Green Car News
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Tesla continues to make sweeping changes as it prepares for the launch of the Model 3, its first mass-market electric car. The company has announced a significant expansion of its global network of Supercharger DC fast-charging stations. Executives believe, it said, that charging should be “convenient, abundant, and reliable” for all current and future owners. DON’T MISS: Used Tesla Model S values stay higher than expected Today, Tesla provides roughly 5,400 Supercharger charging slots in 840 sites around the world. That figure is to increase to more than 10,000 by the end...
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Used Tesla prices, electric VTOL jet, more fast charging, China's EV role: Today's Car NewsToday, we've got the results of another poll (this one on China), good news for Tesla owners, a jet without engines, and some possibly good news about the EPA. All this and more on Green Car Reports. While values of used electric cars like the Nissan Leaf have plummeted, the prices of used Tesla...
John Voelcker -
How likely is it China will outpace the U.S. in electric-car adoption? Poll resultsChina is the biggest new-car market in the world, and has been since 2010. The world's largest country also has some of the smoggiest cities on the planet, and that's a source of increasing public agitation. So at national, state, and local levels, a variety of Chinese government entities are using...
John Voelcker -
Pruitt won't kill EPA 'endangerment' finding on climate changeThe current EPA administrator, Scott Pruitt, does not accept the scientific consensus on human contribution to climate change, though he has given some contradictory statements on that matter. His views correspond closely to those of his boss, President Donald Trump, who notoriously compared the...
John Voelcker -
Lilium all-electric vertical takeoff and landing jet: first flight videoThe promise of flying cars has been around for decades, and companies continues to show off their interpretations of what the public may expect in the future. Lilium is one of many companies promising a world of efficient, speedy, and personal air transportation—and now the project has...
Sean Szymkowski -
Nissan, EVgo add Boston-to-DC fast chargers; BMW adds charging to national parksNissan is making it easier for electric-car owners to travel between the Boston area and Washington, D.C. The automaker has partnered with EVgo to add a network of nine charging sites along Interstate 95, with a total of 50 stations, each equipped with two fast-charge plugs. Dubbed the "I-95 Fast...
Sean Szymkowski -
A new report from Autolist says the Tesla Model S is faring well as a used car when compared to other luxury models. On average, the electric car sells in around 87 days, which is about 5 percent faster than competitors. The report compared the Model S to the Audi A7, Porsche Panamera, BMW 6 Series, Mercedes-Benz CLS and Lexus LS 460. CHECK OUT: 2017 Tesla Model S pricing, feature changes; breaking them down in detail While those models aren't electric vehicles, they are often cross-shopped against the Model S in both size and price. The Model S is also doing well when it comes to actual...
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China's Buick Velite 5 is a Volt with a nose jobChina is hugely important to General Motors, as it is to virtually any global automaker. It's the largest market in the country and, recently, it has put in place an increasing set of requirements that more vehicles sold there be fully or partially electric. It also happens to be by far the largest...
John Voelcker -
Is Toyota's hydrogen fuel-cell fervor foolish, or foresighted? (with charts)Toyota's staunch, unswerving support for hydrogen fuel cells has astonished and aggravated many in the electric vehicle community. For some of them, the technology is at best an inferior solution—and at worst is fossil fuel-friendly vaporware, a Judas in Jesus's clothing, if you will. With...
Matthew Klippenstein -
Honda to launch electric car in China next year too, joining Toyota, reluctantlyWhile corporate average fuel-economy standards through 2021 remain in place in the U.S., automakers are preparing their case to argue for delays in further tightening. Meanwhile, China is turning the policy screws on automakers operating in the country, telling them they must sell more electric...
John Voelcker -
The day without coal: Britain's first one since 1882The Industrial Revolution that started around 1750 in England was powered largely by coal. With Watt's invention of the steam engine and the emergence of railways in the mid-nineteenth century, the carbon-dense fuel was central to the change from an agricultural economy to an industrial one. Last...
John Voelcker -
Life with Tesla Model S: replacing the drive unit (aka 'the funny noise')Back in 2014, Tesla had a spate of problems with the drive units in early-production versions of its Model S electric sedan. (The drive unit is essentially the car’s power train: electric motor, inverter, and gear box.) High-profile multiple failures occurred in long-term test cars driven by...
