compliance car
-
When Toyota and Mazda said last September they would form a joint venture to produce electric-car parts, that answered the question of where Mazda's future plug-in vehicles would get their electric running gear. But it sparked another question: Where did that leave Subaru, another small automaker in the Toyota orbit? A week ago Monday, we learned the answer to that question: Subaru too will rely on Toyota for its plug-in hybrid systems. CHECK OUT: If Toyota and Mazda make electric cars together, where's Subaru? (Oct 2017) This had been widely surmised among industry observers, but now it's...
-
2018 Fiat 500e preview
When the Fiat 500e electric minicar launched in 2013, its range was rated at 87 miles, but its most distinctive feature was its wickedly fun-to-drive character. Six years later, the fun driving remains the same—and the range has fallen slightly to 84 miles, based on changes to EPA test...
John Voelcker -
Used Fiat 500e electric cars outside California: is service an issue for buyers?
So you've always wanted to drive a battery-electric car, but you're a frugal and sensible shopper who's noticed that prices of used electric cars are remarkably low. And you always through the Fiat 500 was kind of interesting; the idea of a tiny three-door all-electric hatchback appealed to you...
John Voelcker -
Autocrossing a Fiat 500e electric car for first, maybe last, time
When we published an article on one owner's experience using his Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car to compete in a local autocross, it contained a comment that riled up our reader Doug Kerr. That comment—"Outside of one high-performance electric vehicle, casual electric cars are hardly the...
John Voelcker -
2017 Honda Clarity Electric to lease for $269 a month, starting in August
What would you pay to lease a smooth, quiet, comfortable, relatively luxurious mid-size electric sedan with only about 90 miles of range? Honda hopes the answer is $269 a month with $1,730 down, on a three-year lease that takes advantage of the federal income-tax credit for electric-car purchase...
John Voelcker -
Honda to launch electric car in China next year too, joining Toyota, reluctantly
While corporate average fuel-economy standards through 2021 remain in place in the U.S., automakers are preparing their case to argue for delays in further tightening. Meanwhile, China is turning the policy screws on automakers operating in the country, telling them they must sell more electric...
John Voelcker -
One of the more eagerly awaited all-electric cars coming to market this year has been the 2018 Honda Clarity EV. It's a battery-electric version of the 2017 Clarity Fuel Cell already on sale in some regions of California, powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. But unlike most of the pure electric cars on the U.S. market, the Clarity is a mid-size sedan. DON'T MISS: Honda Clarity Fuel Cell marketing theme: thinking about tomorrow That distinguishes it from more than a dozen of the battery-electric offerings over the last five years, all of which have been small five-door hatchbacks. But while its...
-
Plug-in electric car sales for Jan: Bolt EV over 1,100 in second month
While the auto industry at large waited to see if January sales continued as strong as last year's record-breaking total, electric-car fans waited for a different number. That was the number of Chevrolet Bolt EVs sold last month, the car's first full month on sale, albeit in a small number of...
John Voelcker -
Deal of the year? Used Fiat 500e electric cars at $6,500?
It's well known by now that the used-car prices of low-range electric cars are low. Any 2011 through 2016 electric car not made by Tesla is likely to be cheap on a used-car lot due to worries about battery degradation and its effect on range. Used Nissan Leafs, for instance, can often be found for...
John Voelcker -
Far more Chevy Bolt EVs likely to be sold than compliance requires
General Motors only needs to sell a relatively small number of Chevrolet Bolt EV electric cars to satisfy California's zero-emission vehicle mandate.
Stephen Edelstein -
Mazda to offer electric car in 2019, maybe with range extender?
Mazda may launch an electric car in 2019.
Stephen Edelstein -
CA dealer offers Fiat 500e electric car at $49 a month, $0 down in Black Friday weekend deal
While Fiat Chrysler Automobiles refuses to say how many electric Fiat 500e cars it's sold over the past several years, there are likely more than many people think. We know the number is at least 7,000 from recall notices, for instance. And FCA is continuing with aggressive efforts to sell the...
