Green Car News
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Hyundai is known in the auto industry as an aggressive and very capable competitor, and the world's largest makers watch it closely and take it very seriously. The company didn't introduce its first hybrid car in the U.S. until 2011 and, frankly, that year's hybrid Sonata sedan wasn't very good. Just six model years later, the company's hybrids are much improved and it has launched a world first: a car that can be ordered with hybrid, all-electric, or plug-in hybrid powertrains. DON'T MISS: 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid: gas mileage review That car is the Hyundai Ioniq lineup, which for 2018 will...
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Odds for auto startups are incredibly high; can Tesla beat them?Much of the energy and growth in the U.S. economy comes not from large corporations but from small startup companies, as economic data shows. By now, the model of a young, energetic entrepreneur with a bright idea who turns it into a world-changing business is well established. Think Facebook or...
John Voelcker -
Syria to sign Paris Climate pact, leaving US alone; Trump disinvited from climate summitFollowing President Donald Trump's decision to pull the United States from the Paris Climate Accord—a global pact to reduce carbon output and curb climate change—only two other nations had not signed the treaty. Now, the U.S. sits alone and isolated internationally on climate policy...
Sean Szymkowski -
BMW battery-sourcing ethics highlight cobalt-mining issue for electric carsElectric cars provide a zero-emission driving experience, but one of the most important raw materials for their batteries—cobalt—has a supply chain that needs some work. About half of the world's cobalt supply comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a country with high rates...
Sean Szymkowski -
Electric-car sales, Porsche profits, more Hyundai-Kia electrics, Best Car To Buy finalist: Today's Car NewsToday, we've got plug-in electric car sales reports from both the U.S. and Canada, greater production of electric cars by Hyundai and Kia, a look at legendary Porsche profits, and another Best Car To Buy finalist. All this and more on Green Car Reports. We're a bit later this time than usual with...
John Voelcker -
Plug-in electric car sales in Canada, Oct 2017: Chevy’s dominant duoThe dominant duo of the Chevy Volt and Bolt EV continued their winning ways in the Canadian market for new plug-in electric cars during October. Chevrolet sold 424 Volts to start the fourth quarter, down slightly from 483 in September. The vehicle’s 3,431 sales through October all but tied...
Matthew Klippenstein -
If any electric car aside from the Tesla Model 3 can be called "long-awaited," it would be the redesigned 2018 Nissan Leaf. First thought to arrive as a 2016 model, it was widely assumed to be a 2017 to go head-to-head with the 238-mile Chevrolet Bolt EV launched last December. In the event, the second-generation Leaf has arrived as a 2018 model, with a considerably lower range than the Bolt EV—but at a considerably lower price. DON'T MISS: 2018 Nissan Leaf review The new 2018 Leaf, starting at $30,875, is almost $7,000 less expensive than the Bolt EV, which starts at $37,500. (Both...
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Electric Hyundai Kona, Kia Niro production to rise again: reportBoth Hyundai and Kia planned to approach the electric and plug-in car market aggressively, but now the Korean siblings plan to boost production even over totals announced earlier this year. This past summer, both brands said they would increase their electrified car production to 50,000 units next...
Sean Szymkowski -
Porsche will thrive, remain profitable when sports car are electric: CFOLuxury and sports car maker Porsche isn't concerned with the sweeping changes vehicle electrification will bring. In fact, the brand believes it will maintain its steady profit and 15-percent operating margin into the future, despite the major investments in electric and plug-in cars it plans to...
Sean Szymkowski -
Plug-in electric car sales for Oct: new Bolt EV record, Prime and Volt tiedChevy did it again. More specifically, GM delivered 2,781 Chevrolet Bolt EVs to buyers during October, a new high for its 238-mile electric car, and the highest reported sales of any plug-in electric vehicle last month. That brings the total number of Bolt EVs sold in 11 months to 17,083 (plus an...
John Voelcker -
2018 Nissan Leaf, electric van with drone, GM and Nissan vs tax bill, new Twitter poll: Today's Car NewsToday, two carmakers push back against killing the electric-car tax credit, an electric delivery van with a drone option, the 2018 Nissan Leaf assessed, and a new Twitter poll on future cars. All this and more on Green Car Reports. We're curious to get your views on which carmaker will launch the...
John Voelcker -
Workhorse N-Gen electric parcel van comes with optional drone deliveryWorkhorse, best known for its forthcoming W-15 range-extended electric pickup truck, today revealed its newest vehicle. The N-Gen electric van will tackle the important "last-mile" delivery segment, performed by vehicles that deliver parcels over relatively short distances. Not only makers like...
