Green Car News
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Sometimes you have to build a market when there's not one to cater to. How else would Ford have begun selling 300,000 Explorers a year when they were based on a rough-riding, antiquated (even then) Ranger pickup? Ford disseminated images in front of millions of American eyeballs of Explorers tracking campers along dirt trails, heading to the Grand Canyon, the Pacific surf, and the Redwood Forest. Americans who snapped up those ambitions snapped up the cars. So electric car advocates may ask, why haven't the automakers done the same thing to promote electric cars? Now thanks to reader EVPerks...
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Report: Tesla rejected additional driver sensors for AutopilotIn Tesla’s earnings call last week, Tesla CEO Elon Musk addressed a spate of crashes with cars using the automaker’s Autopilot system, noting that the crashes usually seem to involve experienced Tesla drivers who become complacent in using the system. On Monday, an article in the Wall...
Eric C. Evarts -
Honda starts production of new Insight hybrid in IndianaHonda announced that it began building its third-generation Insight hybrid at its factory in Indiana this week. The company first introduced a concept version of the car at the Detroit auto show in January, and showed the production version in New York in March. This is the third generation of the...
Eric C. Evarts -
Tesla Model 3 updates, Chevy Bolt EVs backordered, Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid driven: Today's Car NewsWe got a rundown of updates that Tesla has rolled out to existing Model 3 owners, and found five new features that new buyers can also expect. We got a first drive in a 2019 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid, to see what all the fuss is about. And our followers weighed in in our Twitter poll to let us know...
Eric C. Evarts -
Tesla Model 3 software updates revealedAs Tesla has been working to ramp up assembly of its more affordable Model 3 sedan, the company has also been adding features to existing examples with its over the air software updates. We spoke with Tesla to learn the extent of updates and found five updates that have been rolled out to existing...
Eric C. Evarts -
How often should Green Car Reports report plug-in sales numbers: Twitter poll resultsLast week in our Twitter poll, we asked a different kind of question: how often Green Car Reports readers would like to follow the horse-race of plug-in car sales. A surprisingly large 73 percent of of our Twitter followers said you would follow every month. Green Car Reports has been reporting the...
Eric C. Evarts -
The new Chevy Bolt EV was a long time coming, but interested buyers in some parts of Canada may have to wait longer. Kent Wallace reported to us last week that Toronto-area dealerships were quoting shoppers an 8- to 12-month wait for the 238-mile electric car. A GM spokeswoman in Canada confirmed the delay. DON'T MISS: Driving a Chevy Bolt EV across Canada, all the way "There is currently a waiting list for the Bolt EV in Canada. This is not uncommon with launch products, particularly such unique game changers like the Bolt EV. We have also seen an increase in demand for the popular Volt,"...
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2019 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid first driveElectrified cars are all too often about numbers: electric-only range, charging time, kilowatt-hours, and, of course, value. When it comes to an electrified luxury crossover like the 2019 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid, the default knee-jerk reaction is to throw out that last one. Except…...
Andrew Ganz -
Elon Musk says all-wheel-drive, Performance Model 3s will be available to order this weekIn a tweet response Friday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that buyers waiting to order a Model 3 with all-wheel drive or the Performance package can begin placing their orders by the end of this week. Last month, Musk had said that the Dual Motor all-wheel-drive and Performance versions of the Model 3...
Eric C. Evarts -
Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid, Model 3 AWD orders, and are Americans going electric? Today's Car NewsSubaru will bring back the Crosstrek Hybrid and it will be a plug-in hybrid this time. Tesla CEO Elon Musk says orders will open for all-wheel drive and performance-oriented Model 3s. A new AAA poll suggests 20 percent of Americans plan to purchase an electric car. And Nissan has begun offering...
Sean Szymkowski -
Nissan begins offering rebuilt Leaf battery packsStarting this month, Nissan has begun offering rebuilt battery packs for the older Leafs, filling a gap for drivers of older cars whose packs have begun to run down. The company built a new facility in Japan to rebuild the packs, and will sell them for about $2,850 (based on the price in Japan)...
Eric C. Evarts -
New Subaru Crosstrek plug-in hybrid coming for 2019Subaru announced Friday that its long-awaited Crosstrek Hybrid, a plug-in model, will go on sale as a 2019. Last month, Car and Driver reported that Subaru filed the trademark name Evoltis with the U.S. Patent and Trademark office, leading to speculation that the name could be applied to the...
