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Although Ford plans to woo electric-vehicle fans—and attract a new crowd to plug-in vehicles—with its upcoming, Mustang-inspired all-electric crossover, arriving next year, it’s the fully redesigned Explorer that will probably continue to do the heavy lifting for Ford on the family-vehicle front. Put that way, the soon-to-arrive Explorer Hybrid version could do a lot of good. And Ford has just released some basic pricing information for the lineup. There’s one hitch to that plan, however. At least for now, the hybrid version is limited to near the top of the lineup...
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2021 Ford Mach E: What we know about 300-mile electric SUVGrab some of the pony-car attitude and affordability of the Ford Mustang. Put it into a fully electric vehicle that channels some of what makes the Tesla Model 3 Performance so much in demand, versus other EVs. Support it and nurture it. On a much-simplified level, that’s the recipe behind...
Bengt Halvorson -
Rivian deal, Corolla Hybrid, Tesla dog mode, charging tech: The Week in ReverseWhich non-automotive company just made a big bet on electric vehicles? What car just got safer for dogs? This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending Feb. 15, 2019. This week's headlines had a lot to say about new (and potential)...
Eric C. Evarts -
Prime time: Amazon invests in electric-truck hopeful RivianRivian on Friday announced that Amazon will invest in the company, as it pushes ahead to bring its lineup of electric pickups and SUVs to market. Although the amount of Amazon’s investment wasn't disclosed, Rivian said that the Seattle-based technology, goods, and services giant led a $700...
Bengt Halvorson -
2020 Kia Soul EV rated for 243 miles, improved efficiencyIn just one model year, Kia has more than doubled the rated driving range for the Soul EV. The 2020 Kia Soul EV, which is expected to reach dealerships this spring, will go 243 miles on a charge—four more miles than the Kia Niro EV—according to the EPA, in ratings that were released...
Bengt Halvorson -
Dogs are cool, especially in Teslas with new Dog ModeJudging from recent news reports, it's all too easy to focus on the limitations on electric cars—range, recharge speeds, and most recently, their cold weather performance. Some things, though, electric cars can do that others can't. Take Tesla's new Dog Mode, announced by CEO Elon Musk on...
Eric C. Evarts -
Last summer, Volkswagen Group chairman Dr. Herbert Diess said that he doesn’t believe new-car shows will exist (in their present form) a decade from now, and that “motor shows are dead.” You might think Volkswagen of America didn't get the memo. This year it's investing more of its marketing dollars in auto shows, and it will have a presence at 60 auto shows. It also sees them as a pivotal step to get more people interested in their upcoming electric cars. The discord wasn’t lost on VW's U.S. officials, who attempted to explain the distinction last week at the Chicago...
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Report: Rivian in talks with GM and AmazonGeneral Motors and Amazon could soon invest between $1 billion and $2 billion into Michigan-based electric vehicle hopeful Rivian, according to a report from Reuters. If the reported talks result in a deal, the two companies could end up with minority stakes in Rivian, as it pushes to get its fully...
Bengt Halvorson -
Toyota Corolla Hybrid rated 52 mpg: Why Toyota says it won't cannibalize Prius salesLast week the U.S. EPA released final fuel economy numbers for the 2020 Toyota Corolla lineup. They include a confirmation of what Toyota had claimed when it introduced the lineup last fall: that the Corolla Hybrid will carry an EPA combined rating of more than 50 mpg. The 2020 Toyota Corolla...
Bengt Halvorson -
Purdue scientists test flow battery for EVs, claim 300-mile rangeAccording to scientists at Purdue University, the best way to charge electric car batteries may be to take them to a gas station, and have them serviced at an instant oil-change shop. The two scientists have been testing a new type of flow battery in golf carts, and say the battery now develops...
Eric C. Evarts -
Tesla Model 3 could charge faster in Europe, charging network results suggestDeliveries of the Tesla Model 3 in Europe have just started. So too have some accounts of the most significant difference included in European-market versions of the electric sedan: their CCS Combo DC fast charging port. One of those first accounts has come from the European charging network...
Bengt Halvorson -
Cold-weather EV range: Polar Vortex, AAA, local news paint a bleak picture; don't panic!If you plan to drive an EV in winter weather you’ll need to charge more often to avoid “being stranded by a dead battery.” So sums AAA about its report on electric vehicle range, released this past week, which resulted in a very useful data set underscoring the reality of how EV...
