Electric Cars

Well, they did it. General Motors confirmed yesterday that its upcoming 200-mile battery-electric car will be named the Chevrolet Bolt EV. That's Bolt-with-a-B, not Volt-with-a-V. The Volt-with-a-V is Chevy's now-established plug-in hybrid compact hatchback. DON'T MISS: Why 'Bolt' Is A Really...

Ten years ago, startup lithium-ion battery maker A123 Systems was the darling of business media, poised to enter the big leagues of electric cars after successfully selling its cells to power-tool makers. Then came the Fisker Karma, U.S. government grants, a factory in Michigan, the economic...

The specifications of the updated 2016 Cadillac ELR range-extended electric car were released this morning, and one big question has been answered. The luxury coupe will not use the revised Voltec powertrain that propels the new second-generation 2016 Chevrolet Volt on sale later this year. But it...

Last week, the new base version of the Tesla Model S, known as the 70D, hit the electric-car world like a thunderclap. No early-warning publicity, no teasing tweet from Elon. Just the sudden appearance on the Tesla website configurator of the new model--with dual motors, all-wheel drive, a 70-kWh...

The suggested retail price of the 2015 Chevrolet Spark EV electric car will be cut by $1,650, to $25,995, GM announced today. Chevrolet's chief global marketing officer, Tim Mahoney, announced the price cut today in a luncheon speech at the Washington Automotive Press Association. Mahoney also said...

Five years into the era of modern electric cars, the biggest cost remains the battery pack. Now there's data to confirm that not only are the costs of the battery cells falling, but that they are falling at rates pretty much in line with historical declines. A study published last month not only...

Of the four prestige German auto brands, BMW is clearly the most aggressive in its plans for plug-in electric cars in various segments. Last year it launched the BMW i3 battery-electric small hatchback and the sexy BMW i8 plug-in hybrid sport coupe. According to reports out of Germany, the next...

It may not have too many more years to live, but the Chevrolet Spark EV will be sold in some new markets starting with the 2016 model year: three Canadian provinces. While General Motors had offered the Spark EV for fleet purchase in parts of the country, it wasn't available to retail...

Roughly 5,600 Fiat 500e electric cars will be recalled by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to fix a potential software problem with the cars' Limp Home mode. In a notice issued Saturday, the company said that, "incompatible software between Electric Vehicle Control Unit and Battery Pack Control Module may...

An unadvertised incentive could make Mercedes' electric car the deal of the moment.

Forgive us a Friday fantasy, if you will. We're looking forward a few years to a Request For Proposals issued by the Secret Service for a future presidential limousine. There's already a proposal out to replace the current limo, known as "The Beast," that's been used by President Barack Obama since...

The idea is as cool as it is durable: An all-electric reincarnation of the classic Volkswagen Bus, beloved people carrier of the Sixties and Seventies. It was first mentioned fully five years ago, when Volkswagen showed an all-electric taxi concept based on an updated minivan with all the design...

A new study finds that even degraded electric-car batteries may be able to meet drivers' needs.

Toyota’s Scion small-car brand has been called a laboratory; and it seems like the perfect testbed for new plug-in hybrid or full electric-car products. Yet you won’t see any of those from the brand—not even hybrids—in the lineup anytime soon. The reason why is that the...

A Seattle dealer attempts to eliminate haggling, but has trouble adjusting.

There are several green car deals available in April.

BMW hopes to increase sales of both the i3 and i8.

Leave it to electric-car maker Tesla Motors to spring another surprise on the world. This morning, it announced a brand-new version of the base model in its signature battery-electric luxury sedan lineup. The Tesla Model S 70D is an all-wheel-drive Model S with a 70-kilowatt-hour battery pack...

The 2014 Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid is a comfortable, relatively fast, and fairly fuel-efficient luxury sport sedan. It's rated at 16 miles of electric range, but we didn't achieve that in cold and snowy upstate New York "springtime" weather. We strongly suspect that very few people who've driven...

Coal could remain a significant energy source for decades to come, a new report says.