Europe

  • Volvo electric bus

    The mayors of 12 major cities from around the world have taken a landmark step to increase the use of zero-emission public transportation late last month. Mayors of London, Paris, Los Angeles, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Quito, Vancouver, Mexico City, Milan, Seattle, Auckland, and Cape Town all signed the C40 Fossil-Fuel-Free Streets Declaration, which pledges that they will add only fully electric buses to their cities' public transportation from 2025. Although electric buses are the largest part of the agreement, the mayors also agreed to other measures to reduce carbon output in their...

  • Eiffel Tower in Paris, France (photo by Rijin, via Wikimedia Commons)
    EU to slash vehicle carbon emissions one third more from 2021 through 2030

    Europe already has tough standards for reducing carbon-dioxide emissions in current and future vehicles. Now they're going to get significantly tougher between 2021 and 2030. At its weekly cabinet meeting, held Wednesday, the European Union formally adopted far more stringent requirements for...

  • Ionity multi-brand European charging network
    BMW, Mercedes, Ford, VW, Audi launch Ionity high-power fast charging across Europe

    A group of automakers in Europe announced on Friday they will launch "Ionity," a network of high-power fast-charging stations to build out the continent's infrastructure for electric-car travel. When it's finished in 2020, Ionity will include 400 charging stations across multiple countries...

  • Mercedes BlueEfficiency four-cylinder diesel
    Those fuel-efficient diesels? Actually worse on lifetime CO2, study says

    Diesel-powered cars have enjoyed a comfortable market share in Europe for decades, but their decline in popularity continues following numerous diesel-emission cheating scandals and regulatory crackdowns. As if diesel cars hadn't already had enough negative press, a new study says "fuel-efficient"...

  • W116 Mercedes-Benz S Class (1972 to 1980)
    European bans on vehicles with engines should exempt collector cars: study

    Numerous European countries have rolled out target years in which they plan to ban the sale of new cars powered by internal-combustion engines. At the same time, many European cities have introduced car-free zones in highly congested or polluted areas—which has led to worries that...

  • European Union battery alliance announcement
    EU announces launch of battery alliance to boost cells for electric cars

    As it stands today, Asia dominates the production of electric-car battery cells globally, with Japanese and Korean companies representing the bulk of the industry outside of booming Chinese makers. Europe, however, lacks a single major player in the fabrication and assembly of lithium-ion battery...

  • Amsterdam, the Netherlands [Image: Flickr user _dChris]

    European countries continue to assess more aggressive policies that favor or mandate zero-emission vehicles to move away from fossil fuels for transportation. Last year, a recommendation passed by the Dutch senate proposed The Netherlands join Norway in banning the sale of new cars powered solely by internal-combustion engines after 2025. That measure received no followup from the government, and hence did not become law. DON'T MISS: Netherlands joins Norway in plans to end new gas, diesel car sales Now, the Dutch government has proposed a policy toward the same goal, though on a less...

  • Shell logo
    Shell buys its first electric car charging station firm in Europe

    Even oil companies have begun to realize the future will not be nearly as reliant on fossil fuels, and Royal Dutch Shell is moving to safeguard its future business. The Dutch oil company acquired NewMotion, an electric-car charging station firm, for an undisclosed price. DON'T MISS: Shell fuel...

  • Paris, by Flickr user Alexandre Dulaunoy (Used under CC License)
    Ahead of France, Paris to phase out internal-combustion engines by 2030

    France followed two other European countries—Norway and the Netherlands—with a plan to ban the sale of new cars powered by gasoline and diesel by 2040. While the country will stick to the 2040 timeline, France's capital city of Paris announced a more aggressive timeline. Ten years ahead...

  • 2017 Tesla Model X
    Norway proposes electric car tax that could affect Tesla significantly

    Norway is likely the friendliest place on Earth for electric cars. The government's generous incentives and perks have led to an electric-car boom, and the country is now Silicon Valley automaker Tesla's third-largest market. However, Norway's latest taxation proposal could have serious...

  • 2017 Bentley Bentayga Diesel
    Copenhagen mayor proposes banning new diesel cars

    Copenhagen's mayor wants to deal a major blow to diesel-fueled cars—but not trucks. Frank Jensen, the city's mayor, says that he will propose legislation to ban new diesel cars from entering the Danish capital by January 1, 2019. Jensen's plan would not apply to vehicles bought and registered...

  • Cummins Urban Hauler Tractor concept
    Electric trucks to grow fast from now through 2030: report

    In the coming years, the world's auto industry will continue to shift its product mix to electric and electrified vehicles to meet growing concerns over carbon emissions and stringent fuel-economy regulations across the globe. However, the passenger-car segment isn't the only area that will see...

