China
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The International Energy Agency's report "A Tale of Renewed Cities" predicts that global vehicle usage will increase sharply by 2050, with China leading the way.
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Will Tesla Trademark Tangle Delay Electric Car's China Launch?With its Model S on sale in the U.S. for more than a year now, and the first European delivery in Norway this month, Tesla is turning its attention to China. The company has already built a showroom in Beijing's Parkview Green Fangcaodi mall, says Reuters, but it sits boarded up without the...
John Voelcker -
Chinese Electric Car Maker Dubs Its Top-Secret Tech 'Snowden,' After You-Know-WhoSometimes, you just can't make them up. A small Chinese electric car firm is currently seeking permission to name its new electric car technology 'Snowden'--named for the former U.S. intelligence contractor now in political asylum in Russia, after leaking top-secret mass surveillance details to the...
Antony Ingram -
Cars Bursting Into Flames All Over China--And They're Not ElectricDiscovering fire is undoubtedly a high point in mankind's history, but it's easy to overlook its benefits when it's consuming something you own. We'll forgive you if your thoughts turned towards electric cars at this stage. After all, the last few years have seen a few high-profile electric car...
Antony Ingram -
Solar Power Initiative By DoE Could Make Grid Electricity Cleaner, CheaperSome of our electric car-owning readers already reap the benefits of solar energy with roof-mounted panels, but on a grid level solar still has a long way to go. The U.S. Department of Energy wants to change that, revealing targets that would mean one third of the Western U.S. energy demands could...
Antony Ingram -
Tesla In China: Promised Land, Huge Risks...Or Both?Despite its pollution problems, China has never shown much interest in the electric car and sales have been a mere fraction of a fraction of the country's huge new car market. Not that Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] CEO Elon Musk is put off by unfavorable odds, as he pushes towards Tesla sales in China...
Antony Ingram -
We cover China's air pollution problems with depressing frequency on Green Car Reports, but the country's pollution problems have until now been far more than token schemes are able to deal with. That could change over the next few years, as the Chinese government pledges to invest $283 billion to tackle air pollution. According to state newspaper The China Daily (via CBC News), the sum will go towards measures aimed at a "visible improvement" in the near-opaque air in many Chinese cities. Beijing, nearby Tianjin and the Hebei province will be the main benefactors of the investment...
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Yet Another Chinese Suitor For Fisker: BAIC Kicks The TiresWe haven't heard much about Fisker Automotive in the last few months. The company still hasn't declared bankruptcy, it hasn't yet been bought, and it is still apparently in default on its Department of Energy loans. But now there's a new suitor who's at least kicking the tires. According to China...
John Voelcker -
Tesla Model S Early Orders In Hong Kong Strong, Says CompanyAn inordinate quantity of the internet's exotic car pictures seem to originate from Hong Kong. People certainly appreciate their fancy cars over there, that's for sure. That may explain why, despite the city's slow electric car sales up until now, orders for the Tesla Model S electric sedan are...
Antony Ingram -
Smog-Choked Chinese City Bans Car Sales, Adds Lottery For PermitsChina is fast becoming an air quality disaster zone. On several occasions over the past six months, smog levels in major cities have reached hazardous levels, requiring fast action and dramatic changes from policymakers. The latest can be found in Shijiazhuang, the capital city of the...
Antony Ingram -
Beijing Adds Pollution Tax To Fuel To Curb Huge Smog ProblemsSmog-choked Chinese capital Beijing will be the first city in the country to introduce a new pollution tax. Following months of pollution far above safe levels, major Chinese cities have scrabbled to find a solution for improving air quality. Gasgoo reports Beijing will introduce a new tax this...
Antony Ingram -
Greentech Auto's Electric Sedan: Haven't We Seen This Before?Suppose you took a Chinese-made compact sedan, converted it to a battery-electric vehicle, and sold it in the U.S. market. Does that story line sound familiar? If so, you may be thinking of Coda Automotive, the now-all-but-defunct maker of the 2012 Coda Sedan. Coda flashed into our minds on reading...
