Green Car News
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Today, we've got news on a pair of Honda hybrids, a remarkable announcement on the future of cars out of China, an explanation of how Texas exacerbated its hurricane damage, and a philosophical question about the 2018 Nissan Leaf. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Over the weekend, we ran down last week's top green-car stories. Owners who want to buy an updated, modified, legal Volkswagen TDI diesel vehicle as a used car will likely have to head to their VW dealers: They get first dibs. And we covered some momentous news out of China: the world's most populous nation and largest car...
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2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid rated at 47 miles of rangeWhile there will be three distinct powertrains offered in the Honda Clarity mid-size sedan, most U.S. shoppers will only ever see one of them on sale. That's the plug-in hybrid, which will go on sale "later this year" as the sole Clarity to be offered at all Honda dealers. Now the 2018 Honda...
John Voelcker -
2018 Nissan Leaf: does it pioneer the 'mid-range' electric car?With the 2018 Nissan Leaf due to arrive at U.S. dealers in four or five months, next year is shaping up to be a very interesting test of what buyers want in battery-electric cars. Much of the focus has been on the new car's range rating, projected to be 150 miles combined when it's confirmed by the...
John Voelcker -
Plug-in electric car sales in Canada, Aug 2017: Chevy Volt's 50th winThe Chevrolet Volt won its 17th straight Canadian plug-in electric vehicle sales title in August, which became its 50th overall. Much has changed since its September 2011 arrival in the home of the beaver—which, we note, is not just Oregon State University’s mascot, but Canada’s...
Matthew Klippenstein -
Texas fossil-fuel industry made state more vulnerable to hurricaneHurricane Harvey will go down as one of the most destructive and costliest natural disasters in the United States. While the storm has dissipated, with this week's attention focused on Hurricane Irma, the effects and damage tolls will last for years—and one thing already seems clear: Texas'...
Sean Szymkowski -
Electric cars in UK cleaner than best diesels in summer, not yet in winterAlthough electric cars do not emit exhaust, it's widely recognized that the electricity to charge their batteries often still comes from fossil fuels. This has led to the scrutiny of electric cars to determine whether their overall "wells-to-wheels" carbon footprints exceed those of regular...
Sean Szymkowski -
The auto industry has now grudgingly accepted that battery-electric cars will make up some portion of the world's new vehicles in years to come. But a milestone in that trend may have come today, in news from China. Policy makers in the world's most populous country, and largest car market, are developing a timetable to end production and sales of new vehicles with gasoline engines. DON'T MISS: UK to ban diesel, gasoline car sales by 2040; follows France, Norway, Holland bans Unlike Norway, The Netherlands, France, and the U.K., no year is yet associated with the plans, which are still being...
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Want to buy a used, updated Volkswagen TDI diesel car? Your VW dealer will get first dibsUpdated Volkswagen diesel vehicles with new engine software will soon be back on the market, but those looking to buy one will have to wait for their local dealership. Volkswagen will offer the hundreds of thousands of modified diesel vehicles to its franchised dealers first, offering them a "right...
Sean Szymkowski -
Mazda SkyActiv-X engine, 2018 Nissan Leaf, electric-car sales, Mercedes concept: The Week in ReverseWhich two prototype cars did we drive in Japan and report on this week? How many hundreds of thousands of miles have several electric cars now covered? This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending on Friday, September 8, 2017. Friday...
John Voelcker -
2018 Leaf sales goal, advertising electric cars, Uber bans diesels, Lexus NX hybrid: Today's Car NewsToday, we've got clever new ads that highlight how electric cars should be sold, an Uber ban on diesels in London, a sales goal for the 2018 Nissan Leaf, and more about next week's Frankfurt auto show. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Mercedes-Benz released another teaser image of the EQ A...
John Voelcker -
Goal for 2018 Nissan Leaf: double sales of new electric carAfter lavish launch events around the world, the 2018 Nissan Leaf electric car will go on sale next month in Japan and early next year in North America. The second generation of the world's best-selling electric car, however, faces a very different landscape than did its predecessor in December...
John Voelcker -
BYD: tiny electric cars for China could be 75 percent of salesChinese automaker BYD was the world's largest producer of plug-in electric cars last year, and the outlook for new markets in its home country are quite healthy, suggesting strong continued growth. BYD plans to tackle the country's inland cities, viewed as a new frontier for automakers, with a...