  • Johnson Controls 48-volt lithium-ion micro-hybrid battery

    Public concerns over diesel cars, and their ebbing sales, have become a well-documented phenomenon in Europe after decades of popularity. When the VW diesel scandal exposed deliberate cheating, and real-world testing revealed that virtually no diesels certified for sale actually met emission limits, automakers across the industry adopted rapid plans to electrify their vehicle lineups. One immediate solution will be fitting 48-volt mild-hybrid systems to gasoline engines. DON'T MISS: 48-volt mild hybrid systems: what they do, how they change the car While affordable long-range electric cars...

  • Nissan Leaf Mongol Rally
    Scots couple complete grueling Mongol Rally in electric car

    The Mongol Rally is no small undertaking for any driver, in any type of vehicle. The 10,000-mile rally takes drivers from Europe to Siberia, via Mongolia, with no support vehicles or backup cars. On July 16, 2017, a Scottish couple arrived at the starting line at the Goodwood race course in England...

  • Mercedes-Benz Generation EQ concept, 2016 Paris auto show
    Mercedes EQC electric SUV reservations open in Norway, for 2019 delivery

    The country of Norway has been among the most ardent in urging drivers to buy zero-emission vehicles, offering a friendly market in which automakers can launch new electric cars. In fact, Norway was the first nation to announce a ban on the sale of new vehicles powered by fossil fuels; it's due to...

  • Volkswagen ID Neo concept, 2016 Paris auto show
    Volkswagen ID electric car to launch in 2020 along with new VW Golf

    Volkswagen has a critical year coming in 2020, when the German brand will launch two incredibly important vehicles nearly back-to-back. The next-generation Volkswagen Golf will arrive that year, and then, one month later, the brand will launch its first mass-market electric car, the ID hatchback...

  • 2017 Audi A3 e-tron Sportback
    Electric cars near 2 percent of German market (plug-in hybrids included), surging past US

    While Volkswagen's diesel scandal has fallen out of the public eye in the United States, its effects continue to be felt in Europe, where diesel-powered cars have long reigned supreme. Falling sales of diesel vehicles in many European countries are somewhat balanced by a boost for electric and...

  • 2017 Renault Zoe
    European electric and plug-in hybrid sales for Jan-July 2017

    The data has been crunched and the latest round of sales figures has arrived for a look at European electric and plug-in hybrid sales through the month of July. With another month on the books, Europe still continues to choose one specific electric car and one plug-in hybrid over all the other...

  • Ford Transit Plug-In Hybrid van for the UK

    As European countries continue to crack down on emissions from road vehicles, automakers are stepping up with solutions to reduce levels of smog-causing nitrogen oxides, especially in city centers. Ford identified the commercial vehicle segment as one it believes is ripe for electrification, and earlier this month it revealed its Ford Transit Plug-In Hybrid van. Notably, the electrified powertrain does not use the gasoline engine to power the front wheels—ever. DON'T MISS: Ford to test plug-in hybrid Transit Custom van in London Instead, the lithium-ion battery pack and Bosch electric...

  • Honda Civic 1.6 i-DTEC diesel (European version)
    Europe's tougher new emissions, fuel-economy tests should be closer to real-world results

    Fuel-economy ratings for cars sold in Europe have long been wildly unrealistic, sometimes more than 30 percent more optimistic than real-world consumption figures. Today, that will change. As of September 1, two new and more stringent testing regimes are to be used for certifying new vehicles going...

  • Volkswagen TDI diesel vehicles owned by Phil Grate and family, Seattle, Washington
    Used diesel demand drops in Germany over fear of software upgrades

    Diesel-powered cars, long a staple on European roads, are starting to lose favor as million of dollars of inventory begins to pile up in used diesel models. The inventory, largely recent models certified under the superseded Euro-5 emission standards, has boomed recently over the possibility the...

  • Tesla charging port in the United Kingdom
    How Teslas charge in US and UK: similarities and differences

    It's well-known that electrical outlets in the United States and elsewhere vary, but it also makes for somewhat different charging experiences with the Tesla Model S. In Europe, the standard voltage is higher than the United States, which means more power can be drawn from a standard wall outlet...

  • Arrival UK Royal Mail electric postal van
    UK Royal Mail electric vans now entering service

    The United Kingdom's Royal Postal Service has entered a new era as its first electric mail vans enter service. In total, nine electric postal vans from local company Arrival will enter the Royal Post's fleet, along with another 100 electric vans to be added in December from French brand Peugeot...

  • 2017 Renault Zoe
    European electric and plug-in hybrid sales for Jan-June 2017

    The numbers are in, which means it's once again time take a look at European electric and plug-in hybrid sales. Delivery and registration data is compiled from January through June of 2017, and once more, it remains clear Europe has a favorite electric car. The Renault Zoe walks away with an even...

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