Electric Cars
-
Tesla took a page out of its Model S playbook over the weekend and announced that its Model 3 is the safest car that NHTSA has tested. Only Tesla isn't NHTSA. In a blog post Sunday night, Tesla said it based its findings on NHTSA data, just as it did with the Model S in 2013. "The agency’s data shows that vehicle occupants are less likely to get seriously hurt in these types of crashes when in a Model 3 than in any other car," the company said in its blog post. READ THIS: 2013 Tesla Model S Crash Tests: What Cars To Compare It To? (2013) In response, NHTSA issued a statement on Tuesday...
-
How fast is fast enough for fast charging? Twitter poll resultsIn an effort to make electric-car charging as ubiquitous and easy as filling up with gas, fast chargers are coming to malls, gas stations, rest areas and more, and these upcoming chargers are getting a lot faster. Where original fast chargers could replenish less than 65 miles in a half-hour...
Eric C. Evarts -
Nothing comes close to Tesla: 2018 Q3 plug-in salesEven with solid increases, other electric-car sales paled in comparison with numbers from Tesla in September and for the third quarter of 2018. The next highest sellers, were the Chevrolet Bolt EV, with 3,949 sales from July to September, and the Nissan Leaf just behind with 3,767 for the quarter...
Eric C. Evarts -
FCA announces production Jeep Renegade plug-in hybrid in ItalyJeep said Monday that it laid the groundwork to begin production of a plug-in hybrid version of its small Renegade at the factory in southern Italy where it's produced alongside the Fiat 500X. The model is expected to go on sale in early 2020, though it's not clear whether it is intended for the...
Eric C. Evarts -
Catastrophic climate effects could hit by 2040, UN report saysTwo decades. That's all the time world leaders have to reverse emissions of greenhouse gases to avoid inundating coastal cities, killing off coral reefs and their attendant marine wildlife, and potential food shortages, according to a new UN report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change...
Eric C. Evarts -
Report: Audi e-tron GT electric sport coupe will fast-charge in 12 minutesAudi revealed last month that its e-tron GT, which is described as a “highly dynamic coupe,” will make its debut at the Los Angeles auto show in November. Although that model isn’t likely to be produced until 2020, at the earliest, it’s shaping up to be one of several...
Bengt Halvorson -
Volkswagen says that it aims to make “electric vehicles for millions, not millionaires” with its next-generation EVs. While that’s a clever tagline, what ultimately will matter to many households who want a new electric vehicle in the driveway is whether they can afford one of those models. Speaking at an event last month previewing some fundamentals of the upcoming modular electric platform (MEB) that it hopes will underpin a million EVs a year by 2025, Thomas Ulbrich, the member of the VW Group Board of Management responsible for e-mobility, gave some important guidance...
-
Where would you most like to see more public chargers installed? Take our Twitter pollPublic charging networks are booming. Even if it often seems to electric car drivers like there aren't enough public chargers to go around. massive new charging network companies are coming online, existing networks are expanding, and all are planning on installing a new wave of ultra-fast...
Eric C. Evarts -
Circular economy: Magnets from old hard drives could wind up in EV motorsAs some of the world’s largest automakers ramp up production for a generation of electric vehicles, the supply of one of the most important ingredients—rare-earth elements—is surely a cause for concern. Rare-earth elements—especially neodymium—are in short supply...
Bengt Halvorson -
Tesla rolls out new Version 9 software–without full-self-driving featuresTesla chief executive Elon Musk on Friday announced that the company released its long-awaited Version 9 software update, but without the full-self-driving features that he promised back in June. Instead, the new software now rolling out to all Model 3's, Model S's, and Model X's makes improvements...
Eric C. Evarts -
Mazda EVs, Tesla numbers, and questions about EV profitability: The Week in ReverseWill automakers be able to turn a profit on all the electric vehicles under development? And how many Model 3 sedans, again, did Tesla deliver just last month? This is Green Car Reports’ look back at the Week in Reverse, for the week ending October 5, 2018. Friday, we looked at a test of semi...
Bengt Halvorson -
One size won't fit all for future Kia EVsFor an automaker that’s pitching itself toward the fun side of the Hyundai Motor Group, the tone for the automaker’s sizable electric push soon sounds altogether like pants. “It’s all about what fits,” said Michael Winkler, director of powertrains for Kia in Europe. By...
