Green Car News
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Today, we test the 2017 Nissan Rogue Hybrid, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration closes its Tesla Autopilot investigation, and we explain how to figure out if your local dealer carries the Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car. All this and more on Green Car Reports. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration closed its investigation into Tesla Autopilot, saying it could find no safety defect responsible for a fatal crash that occurred last May. Can a full-size diesel pickup truck really achieve 37 mpg? Achates Power thinks its opposed-piston engine could make that possible...
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First carbon-capture power plants come on line this year
For electric utilities eager to hang onto their existing coal-fired power plants, carbon-capture technology must offer an exciting chance at salvation. As the name says, carbon capture retains and stores the emissions produced by coal power plants in particular, in theory mitigating some of their...
Stephen Edelstein -
Electric cars improving fast, CA should raise zero-emission requirements: report
For 50 years now, California has been at the very forefront of reducing vehicle emissions. It was doing so before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was even formed, and its powerful Air Resources Board has been a vital force in getting plug-in electric vehicles onto the state's roads...
John Voelcker -
2017 Nissan Rogue Hybrid: gas mileage review
Last year, Nissan sold almost 330,000 Rogues in the U.S., making it by far the brand's most popular model. For 2017, the compact crossover utility vehicle has added a new model, a hybrid that competes with the very successful Toyota RAV4 Hybrid—of which 44,000 were delivered last year. We...
John Voelcker -
How to figure out if your local Chevy dealer carries the Bolt EV electric car
The first few Chevrolet Bolt EV electric cars were delivered in California's Silicon Valley more than a month ago, marking the start of what will be a nationwide rollout. Electric-car advocates and buyers outside the Golden State are eager to know exactly when the 238-mile electric hatchback will...
Stephen Edelstein -
Full-size diesel pickup truck that gets 37 mpg? Achates says yes
Could a full-size pickup truck ever get a fuel-economy rating of 37 mpg? California-based Achates Power believes it can, and its novel engine uses a design that dates back to the earliest days of internal combustion to do so. The company announced its two-stroke, opposed-piston diesel engine for...
Stephen Edelstein -
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) closed its investigation into the fatal Florida crash last May of a Tesla using the company's Autopilot driver-assist system. The Model S in question collided with a tractor trailer that turned left in front of it, killing the driver, who was the electric car's sole occupant. At the time, Tesla said that "neither Autopilot nor the driver noticed the white side of the ... trailer against a brightly lit sky, so the brake was not applied." SEE ALSO: NHTSA to investigate Tesla Model S Autopilot crash that killed driver: UPDATED (Jul 2016)...
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Questionable electric-car study, GM biodiesel, WY threatens renewable energy: Today's Car News
Today, a study on electric-car emissions is based on questionable assumptions, General Motors offers B20 biodiesel capability in several car and truck models, and a Wyoming bill would essentially ban utilities from using renewable energy. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Two U.S. agencies...
Stephen Edelstein -
Challenging Arthur Little study on electric-car emissions: questionable assumptions
Transitions into new technologies always generate confusion and misinformation, and certainly that has been the case with modern electric cars. Buyers, automakers, and analysts debate their cost, suitability, real-world range, wells-to-wheels carbon footprint, and recyclability, among other issues...
John Voelcker -
New bill in coal-producing Wyoming would ban renewable energy for utilities
While renewable-energy use has grown substantially over the last few years, the regulatory environment remains volatile. Some states have worked hard to stimulate renewable energy, supporting infrastructure projects and offering incentives to consumers who install home solar arrays. But others have...
Stephen Edelstein -
GreenTech Auto shutters its doors, closes Mississippi factory
The harsh reality of high costs and the inexorable heft of the auto industry have claimed another electric-car startup. GreenTech Automotive opened a plant in Mississippi in 2014, first saying it would manufacture a small, two-seat electric vehicle called the MyCar there. It later struck a deal...
Stephen Edelstein -
GM adds B20 biodiesel capability to Chevy, GMC diesel trucks, cars
When it comes to reducing emissions, fleet operators generally have fewer options than individual buyers of passenger cars. There are fewer zero-emission vehicle options for vehicles that see commercial use, although those vehicles often cover more miles every year than the average passenger car...
