Green Car News
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The process of drafting a so-called tax reform bill has been shrouded in mystery, with even Republican congressmembers admitting they didn't know what provisions it would contain. But according to a report on Thursday, the draft of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act proposed in the House of Representatives on Thursday immediately eliminates the income-tax credit of up to $7,500 for purchase of a plug-in electric vehicle. That provision, enacted in 2008 even before President Barack Obama was elected, is deeply enmeshed in the current tax code. DON'T MISS: Ending tax credits would kill electric-car...
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Bad news for Model 3, electric car songs, coasting or engine braking, tax credit in peril? Today's Car NewsToday, we've got news out of Congress in DC, bad news for the Tesla Model 3, some advice on fuel-saving techniques, and a song sung by electric cars. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Tesla has been able to build only 260 Model 3 electric cars over the last three months, CEO Elon Musk said...
John Voelcker -
Nissan shares what future electric cars should sound like: the 'Canto' themeLess than two years from now, barring action by the Trump administration, a National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration rule will require hybrid and electric cars to produce an audible noise under 19 mph. Alongside its Nissan IMx self-driving electric SUV concept it launched at the recent...
Sean Szymkowski -
Saving gas by lifting the pedal: engine braking vs coasting (video)The way a driver operates a car can produce very different fuel-economy numbers, and when driving downhill, two notable techniques come into play. The first is leaving the car in gear and using so-called engine braking to provide at least some deceleration. But many believe putting a car in neutral...
Sean Szymkowski -
Just 260 Tesla Model 3s built in three months, volume production delayed: Q3 results and callOnly one topic really mattered in the Tesla third-quarter financial results call for analysts held Wednesday afternoon: Model 3. In light of far lower September deliveries than promised as late as July by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, all interest focused on the more-affordable, higher-volume electric car...
John Voelcker -
2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV: minimal changes, same range and priceWith sales of the Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car rising every month, shoppers are inevitably curious about any changes to the Bolt for the 2018 model year, its second. Now the information is out, and buyers will find the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV is virtually the same car as the 2017 model—with...
John Voelcker -
Today, we've got information on all the changes to the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car, a poll on our Best Car To Buy nominees, a disturbing diesel analysis on carbon, and the idea of airless tires. All this and more on Green Car Reports. As we go through our finalists for the Green Car Reports Best Car To Buy 2018 award, we put together a Twitter poll asking which car you'd pick. (No, the Tesla Model 3 still isn't eligible.) A new analysis of the carbon emissions of diesel engines in Europe doesn't help their cause one bit. Toyota is working with Sumitomo to investigate airless tires for...
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Toyota electric cars could use airless tires if research pans out: reportAlthough electric cars offer numerous benefits in engineering, design, and zero-emission operation, their overall weight remains a hurdle for automakers, especially as bigger batteries with longer ranges become more important. It now appears that Toyota may look to airless tires as a way to cut...
Sean Szymkowski -
Those fuel-efficient diesels? Actually worse on lifetime CO2, study saysDiesel-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"...
Sean Szymkowski -
Which car would you pick as Best Car To Buy 2018? Take our Twitter pollIn early October, when we announced our three finalists for the Green Car Reports Best Car To Buy 2018 award, they represented a diverse set of approaches to making cars greener. They included a plug-in hybrid minivan (the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid), a range of powertrains—hybrid...
John Voelcker -
Electric semi, car subscription services, engine bans, Better Place postmortem: Today's Car NewsToday, the sad story and lessons learned from the Better Place failure, subscription services and electric cars, some surprising survey results, and another all-electric semi truck concept. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler makes trucks. A lot of trucks...
John Voelcker -
'Totaled' is the long, sad story of Better Place and its failure: book reviewIt is just over five years since I bought my Better Place Renault 2012 Fluence ZE in Israel—and a little over five months since I returned it to Israel’s Renault importer for a cash settlement. By that time, the 22-kilowatt-hour battery capacity was down to 11.3 kwh, and a warning light...
Brian of London -
As automakers commit to more electric and electrified cars in the near future, many hurdles remain that can make owning an electric car more difficult than a conventional vehicle. Meanwhile, as electrified cars become more common, automakers and brands will also continue to introduce new models for vehicle ownership, many of them subscription services. But it may be possible these two evolutions could converge and reinforce each another, which would boost electric-car adoption. DON'T MISS: Hyundai Ioniq electric car offered on 'Ioniq Unlimited' subscription model Consumers who may be leery of...
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When will U.S. ban sales of new cars with engines? Poll resultsPresuming China sticks to its statement that it will ban sales of new vehicles with combustion engines in some future year, the auto industry is facing a very different future than it was a year ago. Similar bans from Norway, The Netherlands, France, and the U.K. all represented smaller markets...
John Voelcker -
Mercedes parent Daimler launches E-Fuso electric truck sub-brandDaimler, parent company of Mercedes-Benz and Smart, also owns the Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation—which it used last week to preview major shifts coming to its Daimler Trucks business. It all took place at the reveal of E-Fuso, a new sub-brand of Daimler's Fuso operation that will...
Sean Szymkowski -
Cheaper RAV4 Hybrid, faster electric-car charging, solar sedan, Pacifica Hybrid: Today's Car NewsToday, we've got a cheaper hybrid SUV, the first of three Best Car To Buy 2018 finalists, a prize-winning solar sedan, and millions for much faster electric-car charging. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Over the weekend, as we do every seven days, we ran down last week's most important...
John Voelcker -
Green Car Reports Best Car To Buy 2018 finalist: Chrysler Pacifica HybridIf ever a green family vehicle had a rocky launch, it would be the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. Only two months after deliveries of the eagerly awaited plug-in hybrid seven-seat minivan began in April, sales were halted for several when a potentially faulty diode was identified. In June, 1,368...
John Voelcker -
BMW, Mercedes invest in 'flexible car ownership' startup FairHow would you know that the standard model for individuals buying new cars is dying? Sure, you could point to car sharing services like Car2go or Zipcar. Or you might point to ride hailing companies like Lyft or Uber. Maybe you think the subscription model for the Hyundai Ioniq Electric...
John Voelcker -
Toyota's popular RAV4 crossover utility vehicle will gain a new entry-level hybrid trim for the 2018 model year, offering a remarkably good price against a gasoline-only RAV4 crossover. The 2018 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid LE trim lets buyers choose the greater fuel efficiency of a hybrid powertrain for only $1,325 more than an equivalent gas-powered RAV4 LE with AWD. The LE version of the RAV4 Hybrid bundles hybrid power, additional amenities, and all-wheel drive at a starting price of $28,130. DON'T MISS: 2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid: Gas Mileage Review News of the hybrid crossover's release came from a...
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Energy Dept to award $15 million for very fast electric-car chargingThe United States Department of Energy has announced a new funding initiative to accelerate the development of what it calls "Extreme Fast Charging" (XFC) systems. In total, the DoE will award $15 million for the development of electric-car charging systems as well as batteries capable of very fast...
Sean Szymkowski -
Stella Vie 'family sedan' wins long-distance solar car raceEarlier this month, the 30th World Solar Challenge kicked off in Darwin, Australia, with 42 competitors vying for victory. At the end of the 3,022-kilometer (1,880-mile) race from Darwin to Adelaide, one team emerged victorious in the highly contested Cruiser class. Solar Team Eindhoven, from the...
Sean Szymkowski -
Electric SUVs in Tokyo, next Prius V hybrid, plug-in sales, VW vs Tesla, Model 3 parts: The Week in ReverseWhich carmaker sold 10,000 cars with plugs in September? (No, not Tesla, or Nissan, or GM ....) How many stories this week did we have that explained crossover utility vehicles are the big thing these days? This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for...
John Voelcker -
Model 3 parts cuts, electric SUV concept, VW targets Tesla, collector cars catch a break: Today's Car NewsToday, another electric SUV concept, some bad news for the Tesla Model 3, collector cars catch a break, and a video shows how little average people know about electricity. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Companies that feel threatened sometimes attack, and VW Group executives have gone...
John Voelcker -
People have no idea what electricity is or how it works (video)Everyone knows what a gallon of gasoline is, or what they paid the last time they put fuel in their car. But trying asking your friends, relatives, and neighbors how much they paid per kilowatt-hour in their last electric bill. Or even what a kilowatt-hour is. We guarantee you that 19 out of 20 of...
John Voelcker