Green Car News
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In June 2013, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced he would drive a Tesla Model S electric car across the U.S. to show off the company's new Supercharger fast-charging network. Indeed, two Tesla Model S sedans successfully completed the run from Los Angeles to New York City in February 2014. Last year, Musk decided to repeat the stunt, but with a twist: This time, a self-driving Tesla would take him across the country. DON'T MISS: Tesla upgrades self-driving sensors, hardware; full autonomy test next year? (Oct 2016) Musk and the rest of the company, however, have been quite preoccupied with a...
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Subaru plug-in hybrid to use Prius Prime parts, coming in 2019When Toyota and Mazda said last September they would form a joint venture to produce electric-car parts, that answered the question of where Mazda's future plug-in vehicles would get their electric running gear. But it sparked another question: Where did that leave Subaru, another small automaker...
John Voelcker -
What will get more people to consider electric cars? Twitter poll resultsJust shy of 200,000 plug-in electric cars were sold in the U.S. last year, their seventh year on sale. That's the highest number yet, but still just a little more than 1 percent of the market. And it's far from clear that the general car-buying public at large is aware that electric vehicles exist...
John Voelcker -
Life with Tesla Model S: coast to coast in a new 100D (and how it differed from my old 85)One of the reasons I traded in my 2013 Tesla Model S 85 last summer for a new Model S 100D was to get extra range. The newer car’s 100-kilowatt-hour battery gives it an EPA-rated range of 335 miles—70 miles more than the old car’s rating of 265 miles. Over four-plus years and...
David Noland -
Hydrogen challenge chart, electric-car fee, Tesla road trip, 2018 Fiat 500e preview: Today's Car NewsToday, we've got a new state fee proposed for hybrids and electric cars, a 2018 Fiat 500e preview, a Tesla cross-country road trip, and a chart explaining the challenge for hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Take our latest Twitter poll, which asks where you think...
John Voelcker -
This one 11-year-old chart explains the problem with hydrogen fuel-cell vehiclesToday, there are roughly 750,000 plug-in electric vehicles on U.S. roads and about 3,800 powered by hydrogen fuel cells. Proponents of each type of vehicle argue strenuously that their powertrain is a better way to produce vehicles with zero emissions from the tailpipe. Electric cars can be charged...
John Voelcker -
When the Fiat 500e electric minicar launched in 2013, its range was rated at 87 miles, but its most distinctive feature was its wickedly fun-to-drive character. Six years later, the fun driving remains the same—and the range has fallen slightly to 84 miles, based on changes to EPA test calculations. Meanwhile, every other electric model from 2013—from the Nissan Leaf to the Tesla Model S—has seen its range rise. DON'T MISS: 2018 Fiat 500e - full review That's the context for considering the 2018 Fiat 500e, the latest iteration of the tiny Italian-American battery-electric...
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Maine to hit hybrids, electric cars with fees higher than gas tax?Maine has become the latest in a growing string of states to propose adding registration fees for hybrid and electric cars to make up for tax revenue on the gasoline they don't use, or use less of. But it's also part of a much smaller group of those states in which the fees are punitive: drivers of...
John Voelcker -
Where will we see the most electric-car innovation? Take our Twitter pollIt hasn't emerged much into the public eye, but some advocates and auto-industry sources have had quiet discussions on whether the U.S. will continue to lead the world in electric-car technology in a new decade. California remains the epicenter of plug-in car adoption, with roughly half the...
John Voelcker -
Will GM or Tesla buyers lose electric-car tax credits first? (updated)A major contributor to electric-car sales is the program under which buyers of new electric cars qualify for a federal income-tax credit of up to $7,500. But these tax credits are not unlimited. Once a manufacturer reaches sales of 200,000 plug-in electric cars (after December 31, 2009), the...
Stephen Edelstein -
Diesel cheating deal, Model 3 modules, autonomous pod swarms, EV leasing vs buying: Today's Car NewsToday, we've got advice on buying or leasing an electric car, a possible diesel-cheating deal for Jeep and Ram, tax credits in the budget bill, and another Tesla statement after Musk said something that startled analysts. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Over the weekend, as we do every...
John Voelcker -
Autonomous swarming electric pods: halfway between train and car?There are cars and trucks, and then there are trains and buses. While multi-seat vans and wagons can serve the purpose of buses carrying multiple unrelated people, a California company has come up with an entirely new concept. The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority announced yesterday it would...
