Electric
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Many states offer discounts, rebates, and other incentives for the purchase of infrastructure improvements that encourage electric-car ownership. Washington is one such state, providing tax breaks on charging stations and similar EV-related devices. Unfortunately, Home Depot sales associates weren't aware of the program, which made charging station purchases exempt from sales tax -- or rather, they weren't telling customers about it. The problem came to light when a Seattle-area farmer visited Home Depot to purchase a charging station. The store didn't have any in stock and directed him to...
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Electric Vehicle Tourism Sparks Washington State: TEDx Video
Back in February, the folks at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington hosted a TEDx conference. One of the event's speakers was Ron Johnston-Rodriguez. Johnstron-Rodriguez founded Plug In North Central Washington. That sounds as if it might be a regional chapter of Plug In America, but its...
Richard Read -
99 Years Later, Electric Car 'Sociability Run' Honored In DC
This is a momentous year for electric car fans: the 99th anniversary of Washington, D.C.'s historic Electric Sociability Run of 1914. To commemorate that event, enthusiasts are planning a similar rally this Memorial Day weekend. Many, if not most folks in America are familiar with today's electric...
Richard Read -
Can Electric Cars & Hybrids Interfere With Pacemakers?
The first internal pacemakers were developed in the 1950s. Heart patients were naturally skeptical: How does it run? Will the battery die? Can I be electrocuted? Just two decades later, the devices had become commonplace. The Six-Million Dollar Man went prime time, and humanity was making its first...
Richard Read -
Would You Want To Buy This Subcompact Electric Car? (Video)
The Renault Zoe is quietly winding its way toward French electric car-enthusiasts, and Renault has launched a new video that shows off some the pint-sized ride's high-tech features.
Richard Read -
Toyota i-Road Electric Urban Minicar Swarms The Roads (Video)
There's a lot to like about auto shows. Seeing new production models can be truly exciting, and chatting with industry insiders offers new perspectives on the automotive world. But for many folks, the best part of any auto show is the abundance of concept cars. Like haute couture clothing, concept...
Richard Read -
Almost two years ago, I took delivery of one of the very first 2011 Nissan Leafs to be imported into the United Kingdom. With its two-year anniversary approaching, and more than 32,000 miles on the clock, has our family's opinion of the Nissan Leaf changed? What has life with the car been like? And do we regret buying it? Just as we said last year, our 2011 Nissan Leaf has generally aged appropriately. But let's start at the beginning. In late March 2011, we drove our new family car 45 miles home from the dealership, plugged it in for the first time, and named the resplendent red car Hiro...
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Yep, Car Buyers Rate Fuel Economy Number One, But...
There's good news and bad news for green car fans in the latest J.D. Power and Associates Avoider Study. For a decade, that study has interviewed recent car buyers, asking detailed questions about their purchase decisions. As you might guess from the title of the survey, Power focuses not only on...
Richard Read -
People Will Buy Electric Cars If They're Cheap, Privileged, And Convenient
Electric cars may be growing in popularity, but they still make up just a tiny percentage of the U.S. auto market. When will things take off? If sales in Norway are any indication, that will happen when electric vehicles become inexpensive, easy to own, and confer certain privileges. According to...
Richard Read -
Sales Of Hybrids & Electric Cars Surge 73% In 2012
Eco-minded shoppers have seen environmental issues take up more space in the news, and they've known that it was simply a matter of time before those concerns began affecting the sorts of vehicles we drive. Now, mainstream consumers are beginning to see the light. The change hasn't come overnight...
Richard Read -
Learning To Drive In A Nissan Leaf: Video
Last year, Michael Thwaite wrote about the experience of teaching his daughter to drive in a MINI E. As he pointed out, the all-electric car made for a smooth ride, which helped cool his nerves and those of his daughter. Also, the low speeds they maintained on the training course meant that hours...