Sean Szymkowski -
The United States tax code hasn't seen a major overhaul in decades, and the current Congress—along with the Trump administration—may be learning, or re-learning, why. Numerous opponents have moved swiftly to condemn various aspects of the draft Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR1) proposed in the House of Representatives, released last Thursday. The bill in particular could affect electric-car buyers significantly with its provision to end the current income-tax credit of $2,500 to $7,500 for purchase of a plug-in electric car. DON'T MISS: Draft tax bill eliminates credit for all...
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Which maker will sell the first affordable AWD electric SUV? Take our Twitter pollUtility vehicles are hot. There's no denying it. The best-selling passenger cars in the U.S. have been mid-size sedans like the Toyota Camry for a couple of decades, but now they're likely to be eclipsed by compact crossover utility models like the Toyota RAV4. Of course, the Ford F-Series line of...
John Voelcker -
Europe fast charging, EVs cleaner everywhere, Trump vs science, IIHS loves Ioniq: Today's Car NewsToday, we've got reports on a couple of significant analyses, one on electric-car emissions and the other on climate change; a new app for EV charging from EVgo; a new fast-charging network in Europe; and an IIHS designation for the Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Over...
John Voelcker -
Electric cars emit less carbon than average U.S. new car, everywhere in the worldWhen electric cars first arrived in 2011, it was a reasonable question: Aren't you just shifting emissions from the tailpipe to the smokestack? The answer is yes, but the carbon emissions per mile of an electric car—properly measured on a wells-to-wheels basis—are virtually always lower...
John Voelcker -
EVgo adds mobile app for electric-car charging network accessOne way for electric-car charging networks to make the public charging experience more user-friendly is through the use of smartphone apps to replace the RFID cards that identify members and let them initiate charge sessions. Not only do they provide electric-car drivers a host of capabilities, but...
Sean Szymkowski -
Climate change all manmade, say actual scientists: awkward for Trump science deniersWhen the Environmental Protection Agency quietly issued its new four-year plan in mid-October, the phrase "climate change" did not appear anywhere in the 38-page document. It is now clear the Trump Administration intends to delay, halt, or erase government efforts to limit U.S. emissions of carbon...
John Voelcker -
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, supporting all electric cars that adhere to the Combined Charging Standard (CCS) protocol. However, work begins immediately, and the coalition of automakers said it will install 20 charging stations in 2017. DON'T MISS: Porsche's 800-Volt fast charging for electric cars: why it matters BMW, Mercedes-Benz's...
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What is a Toyota Prius Hellcat? You may not want to knowThe huge annual SEMA show for builders and owners of highly customized cars brings out some truly bizarre creations. Only at SEMA will you see vehicles like the one-of-a-kind PriuSRT8, a Toyota Prius with a gas-guzzling V-8 engine under its hood that effectively turns the hybrid's green credentials...
Sean Szymkowski -
2018 Bolt EV, cheaper hybrid SUV, Trump vs electric cars, Tesla Model 3 woes: The Week in ReverseWhich hybrid crossover utility vehicle will add a new and less expensive version for 2018? What bad news did Tesla CEO Elon Musk share with the world? This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending on Friday, November 3, 2017. Regular...
John Voelcker -
Workhorse CEO: $300 million in preorders for plug-in hybrid pickup trucksOver seven years of plug-in electric cars and 20 years of hybrids, the pickup truck sector remains largely untouched. GM sold hybrid Chevrolet and GMC pickups for a few years, and Ford plans an F-150 hybrid in 2020. A startup company now called Workhorse (nee AMP) noticed that white space and made...
Sean Szymkowski -
NASA looking at geothermal energy from Yellowstone supervolcanoAlthough claims of imminent volcanic eruption are likely exaggerated, any eruption of what's known as the Yellowstone Supervolcano would cause global chaos. Through intense monitoring programs, scientists have a clear idea of the Yellowstone volcano's behavior. Now NASA scientists are exploring a...
Sean Szymkowski -
Tesla Model 3 owners' club video offers new details on electric carFirst-hand details about the Tesla Model 3 remain almost as rare as the cars themselves; Tesla has built only a few hundred Model 3 electric cars since its launch in July Now a new video provides an incredibly in-depth look at Tesla's mass-production car, though we suspect it may have been approved...
Sean Szymkowski