John Voelcker -
Most shoppers seem to view visiting a franchised auto dealer to negotiate the purchase or lease of a new car with a distinct lack of enthusiasm. In fact, as electric-car driver Douglas Kerr notes, the process is often compared to having a cavity filled. Kerr has now leased or bought four separate electric cars, and he has some advice on reducing the pain. What follows are his words, lightly edited by Green Car Reports for clarity and style. My first experience in buying a car was epic. It ended with the salesman rising up from his chair and pointing at me, saying I was (kitty) whipped by my...
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FCA can settle Jeep, Ram EcoDiesel emission case with fine, recall: Justice DepartmentWhile VW is moving toward the end of buybacks, payments, and fines for eight years of cheating on diesel emission standards, Fiat Chrysler is still in the thick of its own diesel mess involving Jeep SUVs and Ram trucks. On February 2, the U.S. Justice Department offered to let the company move...
John Voelcker -
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Budget deal restores tax credits for EV charging stations, electric motorcycles, fuel-cell carsFears that Congress would kill the federal tax credit for purchase of a plug-in electric car were laid to rest in December when that incentive survived the $1.5 trillion tax-cut bill. Now Congress has added back a handful of other tax credits related to electric cars and greener transportation in...
John Voelcker -
Electric cars in Geneva, plunging Prius sales, Tesla Model 3 delays, hybrid in winter: The Week in ReverseHow did Tesla respond to questions over its latest delays in delivery dates for the Model 3 electric car? Why should EV owners and advocates worry about consumer awareness of plug-in electric cars? This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week...
John Voelcker -
Tesla Model 3 delays, plunging Prius sales, green-car deals, Sonata Hybrid video: Today's Car NewsToday, we look at plummeting Prius sales, our monthly roundup of best green-car deals, new Tesla Model 3 delivery delays, and a video preview of the 2018 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. All this and more on Green Car Reports. The company that makes more electric-car batteries in China than any other, known...
John Voelcker -
As they say: If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. The first Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, launched for 2011, wasn't one of the better examples of the class for drivability. But Hyundai has updated its mid-size hybrid three times since then, with each generation getting markedly better. DON'T MISS: 2018 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, Plug-In Hybrid debuts in Chicago The company also launched an updated Sonata Plug-In Hybrid as well, though there's not one here on the floor in Chicago. The single-motor hybrid powertrain hasn't changed much, with a combined output of 193 horsepower for the hybrid and...
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Tesla Model 3 variants delayed; will some buyers lose $7,500 tax credit?"Overall, I think, while there were challenges associated with Model 3 ramp, we were in a deeper level of hell than we expected, so a few levels deeper than we'd like to be, but swiftly exiting, I think." Those chastened but seemingly optimistic words came from the CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, during a...
John Voelcker -
Toyota Prius hybrid sales have tanked: here are 4 reasons whyThe Toyota Prius hybrid has been its maker's "halo car" and an example of its most advanced technology for two decades. Launched from an early-1990s project to halve the fuel consumption of a small car, its hybrid-electric powertrain pioneered mass electrification of passenger cars. But the sales...
John Voelcker -
Best deals on hybrid, electric, fuel-efficient cars for February 2018With gasoline cheap and buyers continuing to shun passenger cars for crossovers and trucks, there are bargains to be had in fuel-efficient and electrified vehicles. This month's deals, courtesy of CarsDirect, includes cheap leases, low financing rates, and money off sticker prices. They cover a...
John Voelcker -
China's largest electric-car battery maker, CATL, sets sights on U.S. marketJust a handful of companies today make the bulk of battery cells used in plug-in electric cars worldwide. Now the largest single maker of electric-vehicle cells in China has expanded its focus, from the home market to global markets and specifically the U.S. The name, CATL, may not be familiar to...
John Voelcker -
Hyundai Kona Electric, new diesel Ford, Lexus RX 450hL price, 2018 Sonata Hybrid: Today's Car NewsToday, we're at the Chicago auto show media day—meaning today—and we've got news about updated hybrid and plug-in hybrid Hyundai Sonatas, a new diesel Ford, some Lexus pricing, and a look ahead to an all-new electric car in Geneva next month. All this and more on Green Car Reports. A...
John Voelcker