Green Car News
-
Following its launch last month in California's Silicon Valley, the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV is now rolling out in other regions of North America. Just last week, the first Chevrolet Bolt EV to be sold in Canada was delivered to its buyer. It proved to be a somewhat drawn-out process overseen by a dedicated electric-car advocate. DON'T MISS: First 2017 Chevy Bolt EV electric cars sold today, in California (Dec 2016) Joe Winkfein took delivery of the first Canadian Bolt EV on January 27, at Dean Myers Chevrolet Buick GMC Corvette in Toronto, according to Time to Electrify. Winkfein previously...
-
Carmakers, fuel and oil companies form Hydrogen Council to promote fuel cellsIn addition to automakers and policymakers, battery-electric cars can count on support from a variety of advocacy groups. But grassroots support for hydrogen fuel-cell cars hasn't germinated to quite the same extent. So, in the absence of a large cadre of individual consumers to act as advocates, a...
Stephen Edelstein -
Tesla Model 3 previewThe Tesla Model 3 electric car is undoubtedly one of the most highly-anticipated new-car launches in recent memory. Unveiled in prototype form last April after a drawn-out teaser campaign, the Model 3 quickly generated an unprecedented response from the public. As of last August, around 400,000...
Stephen Edelstein -
Tesla Model 3 production, VW diesel probe expands, FCA diesel updates: Today's Car NewsToday, we look at how many Model 3 electric cars Tesla can realistically build in a year, a German Volkswagen diesel probe expands to include former CEO Martin Winterkorn, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne believes a dispute with the EPA over diesel-engine software will be...
Stephen Edelstein -
GM, Honda set up joint fuel-cell manufacturing plant, 2020 production goalBattery-electric cars are being delivered in volume today, but planned hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles from major automakers are on a more gradual timeframe. This morning, General Motors and Honda jointly announced that the two companies would establish a joint venture to produce hydrogen fuel-cell...
John Voelcker -
Starship electric sidewalk-delivery robot a hit at DC Auto ShowWhat would you do if a small, knee-high box on wheels with a flag topping its tall antenna whirred toward you electrically on a sidewalk at 4 miles per hour? It turns out three-quarters of the pedestrians in several cities who've seen one didn't stop or even stare as it avoided them and continued...
John Voelcker -
Despite steady increases over the past few years, electric cars still represent only a tiny fraction of new-car sales. There are no shortage of theories as to why that is the case. Some electric-car advocates blame manufacturers for not adequately promoting the vehicles, while many within the industry point to a lack of consumer demand. DON'T MISS: More than half of car buyers know little about electric cars, if anything But a new study claims that automakers can indeed do more to stimulate electric-car demand. Automakers must be prepared to sell electric cars to a wider range of customers...
-
Offshore wind energy in U.K. far ahead of lower-cost targetThe winds of change are blowing harder in the U.K. The price of energy generated by offshore wind farms has been falling steadily, and ahead of schedule too. Costs have fallen 32 percent since 2012, bringing them below a target of £100 per megawatt-hour previously set by the U.K. government...
Stephen Edelstein -
How many Tesla Model 3 electric cars can company build this year?It's one of the most fascinating sets of questions in the auto industry. How quickly can Tesla Motors put its Model 3 electric car into production? And when? How many cars can it build this year? How many can it deliver to paying customers? At a promised starting price of $35,000, the Model 3 is...
John Voelcker -
2017 Ram, Jeep diesels should be certified by EPA shortly, company saysFiat Chrysler may have a plan to address EPA complaints regarding software in its 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6, according to comments by CEO Sergio Marchionne. The EPA announced earlier this month that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles had failed to disclose eight separate software routines that affect the...
Stephen Edelstein -
Hawaii, utility offer $10,000 Nissan Leaf rebate; hope for carbon-free transportIslands can be excellent places to promote clean energy. Because they are typically disconnected from both mainland grid infrastructure and sources of fossil fuels, it is easier for alternative sources of energy to gain a foothold. In fact, the cost of importing coal or oil to fuel power plants or...
Stephen Edelstein -
VW diesel probe finally reaches to top; former CEO Winterkorn investigated by German prosecutorsGerman prosecutors have extended a probe into Volkswagen's use of "defeat device" software in diesel cars to former CEO Martin Winterkorn. Winterkorn, who resigned shortly after the existence of VW "defeat device" software was revealed by the EPA, has said he had no knowledge of the...
