Electric Cars
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Tesla's position is clear: the California electric-car maker doesn't feel a union is needed to protect its factory workers from what it claims are only anecdotal stories about worker safety and wage levels. Last weekend, Tesla continued to punch back at United Auto Workers organizating efforts at its assembly plant in Fremont, California, according to The Silicon Valley Business Journal. Tesla says that reports surrounding the safety of its workers have not been "data driven," but rather based solely on anecdotes—and that credulous journalists are being suckered. DON'T MISS: Musk...
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Could California climate-change rules raise gas price enough to backfire?California has by far the most aggressive climate-change policies in the nation, and the state is a global leader in plans to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions. It's also the world's eighth-largest economy, with a growing population, soaring economic output, and a resolutely progressive legislature...
John Voelcker -
2018 Nissan Leaf electric car: first teaser photo (headlights!) emergesSometime within the next few months, the 2018 Nissan Leaf electric car will be unveiled to the world's media. The second generation of a pioneering plug-in vehicle that launched affordable all-electric cars on the global market. It's been a long time coming. DON'T MISS: 2018 Nissan Leaf: more spy...
John Voelcker -
Musk fires head of automation firm key to Tesla Model 3 factoryTesla and Klaus Grohmann have parted ways. Reuters reports Tesla CEO Elon Musk ousted Grohmann over the executives concerns over how his company's legacy clients, including Tesla rivals like Daimler and BMW, would be served in the future. Grohmann's company, Grohmann Engineering, specializes in...
Zach Bowman -
Shift to electric cars will cost money, may lack excitement: Toyota CEOEvery automaker is now working on one or many electric cars, but some are at the head of the pack and others lag behind. General Motors already sells the 238-mile Chevrolet Bolt EV, and Volkswagen has firm plans for multiple electric cars by 2020 and as many as 30 by 2025. That leaves Toyota, the...
John Voelcker -
British magazine gets ride in all-electric Mercedes EQ ConceptMercedes-Benz has big plans for electric vehicles in the future, but its main nod to what those plans will bring thus far is the EQ Concept. Shown at the Paris Motor Show last year, the vehicle represents a conceptual version of the first of many electric vehicles to come from the Germany luxury...
Sean Szymkowski -
The internet has transformed how many perceive property, allowing the rental of other peoples' personal vehicles, apartments, and other spaces when owners are not using them. Now, the idea is being applied to charging stations across the United Kingdom with the introduction of the Chargie smartphone app. Chargie aims to redefine how electric-car owners plan their travels by allowing access to individual's own charging stations (which the British call "chargepoints"). DON'T MISS: Electric-car charging networks spin out, merge, and go global In the spirit of AirBnB, which rents out apartments...
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Israeli firm StoreDot claims battery with 5-minute charging timeIt's one of the Holy Grails for battery researchers and electric-car advocates alike: a battery that could recharge in the same amount of time as it takes to stop for gasoline. Some of that can be provided by charging at higher rates, as Porsche's proposed 800-volt system for 15-minute fast...
John Voelcker -
GM goal: profitable, affordable electric cars built in big numbersAutomotive innovation rolls out over many years, usually decades, and usually only a few companies lead. Others hang back, waiting to see if buyers will accept new features, new powertrains, and new types of vehicles. More than six years after modern electric cars hit the market in volume, many...
John Voelcker -
Romania doubles electric-car subsidies, adds 'cash for clunkers' programIn recent years, governments have increasingly worked to encourage the sales of plug-in electric vehicles. Incentive programs for the purchase of a low-emission vehicle have been adopted across the world. The amounts granted and the mechanisms vary according to the individual program, but the goal...
John Voelcker -
Will Trump EPA target CA electric-car, emissions rules? Not yet, maybe; here's whyCalifornia began regulating vehicle emissions within its boundaries before the Environmental Protection Agency was even a gleam in President Richard Nixon's eye. Since that agency was founded in 1971 with an executive order by Nixon, the state has retained the right to set its own—more...
John Voelcker -
Assessing the Honda Clarity range: how electric cars fit in, and whyThe 2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell is the only model of Honda's newest sedan presently on sale, though an all-electric version will arrive later this year. The hydrogen-powered mid-size sedan with a rated 366 miles of range is the one that's gotten by far the most publicity from Honda, as its...