Bengt Halvorson -
Which automaker is facing a new lawsuit over emissions from its diesel engines? What companies plan to introduce new electric cars in their fleets? This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending Feb. 8, 2019. On this week, Green Car Reports celebrated its 10th anniversary, and found plenty of news to report that was worthy of the occasion. Two prominent Congressional Democrats—prominent newcomer Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and "liberal lion" of the Senate Ed Markey introduced an outline of the long ballyhooed Green New Deal. The...
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Green New Deal introduced to Congress aims to cut emissions, create jobsUntil now, the Green New Deal proposed by various Congressional Democrats has been mostly a theory—the idea that a concerted national push, with significant federal support, could accomplish goals of significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions while spurring the economy and creating...
Eric C. Evarts -
Tesla Model 3 price cut another $1,100, for base price of $44,100For the second time in barely more than a month, Tesla has cut the price of its entry level Model 3. On Jan. 1, the company cut prices $2,000 on all its models to partly compensate for a $3,750 reduction in the federal tax credit its buyers can receive. (Tesla's tax credits are phasing down as...
Eric C. Evarts -
Hyundai and Kia EVs may just avoid "compliance car" stigma, but is that enough?The Kia Niro EV that we drove earlier this week is one of the year’s best new green vehicles, and a great long-range electric car. However, unless you happen to live in one of several specific states and regions, the chances that you’ll see one are quite low. Based on conversations with...
Bengt Halvorson -
Green Car Reports is 10!Ten years ago this week, in February 2009, Green Car Reports published its first story—one packed with insight regarding the Chevrolet Volt, which was then still nearly two years away. Despite all that could have happened to the Volt in GM’s bankruptcy, it arrived on time and was...
Bengt Halvorson -
Diesel lawsuit proceeds against Mercedes-BenzWhile Volkswagen has reached a historic settlement and had to buy back hundreds of thousands of its diesel cars in the U.S., it isn’t the only automaker to be investigated for cheating on diesel emissions. Fiat Chrysler recently agreed to recall its Ram and Jeep EcoDiesels and pay owners for...
Eric C. Evarts -
With the big upturn in electric-car adoption driven by the Tesla Model 3, incoming Kia and Hyundai options, and the highly competitive Chevrolet Bolt, many drivers will be moving to vehicles that will be primarily charged at home. This means that their household electric bills are likely to show a significant increase—a big and obvious increase. Many of these new electric vehicle (EV) adopters, however, have the option of embracing solar (or sometimes even wind) for their household electricity. Back in 2009, as I was putting in my first order for an EV, a Nissan Leaf, I already had a...
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Tesla aims to make service quicker, roadside assistance automaticSoon, if your Tesla breaks down, you may not even have to call a tow truck. Your car will do it for you. That was one of the goals Tesla CEO Elon Musk laid out for 2019 in a conference call with investors last week as part of a larger push to streamline the company's service processes. Musk didn't...
Eric C. Evarts -
2019 Kia Niro EV: first drive of 239-mile electric crossoverJust before reaching a tight series of esses on the Monterey Peninsula’s famous 17 Mile Drive, I clicked the left steering-wheel paddle to bump the Niro EV up a regeneration level—a motion that mimics downshifting in a gasoline vehicle—then clicked the right paddle to ease things...
Bengt Halvorson -
Audi Super Bowl ad: Heavenly electric-car future, hackneyed themes?Audi’s 2019 Super Bowl ad for Sunday’s Big Game focuses in on the brand’s electric and electrified future. Like many EV ads, it’s a head-scratcher. In a series of almost clichéd nods to Field of Dreams, Back to the Future, and other movies that would be familiar to...
Bengt Halvorson -
Tesla profits, GM doubles down on EVs, Mustang and 911 hybrids: The Week in ReverseWhich company showed a new hybrid system this week? What new retro-themed electric car does Volkswagen plan to build? This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending Feb. 1, 2019. The news this week centered around Tesla, as it often...
Eric C. Evarts -
Chargeway Beacon to help shoppers and dealers navigate past EV charging confusionMultiple electric vehicles arriving this year promise a driving range of more than 200 miles. While that’s great news, and it’s bound to convince more households to make the jump to a fully electric vehicle—and to take road trips with it—it presents a new challenge to...
Bengt Halvorson