Green Car News
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As we roll through the second month of 2017, it's once again time to take a look at the best deals on green cars. This month's batch of deals spans a wide array of models, from one of the best-selling plug-in hybrids to a pair of subcompact sedans. It also includes one of the newest green cars to hit the U.S. market, as well as one held over from the previous model year. DON'T MISS: Why aren't there more hybrid crossover utilities and SUVs? As always, head over to CarsDirect for more information. Hybrids The 2017 Kia Niro is one of the newest hybrids on the market, but it is already subject...
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Electric-car batteries: $100 per kwh before 2020, $80 soon after?Modern electric cars have developed to the point where range itself may become less of an issue than the cost of providing it. Automakers can create longer-range electric cars simply by installing larger battery packs, but that adds significant cost to the car's single priciest component. Just ask...
Stephen Edelstein -
Pilot production of Tesla Model 3 to start Feb 20: reportTesla said yesterday it would shut down its production lines for one week this month to prepare for the launch of its upcoming Model 3 electric sedan. The Silicon Valley carmaker said the "brief, planned pause" was to add paint-shop capacity and do general maintenance at its assembly plant in...
John Voelcker -
2017 Subaru Impreza: first drive of AWD compact sedan, hatchThe 2017 Subaru Impreza is one of the most fuel-efficient all-wheel-drive vehicles in the U.S. market, and has been for many years. The entirely redesigned 2017 Impreza rides on new underpinnings, but it's easily recognizable as an evolution of the company's popular compact sedan and hatchback. One...
John Voelcker -
Hybrid SUVs, Faraday downsizing, Tesla CA energy storage: Today's Car NewsToday, we look at why more SUVs and crossovers don't offer hybrid powertrains, Faraday Future scales back production plans, and three battery energy-storage sites come online in California, including one from Tesla. All this and more on Green Car Reports. See the Lucid Air electric luxury sedan hit...
Stephen Edelstein -
Why aren't there more hybrid crossover utilities and SUVs?It's one of the most frequent questions asked by shoppers interested in utility vehicles with better gas mileage: why aren't there more hybrid SUVs and crossovers? Following the 2012 demise of the much-loved Ford Escape Hybrid, it took four years for the 2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid to emerge. This...
John Voelcker -
The controlling interest in carmaker Mitsubishi it acquired last year has helped the Renault-Nissan Alliance to solidify its position as the global leader in sales of battery-electric cars. The Nissan Leaf is the best-selling all-electric car in history, while the Renault Zoe has achieved consistent strong sales in Europe. At the same time, Mitsubishi has continued to sell its i-MiEV electric car. DON'T MISS: Next Nissan Leaf: ProPilot self-driving included, 200-mile range or more confirmed Add them all together, and you get the world's largest maker of battery-electric vehicles by far...
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3 California battery storage sites come online, one from TeslaLong a leader in the push to reduce vehicle emissions and switch to renewable energy, California marks another milestone this week. The last of three battery energy-storage sites will come online in Southern California, providing storage and buffering for unpredictable renewable energy. Together...
John Voelcker -
VW suggests engine downsizing is done; emissions rules are the reasonWhen it comes to improving fuel efficiency, simply making an engine smaller is a fairly direct way to get results. It's the approach that many automakers have taken in recent years. They have downsized engines across model lines, usually adding turbochargers at the same time to match the power...
Stephen Edelstein -
Bowing to inevitable, Faraday Future scales back plant plansDuring a press conference at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show, Faraday Future announced plans to build its first electric car within two years. Later in 2016, it selected a site for what it claimed would be a $1 billion electric-car factory to be built in North Las Vegas, Nevada. But work at the...
Stephen Edelstein -
Lucid Air electric car video shows luxury sedan on the roadLucid Motors, the California automotive startup formerly known as Atieva, unveiled its Air electric car in December 2016. But so far, the car hasn't been seen on public roads. Lucid has now rectified that by releasing a video that shows its luxury sedan driving around the San Francisco Bay Area...
Stephen Edelstein -
Faster electric-car charging, Faraday reservations, Tesla Model 3 cost speculation: Today's Car NewsToday, we look at plans for faster electric-car charging, Faraday Future's tally of reservations for the FF 91 electric car, and the results of our poll asking how much a fully loaded Tesla Model 3 will cost. All this and more on Green Car Reports. See how automakers and charging-infrastructure...