John Voelcker -
The first quarter of 2017 is now behind us, which means we get to take a peek at the European plug-in electric vehicle sale numbers. The year-to-date numbers show a significant growth in sales for most electric models, according to the recent European Alternative Fuels Observatory report. The Renault Zoe remains the top seller across the continent with 9,083 units sold, which represents 28.4 percent of total electric vehicle sales. DON’T MISS: Plug-in electric car sales in Canada, Apr 2017: plus ça change... After a slow start, the even older Nissan Leaf has caught up with the...
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Low-budget Chevy Bolt EV dealer ad normalizes electric carsAh, local car-dealer ads on television. You've likely seen them, usually during the local ad minute on national shows, often late at night or in the cheaper slots. They're mostly formulaic, but each one mixes several elements for its own unique blend of attention-grabbing pitch. DON'T MISS: This...
John Voelcker -
Advocacy group takes electric cars to Capitol Hill to inform lawmakersThe best way to change perceptions about electric cars is to put novices in the driver's seat—quite literally in this sense. The advocacy group Plug In America went to Capitol Hill recently, with a barrage of plug-in electric and pure battery electric vehicles, in an effort to educate...
Sean Szymkowski -
Tesla faces battle over direct sales to buyers in ConnecticutAnother month, another Tesla battle with auto-dealer lobbyists in another state—or so it seems in the company's ongoing battle to sell electric cars online directly to buyers. This time, the action is in Connecticut, where on Monday the legislature's finance committee approved a bill letting...
John Voelcker -
Buyers in Trump-voting states reject green cars, which surge in Western statesIf you're a journalist, it's almost impossible to ignore political news these days. So if readers can resolutely avoid national and local coverage of politics, consider yourselves lucky. That said, sometimes a new political angle can make a dry story on car-buyer data more interesting than...
John Voelcker -
Best deals on hybrid, electric, fuel-efficient cars for May 2017It's time to take a look at the best deals on hybrid, electric, and fuel-efficient cars for the month of May, and as new-vehicle sales slow, there are plenty of deals to be had. As always, Cars Direct has compiled the best deals for the month, using deals available in Southern California unless...
Sean Szymkowski -
The sales growth of electric cars has made strides in recent years, and California's Zero-Emission Vehicle mandate has much to do with that. The program adopted by the California Air Resources Board 20 years ago, and much modified since, requires carmakers to earn a certain number of zero-emission credits for vehicles sold in California. What's less well known is that some automakers have already surpassed the expectations, according to David Reichmuth, senior engineer in the Union of Concerned Scientists' Clean Vehicles Program DON’T MISS: UPS electric van with fuel-cell range extender...
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This family has two Chevy Bolt EV electric cars, uses no gas at allThe 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV is the first mass-priced electric car to offer a range of more than 200 miles, something previously offered only by pricey Tesla luxury cars. Initially put on sale last December in California, the 238-mile Bolt EV is slowly rolling out across the country and will be on...
John Voelcker -
If autonomous electric cars are coming, why not ships too?Vehicle engineering and development focuses heavily on passenger cars and light trucks, but what about other forms of transportation? In an effort to cut congestion on its roads, the country of Norway is experimenting with the idea of autonomous, electric ships to replace large semi trucks, reports...
Sean Szymkowski -
Oregon mulls bonuses for salespeople who sell electric carsThe Beaver State, otherwise known as Oregon, may implement an intriguing solution to spur higher sales of electric vehicles. A new piece of legislation introduced in the state senate calls for a $1 million fund to provide $250 bonuses to salespeople each time they sell an electric vehicle...
Sean Szymkowski -
CEO of failed 350Green charging network pleads guilty to fraudThe former CEO of electric-car charging network 350 Green pleaded guilty last week to fraudulently obtaining federal grants intended to be used for installation of public charging stations, notably in the Chicago area. The original 2011 announcement of the grants came with large fan-fare, but the...
Green Car Reports -
Plug-in electric car sales in Canada, Apr 2017: plus ça change...The Volt remains the undisputed king of the Canadian plug-in electric vehicle market. In April, the Chevy Volt enjoyed its 13th consecutive month as Canada's best-selling plug in electric vehicle, and its 46th month overall. While overshadowed by other vehicles in its home U.S. market, the Volt's...
Matthew Klippenstein