Stephen Edelstein -
Tesla uses over-the-air software updates to quickly add new features to its electric cars, or to correct problems without the need for customers to bring their cars to service centers. But one apparent software update rankled more than a few Tesla owners: it limits the number of times Launch Mode can be used with specific battery packs, reducing performance once a limit determined by Tesla is reached. UPDATE: Two weeks after news of the limit came to light in early January and after feedback from its owners, Tesla announced that it will remove the software limiter in its next software update...
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2016 was planet's hottest year on record, third new high in a row
Despite scientists having reached a consensus years ago, considerable debate still appears to be raging over the reality of climate change. Climate-science deniers can count several people appointed to key environmental-regulatory positions in the incoming presidential administration among their...
Stephen Edelstein -
Tesla Supercharger fees, Faraday Future FF 91 cost, German VW lawsuit: Today's Car News
Today, a Tesla owner reacts to the automaker's new fees for Supercharger DC fast charging, a new report hints at the possible cost of the Faraday Future FF 91 electric car, and a German court orders Volkswagen to reimburse a diesel owner. All this and more on Green Car Reports. While the demise of...
Stephen Edelstein -
Toyota Mirai touted in ad on electric-car charging station
How do you advertise new and innovative zero-emission vehicles, whether they're electric or fuel-cell cars? It's a question that's bedeviled carmakers and their marketers, who continue to experiment with messaging, different audiences, and programs to get people into the cars. The challenge is...
John Voelcker -
Court orders full reimbursement for VW diesel owner in Germany
A lot has been said about Volkswagen's use of "defeat device" software in diesel cars to cheat on emissions tests, but a German court may win the prize for most-creative description. VW "defeat device" software is like putting horse meat in lasagna, three German judges decreed during a recent...
Stephen Edelstein -
When will you buy your last-ever gallon of gas? Poll results
Well, never let it be said that this site's readers don't practice what they preach. We asked our Twitter followers when they thought they would buy their very last gallon of gasoline ever. Remarkably, one third of them (35 percent) said they had already done so. DON'T MISS: What will you be...
John Voelcker -
If you're planning on buying a green car, have you ever wondered if you'll be making the purchase at a green dealership? As cars get more efficient, the carbon emissions related to the infrastructure for manufacturing and selling them should be considered as well. Honda has made some efforts in that direction with its "green dealer" program. DON'T MISS: Car dealer tries to install solar, town-owned utility limits power it can generate (Jun 2016) Launched in 2012, it encourages Honda dealerships—as well as those of the automaker's Acura luxury brand—to adopt energy-efficient...
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Tesla's Supercharger pricing: one owner reacts to new fees
It’s a new era in Teslaworld: the end of unlimited free Supercharging. Starting on January 15, anybody who orders a new Tesla Model S or Model X will receive an annual allotment of 400 free kilowatt-hours (good for about 1,200 miles). After that, they will have to pay for use of the...
David Noland -
Gas has to cost $3 a gallon before it affects vehicle choice, study says
Continuing low gas prices are often blamed for the current popularity of crossover utilities and SUVs, along with any sales struggles green cars may experience. But would a sudden increase in gas prices cause shoppers to flock to more fuel-efficient vehicles? If so, how high would gas prices have...
Stephen Edelstein -
Faraday Future FF 91 electric car to cost almost $300,000?
At the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show, Faraday Future released a number of details about the FF 91, its first production electric car. It quoted a range of 378 miles, courtesy of a 130-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. It also cited a power output of 1,050 horsepower, enabling the FF 91 to...
Stephen Edelstein -
2018 Nissan Leaf rumors, electric car price guide, RIP Empulse: Today's Car News
Today, we review what we know so far about the 2018 Nissan Leaf, our updated electric car price guide includes information on every available 2017 model, and the Empulse electric motorcycle is no more. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Looking for a new electric car? We have pricing and...
Stephen Edelstein -
VW Group plans 8 plug-in electric cars for China
As it works to recover from its diesel emission scandal, the Volkswagen Group is rapidly embracing electric cars. By 2025, the company hopes to be selling 1 million electric cars per year, and plans to launch 30 different electric models across multiple brands in the coming years. According to a...
Stephen Edelstein