Stephen Edelstein -
Now that the 238-mile Chevrolet Bolt EV is arriving in more dealers each month, anticipation fever has turned to the Tesla Model 3. (There's a new generation of the Nissan Leaf coming too, but so far not a lot of people seem to be focusing on that.) The Silicon Valley carmaker's Model 3 electric sedan is promised to start at $35,000 and to go into production before the end of this year. DON'T MISS: How important is fast-charging to sell electric cars? Poll results We already know that a previous survey showed our Twitter followers think it's more likely the Model 3 will actually arrive in the...
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Toyota shows Mirai Super Bowl ad, but only in CaliforniaAs is the norm these days, the ads running during Super Bowl LI this past weekend drew almost as much attention as the game itself. Automakers are among the myriad companies that expend considerable creative and monetary resources on Super Bowl ads every year. And green cars make occasional...
Stephen Edelstein -
Faraday has 64,000 reservations: why they're different from Tesla'sFaraday Future unveiled its first production electric car, the FF 91, last month at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The public debut of the much-hyped luxury utility vehicle generated considerable interest from potential customers. At least, that's how it looks at first glance...
Stephen Edelstein -
Home energy storage batteries lose to grid-connected solar on environmental impactAt first glance, renewable-energy sources like solar power and energy-storage battery packs seem like a logical match. Energy storage allows excess power collected by solar panels to be stored for later use, addressing the intermittent nature of solar power. It's a concept that has already won over...
Stephen Edelstein -
Much faster electric-car charging: on a fast trackRelatively short ranges and long charging times are two of the main factors restraining more widespread electric-car adoption. To address the range issue, automakers are expected to launch a batch of more-affordable long-range electric cars over the next few years, a shift heralded by the 2017...
Stephen Edelstein -
Bolt EV owner impressions, VW diesel modifications, oil companies & electric cars: Today's Car NewsToday, we have first impressions from a 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV owner, an explanation of which Volkswagen diesel cars can be modified to meet emissions standards, and a look at which oil companies are investing in renewable energy and electric-car services. All this and more on Green Car Reports...
Stephen Edelstein -
The Chevrolet Volt continued its reign on top of the Canadian electric-vehicle sales charts for the tenth consecutive month in January. The plug-in hybrid Volt's 256 sales obliterated the prior January record of 99 Tesla Model Ses from two years ago this month. Chevy Bolt EV sales began at the end of last month as well, contributing another 6 sales to General Motors' plug-in electric total. DON'T MISS: U.S. plug-in electric car sales for Jan: Bolt EV over 1,100 in second month Nissan sold 65 Leafs to start the New Year, down slightly from 75 in December and 83 in November. Those numbers do...
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Which VW diesels can be fixed (updated), and which can't?More than 16 months after Volkswagen's use of illegal "defeat device" software in diesel vehicles was announced by the Environmental Protection Agency, some progress is finally being made in addressing the affected cars. Settlements are now in place for almost half a million VW and Audi models with...
Stephen Edelstein -
2017 Chevy Bolt EV electric car: new owner's first impressionsAs the first mass-priced electric car with more than 200 miles of range to hit the market, the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV has attracted a great deal of attention. It's won numerous awards, including the Green Car Reports 2017 Best Car To Buy title, and received rave reviews from a wide variety of media...
John Voelcker -
Ontario, BC update electric-car incentives for Canadian buyersTwo Canadian provinces are now offering more generous incentives to electric-car buyers. Ontario is eliminating certain price caps in its electric-car incentive program, while a British Columbia not-for-profit is boosting its "cash-for-clunkers"-style program. Ontario announced its updated...
Stephen Edelstein -
Which oil companies invest in renewables, electric-car services?If electric cars are adopted by mass-market buyers in years to come, that will lead over time to notably lower oil consumption. So what are oil companies doing to prepare for that possible outcome? Some continue to doubt whether electric cars will constitute a serious threat to their business in...
Stephen Edelstein -
Strong demand for Opel Ampera-e in Norway moves up launch dateJust as the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car is launching in North America, its European cousin is beginning deliveries across the Atlantic. In Europe, General Motors markets the U.S.-built Bolt EV as virtually identical Opel Ampera-e under its German Opel brand. An example of what is known in...
Stephen Edelstein