Sean Szymkowski -
Drivers shopping the luxury crossover market have a new proposition to consider, and it comes with hybrid power. The updated 2018 Lexus NX 300h hybrid crossover will go on sale with a recommended price that's actually lower than the outgoing 2017 model. Despite the price drop, this year's hybrid NX 300h actually boasts more standard equipment. DON'T MISS: Lexus has sold 1 million luxury hybrid vehicles in 11 years A 2017 Lexus NX 300h started at $40,715, including the $995 destination fee, but a 2018 Lexus 300h will be priced from $39,330. That equals a price decrease of $1,385, according to...
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New 'EVs are better' ads: how electric-car marketing should be donePeople buy electric cars for many different reasons, only one of which is the environment. Others include their quieter, smoother performance; the immediate torque; the desire to have the very newest and most advanced technology; and the lifetime cost savings. These diverse motivations apparently...
John Voelcker -
Uber to go all electric or hybrid in London by 2020, ban diesels, add clean-air fee to ridesUber has announced it will require its 40,000 drivers in London to switch to hybrid or fully electric cars, and ban diesel vehicles from its fleet, by the end of 2019. By the end of 2021, it will extend that policy throughout the United Kingdom, where it presently operates in 40 cities. Uber said...
John Voelcker -
Latest image shows shape of Mercedes EQA compact electric car for Frankfurt showGerman luxury maker Mercedes-Benz has released another teaser photo of the electric-car concept it will reveal next week at the Frankfurt auto show. That vehicle will be the Mercedes EQA Concept, a compact electric hatchback that's one of several concepts that preview future products as the company...
John Voelcker -
Engines vs motors, Mazda's SkyActiv-X engine, Niro Plug-In, electric-car sales: Today's Car NewsToday, we've got a pair of stories on internal combustion, covering Mazda's innovative and fuel-efficient new SkyActiv-X engine and a dismissive comment on electric cars from a Japanese CEO. Also, a new Twitter poll to take and an update on U.S. plug-in electric car sales. All this and more on...
John Voelcker -
Mazda's SkyActiv-X: diesel fuel economy from gasoline engineThe internal combustion engine, now more than 200 years old, will be with us for a long time to come yet. Powering more than 1 billion vehicles on the planet and almost 100 million new ones each year, it is the default way to move vehicles along the world's roads. With its carbon emissions now...
John Voelcker -
As more battery-electric cars are sold and more drivers become aware of them, the question of battery life recurs among pretty much every potential buyer. How long will the battery last? Will I have to replace it every 18 months as I do in my smartphone? Data on the liquid-cooled battery packs of older Tesla Model S and Chevrolet Volt cars offers encouraging prospects—one 2012 Volt in particular. DON'T MISS: Durable 2012 Chevrolet Volt: 300,000 miles, no battery loss (Mar 2016) Nicknamed "Ol' Sparkie," that one specific Volt has now crossed a breathtaking 400,000 miles in the hands of...
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Death of engines overstated, fully electric world a 'comic book' fantasy: Japanese test companyMost analysts agree the future of the automobile will slowly but increasingly come to rely on battery power. Electric cars will slowly displace internal combustion engines, many researchers suggest, and peak demand for fossil fuels used in transportation could arrive as soon as the next decade...
Sean Szymkowski -
Plug-in electric car sales for Aug: Bolt EV leads Prime, Volt lower (updated)The Chevrolet Bolt EV continued a steady sales rise last month as it solidified its position among the top three plug-in electric cars for which monthly U.S. sales are reported. In August, Chevy delivered 2,107 Bolt EVs, the first time the car had sold more than 2,000 units in a month after...
John Voelcker -
2018 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid goes on sale in UKThe Kia Niro Hybrid has been on sale in the United States since early 2017, but at its launch, the brand promised a plug-in hybrid version would arrive by the end of this year as well. Ahead of its U.S. launch, the Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid has now arrived in the United Kingdom with a 36-mile rated...
Sean Szymkowski -
Which company's electric-car success will surprise us? Take our Twitter pollSometimes the competition among global automakers can seem like watching a professional sports league. Powerhouse teams—GM, Renault Nissan, Toyota, VW Group, the four largest global makers—compete against each other as well as against smaller, scrappier upstarts with devoted and loyal...
John Voelcker -
2018 Nissan Leaf debuts, CA's dirtiest diesels, plug-in hybrid future, nervous Big Oil: Today's Car NewsToday's news is dominated by the global debut of the 2018 Nissan Leaf electric cars, and we've got full details, prototype drive impressions, and a nine-point cheat sheet. Also, news on California's dirtiest diesels and thoughts on the future of plug-in hybrids. All this and more on Green Car...
John Voelcker