John Voelcker -
Sales of plug-in electric cars in September chugged along steadily, with consistent sales from the Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid and a stronger number for the Nissan Leaf battery-electric car. Chevrolet logged 2,031 deliveries of its Volt hatchback, likely now almost all the new second-generation model, raising the year-to-date total to 16,326. That's well ahead of last year's pace, and it brings total Volt sales in the U.S. since December 2010 to 105,076. DON'T MISS: Tesla delivered 24,500 electric cars in Q3, holds firm on 2016 goal Nissan Leaf sales improved to their best monthly number since...
-
California may cap ZEV-credit sales; why it matters to Tesla, and for electric cars
California may cap ZEV credit sales to eliminate excess credits.
Stephen Edelstein -
Some 2015-2016 Ford Focus Electrics recalled for pinion-shaft problem
Certain Ford Focus Electric models are being recalled because they may lose power while driving.
Stephen Edelstein -
Plug-in electric car sales for May flat: Leaf struggles despite range boost
U.S. sales of cars with plugs were essentially flat last month, as low gas prices and perhaps anticipation of longer-range entries within months kept a lid on buyer interest. The second-generation Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid, now available throughout the country as a 2017 model, logged 1,901...
John Voelcker -
Bob Lutz called 2017 Chevy Bolt EV a 'compliance car'; is it?
Electric-car advocates are often passionate, with memories long enough to remember GM's 2004 destruction of its pioneering fleet of EV1 electric cars. Since then, the company has built and sold two generations of the Chevrolet Volt, with the launch of the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV imminent within a...
John Voelcker -
Plug-In Electric Car Sales In Jan: Steady, But Little To Celebrate
January has historically been a tough month for plug-in electric car sales, and last month doesn't look like it'll be an exception. Added to the usual winter slowdown in electric-vehicle sales were the effects of Winter Storm Jonas, which effectively closed parts of the Eastern Seaboard for several...
John Voelcker -
The U.S. new-vehicle market set a new record last year, with deliveries of new passenger cars and light trucks totaling 17.39 million. The previous record of 17.35 million was set in 2000. But battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles saw their totals fall slightly, from about 120,000 in 2014 to roughly 115,000 last year. DON'T MISS: Plug-In Electric Car Sales Continue Rise In 2014, To 118,500 (Jan 2015) As always, the numbers are somewhat approximate, given the handful of automakers who refuse to say how many plug-in vehicles they delivered in the U.S. That number includes Tesla Motors...
-
Updated 2017 Ford Focus Electric: 100-Mile Range, DC Fast Charging
When it was launched for 2012, the Ford Focus Electric hatchback was more or less competitive at 76 miles of range. Its major competitor, the Nissan Leaf, had 73 miles of range (increased for 2013 and later years to 84 miles). But times have changed, and in the face of increased electric range from...
John Voelcker -
Plug-In Electric Car Sales In Nov: Volt Strong, But Leaf, i3 Decline (UPDATED)
Sales of plug-in electric cars generally fall off a bit as the weather gets colder, and it's the same this year, with November sales slightly down on those of October. The new 2016 Chevrolet Volt continued strong, even though it's on sale only in California and a few other states, but weakness in...
John Voelcker -
All Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Cars Are Compliance Cars, For Now
When the first Honda Insight and Toyota Prius hybrids launched in 1999 and 2000, expectations for their sales were low. And hybrids indeed logged annual sales in the low thousands until the second-generation Prius came along for 2004. But the sales numbers for the earliest hybrids look...
John Voelcker -
Plug-In Electric Car Sales In July: Leaf Plummets, Volt Holds (FINAL UPDATE)
While May was a good month for sales of plug-in electric cars, the numbers sagged in June--and they appear to be doing the same for July. Last month's sales data has now arrived, and it looks like the lack of new and exciting plug-in vehicles, plus buyers' continuing infatuation with SUVs, have...
John Voelcker -
Fiat 500e Electric Car Software Issue Leads To Fourth Recall
The Fiat 500e electric car is recalled for the fourth time.
Stephen Edelstein