David Noland -
Five years after the first Subaru Crosstrek hit the streets, the small Japanese automaker with a cult-like following has significantly updated its unexpectedly successful small crossover utility vehicle. The 2018 Subaru Crosstrek will hit the streets later this year wearing a new exterior and an updated interior, although the mechanicals are nearly identical to the previous model. Outward appearances haven't changed dramatically for the new Subaru Crosstrek. ALSO SEE: All-electric Subaru crossover utility vehicle coming in 2021: Japanese report It's still the same tall-riding hatchback, but...
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Tesla recall, Shanghai electric concepts, diesel VWs return, Model S changes : The Week in ReverseWhich makers showed plug-in electric concepts in Shanghai that were conspicuously absent from the New York auto show? What caused Tesla to recall more than 50,000 of its electric cars? This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending on...
John Voelcker -
Tesla recall, high electric-car interest, future Genesis, Shanghai concepts: Today's Car NewsToday, a Tesla recall, more cars with plugs from Shanghai, disarray on climate policy under Trump, and depressing data on distracted driving. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Tesla will recall 53,000 Model S and Model X electric cars to replace a potentially defective gear that could cause...
John Voelcker -
AAA says interest in electric cars rivals pickups: so where are the sales?Although fuel prices remain relatively cheap in most areas of the United States, it seems that interest in electric vehicles may be growing. According to a new survey from AAA, interest in electric vehicles among American consumers now rivals that for full-size pickup trucks. However, if that's the...
Sean Szymkowski -
U.S. exit from Paris Climate Agreement unclear; Trump team clashes on policyAs the Trump Administration nears its 100th day, it seems fair to say that it is still emitting mixed messages on multiple issues, from foreign policy to climate change. On that latter, it's important to reiterate that the president and many of his appointed agency and department heads deny the...
John Voelcker -
Genesis to offer high-end electric luxury coupe; so long, V-8Tesla has made an unexpected success out of its pioneering luxury electric vehicles, which offer a healthy dose of performance for good measure. Hyundai's Genesis luxury brand, while taking a couple pages from Lexus for its launch strategy, may be following a similar path to Tesla for a future...
Sean Szymkowski -
The Jeep Yunto Concept made its debut Wednesday at the Shanghai auto show, and it appears to be a plug-in hybrid. The automaker has been tight-lipped about the concept's drivetrain, but the vehicle on display in China clearly shows "PHEV" badges on the front doors. No surprise there, as the Chinese government is currently pushing alternative fuel vehicles in a bid to reduce fuel consumption and emissions while also tackling the country's air pollution problem. DON'T MISS: 2018 (?) Honda CR-V Hybrid all but confirmed for U.S. sale after Shanghai debut Jeep hasn't said if or when the Yunto will...
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Tesla recalls 53,000 Model S, Model X electric cars for parking-brake issueTesla has issued a voluntarily recall for roughly 53,000 of its Model S and Model X electric cars to address an issue in which the parking brake might stick in the engaged position. The recall was first reported yesterday by CNBC. The vehicles affected were built between February and October of...
John Voelcker -
How to negotiate for a new Nissan Leaf battery pack: electric-car owner advisesIn designing, testing, and producing the Nissan Leaf, the first modern electric car sold in volume, Nissan made a design decision that some other companies didn't. It chose not to build an active thermal-conditioning system (otherwise known as cooling) into its battery pack. Instead, it relies on...
John Voelcker -
Audi, Chevy, and more in Shanghai, Toyota electric car, Nissan Leaf battery advice: Today's Car NewsToday, it's almost all about China and the Shanghai auto show, including live photos and details of electric and plug-in hybrid concept cars—and why China is making Toyota very, very unhappy. All this and more on Green Car Reports. We've got more from the very green Shanghai auto show...
John Voelcker -
Why Toyota's 'agonizing' U-turn toward electric cars? Because China says soLarge auto companies are likely aircraft carriers: it takes a long time for them to change direction, and far longer yet to get them aligned on a new course. To various degrees, the world's carmakers have started to produce and sell vehicles that plug-in, whether for some or all of their travels...
John Voelcker -
Ending tax credits would kill electric-car market, Edmunds saysThe electric-car market may be in for a serious downturn when current federal tax incentives end, assuming the Trump administration declines to extend them, according to a new analysis. In 2010, the government began offering tax credits of $2,500 to $7,500 to the first 200,000 U.S. buyers of...
Zach Bowman