General Motors has apparently made its first allocations of 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EVs to Chevy dealers. The news comes via a posting on the GM-Volt forum from a southern California dealership. Rick Alpern, the general manager of Keyes Chevrolet in Van Nuys, California, wrote that the dealer had been allocated 78 Bolt EVs for its first delivery. DON'T MISS: 2017 Chevy Bolt EV: here's what can go wrong for electric-car pioneer The news was reported by HybridCars.com, which interviewed Alpern and confirmed his posting. He expects to know more in...
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Tesla sues Michigan over ban on direct sales of its electric cars
Earlier this month, an application for a dealer license submitted by Tesla Motors was denied by the state of Michigan. It was the final decision in a process that kicked off in October 2014. That was when a last-minute wording change in state franchise law foreclosed the electric-car maker's...
John Voelcker -
What is the maximum electric-car price for mass-market success? Poll results
A few weeks ago, we asked our Twitter followers how low electric-car prices would have to go for them to succeed in the market. The answers were revealing, because the sweet spot seemed to be around $25,000, the price chosen by half the respondents. Another quarter of the survey participants chose...
John Voelcker -
2017 Chevy Bolt EV price: electric car starts at $37,495 before incentives (as promised)
The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car will carry a price of $37,495 for the base LT trim level, including the mandatory destination charge, before incentives. The Bolt EV Premier model starts at $41,780 before incentives. The Premier trim includes front and rear heated and leather-appointed...
John Voelcker -
Michigan says selling Tesla electric cars in state is illegal, again
Michigan denied Tesla's application for a dealership license.
Stephen Edelstein -
VA may deny Tesla a store license; dealers say they want to sell Teslas
Virginia's Department of Motor Vehicles will likely deny Tesla a license for a second retail store.
Stephen Edelstein -
One of the challenges of making and selling electric cars is that their batteries are still expensive. And despite some makers' absorbing losses on the earliest cars, that means they sell for prices higher than those of similarly sized vehicles with combustion engines. Sure, owners will save money on running costs—but most shoppers will never get that far. DON'T MISS: What's the minimum electric-car range for mass acceptance? Poll results When the first 2011 Nissan Leaf was launched, it was roughly twice the price of the Nissan Sentra compact sedan that sat next to it on the showroom...
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A dealer trainer tried to buy a car; he now calls car dealers 'clueless'
Buying a car isn't easy, even for someone who trains car dealers.
Stephen Edelstein -
What it took to buy an electric car in Texas: the good, the bad, and the ugly
Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to locate and purchase or lease a Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid somewhere in the heart of Texas oil country. Hoping to make Tom Cruise proud, I accepted the mission. But first, a bit of perspective: in 2005 I had set out to purchase a Mercury Mariner...
John Voelcker -
Multi-brand electric-car dealer to open in Canada after Iceland test
EVEN Electric plans to sell electric cars through multi-brand dealerships.
Stephen Edelstein -
2017 Honda Fit priced, unchanged
The 2017 Honda Fit enters the new model year virtually unchanged.
Stephen Edelstein -
Tesla takes dealership fight in Utah to state supreme court
Tesla still intends to take its case to the Utah Supreme Court.
Stephen Edelstein -
The Sierra Club has recommendations for automakers, dealers, and policymakers on improving the electric-car sales experience.
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Tesla opens new electric-car store in San Francisco, to serve as flagship
Tesla opens its largest North America store as part of an overall retail push.
Stephen Edelstein -
Electric-car shopping far too hard; dealers, carmakers can improve, says report
Dealers may be an obstacle to increased electric-car adoption, according to a Sierra Club report.
Stephen Edelstein -
Michigan won't let Tesla sell cars, but state fund invests in company (irony alert)
The Michigan Treasury Department increased its stake in Tesla in the second quarter.
Stephen Edelstein -
Karma Revero (nee Fisker) to blend dealers and Tesla-like showrooms
Karma Automotive plans to use both franchised dealerships and company-owned "brand experience centers."
Stephen Edelstein -
Is Toyota Prius hybrid simply passe now that plug-in cars are here?
The Toyota Prius faces increased competition from plug-in electric cars.
Stephen Edelstein