Electric Cars
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Now that the federal plug-in tax credit has begun to wind down on the U.S.-made Chevrolet Bolt EV, members of Congress propose to do something about it. Democrats have proposed several bills in Congress to remove the manufacturer-based 200,000-car cap on the credits and extending them for 10 years, and a new proposal by California Democrat Ro Khanna, whose district is home to Tesla's Fremont factory, suggests limiting the credits to American manufacturers (without yet suggesting how it would define what makes a manufacturer "American.") The suggestion points to a key flaw in the current tax...
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No more turn-signal affirmation for Tesla Navigate on AutopilotIn a blog post on Thursday, Tesla announced that drivers will no longer have to approve lane changes when the car's Navigate on Autopilot system is engaged. It's a small step, but also a pretty big leap toward self-driving cars. Navigate on Autopilot is Tesla's "on-ramp to off-ramp" self-driving...
Eric C. Evarts -
Faraday Future joint venture to create electric MPV based on FF91Last month the troubled electric car hopeful Faraday Future was given (another) new lease on life, via a new joint venture with The9, a Chinese online game company, that will produce a new model for the Chinese market based on Faraday’s nearly mothballed FF91. It’s now a lot clearer...
Bengt Halvorson -
Lucid Motors gets real as Saudi funding comes throughThe Lucid Air could soon make it to production, and shape up to be the closest rival to the Tesla Model S.
Eric C. Evarts -
Tesla sales; Audi e-tron, Ford SUV range; pickup mpg; sporty Nio: Today's Car NewsTesla announced its production and delivery numbers so far for 2019—and they aren't very promising. Audi released long-awaited final range ratings for its upcoming e-tron quattro electric SUV. lFord also reveals the European range rating for its upcoming Mach E—or whatever they call...
Eric C. Evarts -
2019 Audi e-tron EPA range revealed: Nothing to brag about, but aiming for the real world?The 2019 Audi e-tron electric SUV's range will be rated at 204 miles, lower than initial estimates—although the automaker says the range should be repeatable in the real world.
Bengt Halvorson -
Ford has been teasing—even promising—a new Mustang inspired high-performance electric SUV, perhaps called Mach E or Mach 1, that it says will have a 300-mile range. Now the company has announced that the model has earned a 370-mile range rating in the generous European WLTP driving cycle. DON'T MISS: 2021 Ford Mach E: What we know about 300-mile electric SUV That doesn't mean that it will earn anything close to that rating on U.S. driving cycles. The WLTP is known for generating higher ratings than EPA tests that have been adjusted to account for higher modern highway speeds and...
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Nio teases sleek ET7 coupe, to include next-generation power systemNio, one of a handful of Chinese electric carmakers aiming to be Tesla competitors, just teased its next mass-market car, expected to debut at the Shanghai auto show later this month. Its latest car looks set to be a four-door luxury fast-back, perhaps similar to shadows of a car known as the EVE...
Eric C. Evarts -
Tesla reports sales down, citing delivery challenges in China and EuropeTesla claims that its Model 3 electric sedan again in the first quarter of the year outsold all other mid-size sedans from what it considers premium brands—selling 60 percent more units than the closest runner-up. That’s the good news from the California electric car maker, in a...
Bengt Halvorson -
VW ID Roomzz, Toyota hybrid patents, more grid storage from hydro: Today's Car NewsToyota plans to open its hybrid patents through 2030. Volkswagen introduces the ID Roomzz for the Shanghai auto show. Pumped hydro could deliver more energy storage than batteries. And readers weigh in on what new niche electrics they'd like to see on VW's new ID EV platform. All this and more on...
Eric C. Evarts -
Toyota shores up against electric-car threat, by sharing hybrid techAs some of the industry appears to be leapfrogging directly past hybrid vehicles, in favor of battery electrics—GM with its canceled Volt, for example—Toyota is making no such move. This morning it’s announced that it will open up its banks of patents related to hybrid systems...
Bengt Halvorson -
Which classic VW kit would you like to see revived as an EV? Twitter poll resultsVolkswagen is planning up to 70 new electric cars based on its upcoming affordability-focused mass-market MEB platform. But the company itself may not build them all. At the Geneva auto show last month, VW said it was seeking other partners to use the platform to develop lower-volume special...
Eric C. Evarts -
Researchers find that there are many more sites conducive to pumped hydro for encouraging renewable sources.
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Volkswagen ID Roomzz full-size electric SUV to bow in ShanghaiLast month, Volkswagen announced that it will expand its upcoming electric-car lineup from 50 new models by 2023 to 70 new models by 2028. But it gave no indication what many of those new models will be. On Tuesday, the brand revealed the sixth new member of its upcoming ID electric family: The VW...
Eric C. Evarts -
2020 Ford Escape Hybrid, Byton M-Byte, Lightning Strike: Today's Car NewsThe Ford Escape Hybrid will make a comeback for 2020—with a plug-in hybrid, too. Chinese Tesla rival Byton reveals the M-byte testing in winter. The Lightning Strike electric motorcycle is out. And our latest Twitter poll asks what kind of electric-car racing matters most. All this and more...
Eric C. Evarts -
What kind of racing can best stoke new interest in electric vehicles? Take our Twitter pollIncreasingly, electric cars are taking to race tracks of all kinds to prove themselves not only to their own drivers and other competitors, but also to fans. Volkswagen set a new record climbing Pikes Peak with its electric ID R that didn't lose power to the thin air at the top. Formula E, which...
Eric C. Evarts -
Lightning Strikes twice with second, affordable electric motorcycleAll-electric sportbike pushes to 150 mph or 150 city miles of range and is a little more subtle, but is positioned for affordability.
Eric C. Evarts -
Byton M-Byte electric SUV tackles cold-weather testing, nears productionByton aims to start selling electric cars in the U.S. next year. If these testing photos are any indication, it's working hard to get there.
Bengt Halvorson -
A Chinese hydrogen company introduces its own line of fuel-cell cars. A Texas startup plans to make motors more efficient. A report shows more battery production coming online. And without science boards the EPA questions some fundamental links. All this and more on Green Car Reports. The Chinese Institute of Geosciences and the Environment is launching a line of Grove fuel-cell cars, starting with an SUV for China later this year. After that it plans to export cars as well. A new type of motor from a Texas startup promises to generate enough torque to eliminate any need for gearboxes in...
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Lithium battery production set to grow 50 percent a yearBattery makers are working quickly to meet growing demand for new lithium-ion battery cells from automakers.
Eric C. Evarts -
New electric motor could eliminate transmissionsDesign can vary the ratio of torque to horsepower through a higher ratio of rotors to coils.
Eric C. Evarts -
President Trump derides electric cars, suggests “one car per family” with Green New DealLatest Trump rally: Electric cars have a range of 160 miles, and families will be restricted to one vehicle under the Green New Deal.
Bengt Halvorson -
Chevrolet tax credits, Tesla delays, Nissan Leaf Plus range drive: The Week in ReverseWhich new electric car didn't give us any range surprises in a recent test drive? What new features have been enabled on some Teslas? This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending March 29, 2019. After this weekend, electric cars from...
Eric C. Evarts -
Chevy Bolt EV deals, Ram eTorque, in-wheel motors, wind and solar costs: Today's Car NewsRam's new eTorque does more than most mild-hybrid start/stop systems. Chevrolet is making no big sales push at the end of the quarter, despite the expiration of full tax credits for its vehicles. In-wheel motors for EVs may be making their way to the mainstream. And renewable electricity may have...
Eric C. Evarts