Richard Read -
Finally! A Nissan Leaf Global Ad That Everyone Understands
In a few months’ time, the Nissan Leaf electric car will have been on sale in the U.S. for two years. While a steady--if slow--stream of Leafs have left dealers all over the U.S. since, Nissan, like some of its rivals, has struggled to find the right way of advertising its first plug-in car...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
U.S. production of the 2013 Nissan Leaf moved one step closer to reality earlier this week, when Nissan started eMotor production trials at its factility in Decherd, Tennessee. Located about 70 miles from Smyrna, where Nissan will start official U.S. production of the 2013 Leaf electric car, the motor production line--and its staff--are going through final production test runs before the plant commences official motor manufacturing later this year. Currently made in Japan, the Leaf’s electric motor contains around one mile of copper wiring, and takes Nissan longer to assemble than a...
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Want To Get A 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV? Here's How
It might be a compliance car, built by Toyota for the sole purpose of meeting California’s regulations for zero-emission vehicles, but the 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV is one of the most highly-anticipated plug-in cars of 2012. The anticipation is with good reason. Combining the practicality of a...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Polite Reminder: As It Gets Colder, Your Plug-in’s Range May Drop
The nights are getting longer, children are starting to get ready for Halloween, and in certain states, you’ll have already had the first fall frost. If you’re approaching your first winter of plug-in car ownership, however, you might be in for a shock as the mercury starts to drop...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Sierra Club Weighs In On Plug-In Cars, With Humor
Here at Green Car Reports, we aim to give you a comprehensive run-down of what each car is like to drive, how far it can realistically travel per charge, and the ins and outs of purchasing it. But what does each plug-in car say about you as a person? The Sierra Club, most famous for its grassroots...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Having Your Gas Car Serviced? Here, Borrow A Nissan Leaf
These days, most mainstream dealers and garages give you a courtesy , or loaner car while your own vehicle is being worked on. If you’re lucky, you’ll be given a reasonably new demo car, or perhaps even a car comparable with your own. More often than not, you'll end up with the garage's...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Hybrid Battery Inventor Stanford Ovshinsky Dies At 89
Unless you’re deeply into the history of electric and hybrid electric vehicle technology, the chances are you might not recognize the name of Stanford Ovshinsky. But if you’ve ever driven a Toyota Prius Hybrid, or any number of all-electric cars with nickel-metal hydride battery packs...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Ohio-based AMP Electric vehicles will no-longer convert gasoline cars to electric, it announced yesterday. Instead, the company announced on a conference-call yesterday, it aims to focus on converting medium-sized commercial vehicles to all-electric operation. “People told us how surprised they were that our Mercedes SUV performed every bit as good as the original vehicle - except quieter, quicker and surprisingly refined,” Stephen Burns, AMP’s CEO said. “However, it became apparent that the short-term market for passenger car EVs did not grow as quickly as forecasters...
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SAE Finalizes New Electric Car Fast Charging “Combo Connector”
After months of planning, the next-generation J1772 electric car charging standard has been approved by the Society of Automotive Engineers. As expected, it is based on the current J1772 Level 2 charging connector found on cars like the 2012 Nissan Leaf and 2013 Chevrolet Volt, but adds direct...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Judge 'Charged' With 'Theft' For Plugging In Chevy Volt Electric Car
For centuries, the role of Judge has carried with it a solemn duty to uphold justice, the law, and to ascertain which facts are true, and which are not. So when a journalist in Carmi, Illinois spotted a Second Circuit Judge charging his electric car at Wayne County Courthouse, they ran a story...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Toyota Dealers Not Interested In Selling Electric Cars, Prefer Hybrids
Thanks to its ever-expanding range of hybrids, including the well-known Prius liftback, Toyota Toyota dealers have a wide range of green cars to sell. You may think that would make them more receptive to selling all-electric cars, but a recent survey from AutoRetailNet (via plugincars) suggests...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Nissan Leaf Gets Remote Charger Timer With Leaf Link iPhone App
Ever since Nissan launched its Leaf electric car in late 2010, it has offered owners the ability to remotely start charging, using its Carwings telematics system and smartphone apps. The Nissan Leaf also has a feature letting owners pre-program a start time for charging and pre-heating, but only...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2013 Ford C-Max Energi: 100 MPGe, Beats Volt, Plug-in Prius
It’s official: the 2013 Ford C-Max Energi is the most efficient plug-in hybrid to date, achieving a cool 100 miles per gallon equivalent combined in official EPA fuel economy tests. Announced last night by Ford, the $33,745 2013 Ford C-Max Energi has beaten both the 95 MPGe rating of the 2012...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield