Electric Cars

One of the benefits of electric cars is that slowing down becomes a useful activity. Regenerative braking recovers energy normally lost as friction heat, as it does when the accelerator pedal is not pushed and the car is coasting. In some cars, regeneration is aggressive enough to allow "one-pedal...

Tesla announced in November that it would end free unlimited use of its Supercharger DC fast-charging stations. Now that the cutoff point for that perk has arrived, the company is offering more details on Supercharger pricing. The new rates take effect for buyers who ordered a Tesla electric car...

It has long been official Chinese government industrial policy to dominate the world's production of lithium-ion battery cells and to establish a commanding electric-car industry. This would not only position the country in crucial industries of the future but give it a way to start attacking the...

China is now the world's largest new-car market, but no native Chinese manufacturers sell passenger cars in the U.S. At least one of those manufacturers is at least considering having a go at the U.S. market. GAC appeared this week at the 2017 Detroit Auto Show with three vehicles, including an...

As well as software updates to add back Autopilot functionality in its latest cars, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has hinted on Twitter at an update to improve performance even further. Musk recently teased a software update that would allow the latest Model S P100D to do 0 to 60 mph in 2.4...

As sales results trickled in from automakers earlier this month, industry analysts waited to see whether enough buyers signed on the line to make 2016 a new record sales year. They did: a record total of 17.55 million new passenger cars and light trucks were sold last year, narrowly beating the...

When it comes to policy efforts aimed at promoting electric cars, the focus is usually on private passenger vehicles. But to cut carbon emissions in a meaningful way, policymakers will have to look at other types of vehicles as well. That includes the thousands of cars and light trucks in the...

Pacific Gas & Electric now offers a rebate to customers who charge electric cars at home.

The Toyota Prius Prime is a far better car than its plug-in hybrid predecessor, and it seems likely to become one of the higher-volume plug-in electric cars on the U.S. market. If, that is, Toyota's own dealers prove willing to sell it—or even find out that it exists. After three separate...

It's a new year, and that means a new crop of buyer deals on green cars. The 2017 model year is now well underway, but older 2016 versions of certain vehicles still sit on dealer lots. As dealers get more anxious to clear this older stock, look for more aggressive incentives on these models. DON'T...

The limitations of current lithium-ion battery-cell technology pose a hindrance to more widespread adoption of plug-in electric cars. Relatively short ranges and long charging times accorded by current lithium-ion cells still limit the appeal of electric cars in the minds of many new-car buyers...

High costs of lithium-ion battery cells have been one of the main hindrances to large-scale electric-car adoption, as they typically lead to higher purchase prices for electric cars than comparable internal-combustion models. But electric-car battery prices are falling fast, according to one recent...

A bill before the Indiana legislature would add an annual fee for electric cars.

Tesla's Missouri dealer license expired December 31.

Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn today confirmed that a second-generation Nissan Leaf electric car is coming "in the near future," though he didn't specify a date or model year. The new Leaf will come with Nissan's ProPilot technology, which permits the car to drive itself autonomously within a highway...

Tesla is now producing lithium-ion battery cells at its massive Gigafactory.

Both of Hyundai's plug-in hybrids are available nationwide.

While the auto industry will start to report December and year-end sales totals today, Tesla Motors issued its year-end delivery and production results yesterday. The Silicon Valley car maker, now completing its ninth year of production, delivered 22,230 electric cars during the fourth quarter of...

Faraday Future unveiled its FF 91 electric car on the sidelines of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The battery-powered 1,050-horsepower vehicle is intended to rival (or perhaps best) anything Tesla Motors may have up its sleeve. As an upright crossover, it appears to be designed to...

Ford released plans today for its future portfolio of electified vehicles, including an all-electric SUV with 300 miles of range Perhaps more remarkable, it will offer hybrid versions of both the F-150 pickup truck—previously discussed for 2019 or so—and the Mustang sport coupe. It will...