Eric C. Evarts -
A new survey from AAA released last week reported that 20 percent of Americans say they plan to buy an electric car the next time they purchase a new car. That contrasts sharply with the less than one percent of Americans who buy electric cars today. It's not clear were the discrepancy lies, whether in range improvements for the latest electric cars, consumers who actually intend to buy electric but then can't find a model or a deal they like when they actually get to a showroom, survey error, or some other factor. READ THIS: Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn: 188 miles is enough for electric cars; now...
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Automakers play high-stakes CARB game to earn zero emissions vehicle creditsEditor's note: Green Car Reports covers a lot of electric cars—and there are a lot more to cover these days, thanks to California's complex requirements that major automakers produce zero emissions vehicles for sale. For fans of clean cars—as well as opponents—it's difficult to...
John Briggs -
Electric car recalls and deals, another Tesla crash, how much range is enough: The Week in ReverseWhich electric car can California and Oregon buyers take home for less than $200 a month and get $1,000 for doing so? What electric car war recalled this week? This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending May 11, 2018. Friday, we...
Eric C. Evarts -
Elio Motors says it will build production cars next yearPaul Elio told investors and media Friday in Shreveport, Louisiana, that his three-wheeled car would go on sale next year after several delays and questions about funding. "I believe this project has to happen," Elio said. Elio told media that his company had raised more than $110 million for a...
Aaron Cole -
Best deals on hybrid, electric, fuel-efficient cars for May 2018We found some great deals on green cars and hybrids this month as automakers look toward changing over their stock to sell new models. Several new electric models, including the 2017 and 2018 Nissan Leaf, 2018 Chevy Bolt EV, and other upcoming models have more range than older models. If you've...
Eric C. Evarts -
Tesla teases something, Clarity Electric lease rates, and Bolt EV software updates: Today's Car NewsTesla has shown off a cloaked car, and we suppose it may be the Model Y crossover. Honda has released attractive lease rates for the Clarity Electric in California and Oregon. We round out the best deals on hybrid, electric, and fuel-efficient cars for May 2018. And Chevrolet's Bolt EV gets...
Sean Szymkowski -
A voluntary software recall on the 2017 Chevy Bolt EV has been extended to 2018 models, a General Motors spokesman told Green Car Reports on Thursday. Last month, we reported that some owners of early 2017 Chevy Bolt EVs had failed batteries and would receive new batteries from GM. The fix also involved a software update to the computer that controls battery output, even in cars that without battery failure. Now the software update is being extended to 2018 models. DON'T MISS: Some Chevrolet Bolt EVs get new battery pack for sudden loss of power: here's why Owners of 2018 Bolt EVs should get...
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Unidentified Tesla Model flashes by in video, but Y?Tesla fans are agog over a teaser video released Thursday in which a cloaked car appears around the 15-second mark. Many are speculating that it could be a Model Y, with its high-ish roof and what look like four doors. And it could be. Then again, it "could be" almost anything, including a leftover...
Eric C. Evarts -
2018 Honda Clarity Electric hits dealerships in California and Oregon with $199 lease dealThe 2018 Honda Clarity Electric car rolled into California and Oregon dealerships this week, but nobody can buy it. It's only available for lease for $199 a month for 36 months with $1,499 due at signing. That figure reflects the $7,500 federal tax credit, which Honda finance will keep as part of...
Eric C. Evarts -
Tesla Model S Electric Car: Software Changes Since 2012 (UPDATED)Even though the Tesla Model S has retained its same basic shape since it went on sale in 2012, what's going on under the hood has been anything but stagnant. The automaker's over-the-air updates for the electric car have put the old guard on notice: People expect their cars to act like the...
David Noland -
Audi invests heavily in 20 electrified cars by 2025At its annual meeting Wednesday, Audi announced an ambitious plan to build 20 new electrified cars by 2025, most of them battery electrics,. The company says it will invest $47.6 billion (40 billion euros) into these electrified cars, a new app platform for its cars, a new fleet of autonomous...
Eric C. Evarts -
Jeep Wrangler fuel economy, another Tesla investigation, and Audi talks electric-car plans: Today's Car NewsThe EPA has posted official ratings for the 2018 Jeep Wrangler and its turbocharged inline-4 engine. Tesla is under scrutiny again after the NTSB opened a new investigation following a vehicle fire that killed two teenagers. The Consumer Federation of America issued a new report declaring improved...
Sean Szymkowski