Stephen Edelstein -
When will Tesla's Autopilot restore its previous capabilities and add new features that take it closer to self-driving? And how is Hyundai suggesting electric-car buyers should assess models that compete with its new Ioniq Electric? This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending on Friday, January 27, 2017. Friday, we noted that the 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Electric is the most energy-efficient car sold in the U.S. this year, at 136 MPGe. But compared to the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV, it has far less range: 124 miles versus the Chevy's 238...
-
MPGe importance, Governator's electric G-Class, Nissan Leaf hearse: Today's Car NewsToday, Hyundai claims the energy efficiency of battery-electric cars is taking on greater importance, Arnold Schwarzenegger takes delivery of an electric Mercedes-Benz G-Class, and a U.K. company markets Nissan Leaf hearses. All this and more on Green Car Reports. This electric Nissan Leaf hearse...
Stephen Edelstein -
Trump EPA: climate science still live, gag order remains, grants unfrozen (updated)Following the removal of all mentions of climate change from the White House website, the new administration has apparently trained its sights on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA and a handful of other government agencies are now reportedly under gag orders: employees are forbidden...
John Voelcker -
Electric-car MPGe as important as range, Hyundai Ioniq maker suggestsAlong with price, the top-line statistic cited for any battery-electric car is its rated range. Until last month, the only electric cars that exceeded 200 miles in that metric were made by Tesla Motors. Now, the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV has a 238-mile EPA rating for range—and that's usually the...
John Voelcker -
World to have 5,000 hydrogen fueling stations by 2032: studyTo achieve mass adoption, fueling infrastructure for hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles will have to be hugely expanded. It's a problem similar to that faced by battery-electric cars, but charging stations are far cheaper and easier to install—and can rely on existing grid infrastructure for their...
Stephen Edelstein -
NEVS gets production nod for electric-car plant in ChinaSince it bought the assets of bankrupt automaker Saab in 2012, Chinese-backed consortium National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) has been working toward mass production of electric cars. But despite ambitious plans for a multi-model lineup of electric cars, the company has made relatively little...
Stephen Edelstein -
Arnold Schwarzenegger has always had rather unusual taste in vehicles. The movie star and former California governor previously drove a hydrogen-fueled Hummer H2, symbolizing both his love for militaristic vehicles and a general concern for the environment. Now, the "Governator" has another SUV that is both gigantic and green. DON'T MISS: Electric Ford Transit van conversion shown by Inventev at Detroit Auto Show It's a Mercedes-Benz G-Class converted to electric power by Kreisel Electric, a firm specializing in electric powertrains that—like Schwarzenegger himself—hails from...
-
Electric Nissan Leaf hearse: greenest way to travel the last mileThey may be painted the customary black, but why shouldn't hearses be green? Most people take their final journeys in hearses based on large luxury sedans, usually Cadillac or Lincoln models in the U.S. But a U.K. funeral home has teamed with an aftermarket company to create a more efficient and...
Stephen Edelstein -
Electric-car ignorance, 2017 Kia Niro pricing, VW dealer settlement: Today's Car NewsToday, a new survey indicates more than half of car buyers know very little about electric cars, the 2017 Kia Niro Hybrid is priced from $23,800, and a settlement between Volkswagen and its U.S. dealers addressing the diesel scandal is approved. All this and more on Green Car Reports. More than...
Stephen Edelstein -
VW dealers settle too; average payout almost $2 million eachA settlement between Volkswagen and its U.S. franchised dealers over the diesel-emissions scandal has been approved by a federal judge. First announced last August, the settlement calls for VW dealers to compensated for the alleged loss in value of their franchises related to fallout from the...
Stephen Edelstein -
Electric Ford Transit van conversion shown by Inventev at Detroit Auto ShowWhen an automaker doesn't offer a vehicle for a specific market segment, sometimes the aftermarket will fill in the gap. In the U.S., all-electric commercial vans are one of those gaps. Such vehicles are available in other markets, but so far, not on sale from major makers in North America. DON'T...
Stephen Edelstein -
Where do bought-back VW diesels go? Dead NFL stadiums, among other placesWhen news of its diesel-emissions cheating broke last September, Volkswagen issued a stop-sale order for affected TDI diesel cars. Now that a settlement for 2.0-liter TDI models has been approved, the automaker is also beginning to buy back cars with illegal "defeat device" software from customers...
Stephen Edelstein