John Voelcker -
China might be one of the biggest car markets on the planet, but for makers of electric and hybrid vehicles, it's a tough one to crack. The same cannot be said for electric bicycles, though. The country's love of bicycles is well-publicized, but the market penetration of electric bikes still shocks. Navigant Research suggests there are as many as 2,700 to 3,000 electric two-wheel vehicle producers in the country. That's producers alone, not a sales figure. Those are even more staggering, with over eight million sales when electrified scooters and bicycles are consolidated. In 2012, the...
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Toyota Unveils Green Car Concepts At Auto Shanghai ShowAs China becomes a larger player on the world car market, shows like that in Shanghai this week will become bigger and more important each year. Toyota has already spotted the importance of the Shanghai Auto Show, launching two new green concepts. The first of these is the uniquely-named Yundong...
Antony Ingram -
BYD To Build Only Electric Cars, End Production Of Gasoline Cars?Chinese automaker BYD, or 'Build Your Dreams', could be on the verge of abandoning convenionally-fueled car production in favor of electric vehicles. Already known for electric vehicles like the e6 crossover, BYD is aiming for a "re-birth" plan to counter a recent slump in sales. Reuters reports...
Antony Ingram -
2014 Ford Fusion: 1.5-Liter EcoBoost Engine For China, Coming To U.S.--MaybeThere have been several rumors flying around as to the full details of Ford's new 1.5-liter Ecoboost engine. The first of these relates to how many cylinders the new unit has. Ford's crypic press release didn't make this clear, with no menion of a cylinder count. Road & Track however has heard...
Antony Ingram -
China To Build EcoMotors' Efficient Opposed-Piston EnginesHistory makes fools of us all sometimes, none more so than when we dismiss certain ideas out of hand, only for them to come back years later and eat our words. That's why we're always intrigued by companies claiming to reinvent the engine. One of them might well do so, given the right resources...
Antony Ingram -
Ford Focus Tops Toyota Corolla As Planet's Most Popular VehicleFord sold over one million examples of its Focus last year. That alone is impressive, but there's deeper meaning to the high sales statistic--for the first time, the Focus has overtaken its Japanese rival, the Toyota Corolla, at the top of the global sales charts. Thanks to the U.S. and...
Antony Ingram -
Carlos Ghosn is a busy man. In charge of the Renault-Nissan Alliance, his remit includes the diverse product lines of each company and most recently, each carmaker's electric vehicle range, too. Speaking to Leaf owners at a jamboree at Kansai University, Japan, Ghosn is still positive about each company's electric car prospects. Capturing enthusiasm Ghosn first talks about increasing sales. Early figures haven't quite matched the company's estimates, and poor exchange rates haven't helped matters. "We have a car that technically is fit. Quality is under control. We're working to reduce the...
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China Imposes Much Tougher Fuel-Efficiency Standards On New CarsChina's ongoing and recent air pollution issues are leading to swift rethinking of the country's transport policy. After several months of choking smog engulfing its major cities, the country has finally imposed strict fuel economy standards in a bid to cut fuel use--and pollution. Reuters reports...
Antony Ingram -
Oh, By The Way? The Era Of The Private Car Is OverAs a reader of this blog -- a blog about cars -- chances are good that you own a car yourself. That's not unusual: today, many Americans depend on automobiles to get to work, to run errands, to see friends and loved ones. But as Emily Badger at The Atlantic points out, tomorrow will likely be a...
Richard Read -
Despite Pollution, China Still Isn't Committed To Electric CarsThe images have made for grim viewing even if you don't live within the frame: Pictures and details emerging from China earlier this year showed smog on levels not previously recorded. Streets were choked and people were strongly advised to stay indoors, and avoid any sort of activity that might...
Antony Ingram -
Chinese Automakers Bidding For Fisker Automotive: ReportChinese companies Geely and Dongfeng are said to be among bidders from "different continents" looking for a controlling stake in troubled automaker Fisker Automotive. Fisker, which has suffered setback after setback over the last few years of its Karma range-extended sedan being on sale, is...
Antony Ingram -
VW Developing $8K Budget Car For Chinese Market: ReportTo the average U.S. car buyer, the Volkswagen Up minicar will seem pretty basic. Deliberately designed to compete at the bottom of the European market, it always feels like a quality product--but always like a minimalist one too, with few of the bells and whistles found on most cars--unless you pay...
Antony Ingram