Aaron Cole -
Toyota revealed on Thursday that it is in talks with Chinese automaker Geely, which owns Volvo, about cooperation on hybrid vehicle technology, Reuters reported. As the company that has sold by far the most hybrids worldwide, the discussions could involve selling Toyota hybrid technology in Geely cars in China. Any agreement, however, could also be broader. DON'T MISS: Volvo's electrification push expanding to every corner of the market Under the ownership of Geely, Volvo is investing heavily in electric cars and hybrids. Volvo has announced that it will build an electric and hybrid variant...
-
VW confirms it’s planning for solid-state batteries by 2025Solid-state batteries sometimes sound a bit like the missing link that would punt electric vehicles soundly into mainstream acceptance. The list of potential virtues for solid-state tech, which would replace the polymer/gel electrolyte commonly used in lithium-ion cells with a solid one, is...
Bengt Halvorson -
Consumer Reports ranks Tesla Autopilot second among self-driving systemsIn the latest ranking of automaker self-driving systems, Tesla's popular Autopilot system ranked second to Cadillac's Super Cruise system. The ratings come from Consumer Reports, which tested the cars on its test track and on local highways, in both lead and following positions. The organization...
Eric C. Evarts -
Electric cars are clean, but can they be profitable? New report casts doubtA flood of new electric-car models is washing into the market in the next year as automakers scramble to meet regulatory demands for electric cars around the world—not to mention scrambling to compete with Tesla. The challenge, as with Tesla, is whether they can sell those cars at a profit. A...
Eric C. Evarts -
Is the Tesla Model 3 the top-selling car from an American brand?Earlier this week we reported the Model 3 is possibly the fifth best-selling car in the U.S., based on Tesla’s update on deliveries. These Model 3 numbers released Tuesday are likely an anomaly; they’re based on a coordinated surge in U.S. deliveries in September. But also to be fair...
Bengt Halvorson -
New electric-car ads to hit the other half of California driversOne problem with electric cars is that they may be invisible. Despite proliferating charging stations, multiplying car models, and extended range for many new electric cars, fewer than half of California drivers are even aware they exist, says Mary Nichols, head of the California Air Resources...
Eric C. Evarts -
Midway through building its first installments of electric-car chargers, Electrify America sketched out plans for its second $200-million round of investments in California on Wednesday. These installations will add more California cities, target charging networks for ride hailing services and buses, and develop Level 2 home charging for low-income neighborhoods and rural areas. Among the new California cities and regions that will get Electrify America chargers are the Riverside-San Bernardino corridor in eastern Los Angeles, and the Santa Cruz-Watsonville and Santa Rosa regions in Northern...
-
UCS report shows electric cars get even cleaner in 2018Electric cars keep getting cleaner, despite efforts by the EPA and NHTSA to roll back pollution standards on cars and powerplants. That's the conclusion of the latest report from the Union of Concerned Scientists which annually measures the environmental impact of driving an electric car. The study...
Eric C. Evarts -
2020 Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 makes public debut at Paris auto showAfter hosting a private introduction for the car last month in Stockholm, Mercedes-Benz formally introduced its EQC electric crossover to the public at the Paris auto show on Tuesday. The EQC, which is about the same size as the gasoline-powered Mercedes-Benz GLC crossover, albeit with separate...
Eric C. Evarts -
Which electric SUV are you most excited about for 2019? Twitter poll resultsA few weeks ago, Green Car Reports asked our Twitter followers which new electric car for 2019 they were most excited about. Perhaps unsurprisingly, they chose the base, $35,000 Tesla Model 3 over three upcoming luxury electric SUVs. Yet 2019 is shaping up to be the year of the electric SUV, with...
Eric C. Evarts -
California overrules EPA emissions freeze for cars sold in the stateAt its meeting on Friday, the California Air Resources Board officially confirmed that it will stick with planned increases in emissions and fuel economy standards for cars sold in the state. The move was expected after CARB said in August that it would not follow the Trump Administration's move to...
Eric C. Evarts -
Tesla Model 3 is fifth bestselling car in U.S., production still short of profitability goalTesla announced Tuesday that it delivered 55,843 Model 3s between July and September, confirming reports that the company's mass-market electric is the fifth bestselling car model in the United States. That slightly exceeded the number of Model 3s Tesla said it produced in the third quarter...
Eric C. Evarts