Green Car News
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Fiat Chrysler Automobiles may have used illegal software for emission controls to get more than 100,000 trucks and SUVs through emissions testing, the EPA said Thursday. The agency avoided dubbing that software "defeat devices," but it has asked FCA to explain up to eight auxiliary emissions control devices (AECD) in the engine's control software. It found those routines while attempting to certify 2017 model year versions of the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram 1500 with the company's EcoDiesel 3.0-liter V-6. DON'T MISS: Advocacy group says diesel cars coming back; it meant trucks Failure to...
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FCA 'defeat device,' plug-in electric-car sales, Ford GT EcoBoost gas mileage: Today's Car NewsToday, a report claims the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will accuse Fiat Chrysler Automobiles of using an illegal "defeat device" to cheat on emissions tests, plug-in electric car sales were strong in December 2016, and the Ford GT supercar returns low fuel economy, despite its EcoBoost...
Stephen Edelstein -
When will you buy your first fully autonomous car? Poll resultsWhile electric cars received a disproportionate amount of media attention over the last five years, the focus is now turning. At the recent Consumer Electronics Show and Detroit Auto Show earlier this month, cynical journalists were moved to propose a drinking game. Participants would have to take...
John Voelcker -
Plug-in Electric Car Sales in Canada, Dec 2016: cresting EverestWhile still just shy of the 30,000 vehicle milestone, cumulative Canadian plug-in electric vehicle sales likely finished 2016 high enough to scale Mount Everest (elevation in feet: 29,029). While the full 2016 milestone is unlikely to be reached by January 11—birthday of Sir John A...
Matthew Klippenstein -
Plug-in electric car sales in Dec: 2016 best year yet, Bolt EV launches, Model S record (update)As sales results trickled in from automakers earlier this month, industry analysts waited to see whether enough buyers signed on the line to make 2016 a new record sales year. They did: a record total of 17.55 million new passenger cars and light trucks were sold last year, narrowly beating the...
John Voelcker -
When the 'eco' in EcoBoost is so low that gas-guzzler taxes applySince Ford launched its line of downsized EcoBoost engines in 2009, the "eco" part of that name has often required an asterisk. That's because some owners have found that real-world fuel economy results don't always live up to the vehicles' official EPA ratings. The phrase "you can have Eco, or you...
Stephen Edelstein -
When it comes to policy efforts aimed at promoting electric cars, the focus is usually on private passenger vehicles. But to cut carbon emissions in a meaningful way, policymakers will have to look at other types of vehicles as well. That includes the thousands of cars and light trucks in the municipal fleets of large cities. DON'T MISS: BYD partners with U.S. firm to launch all-electric garbage truck (Nov 2016) Four West Coast cities are now trying to address that with a "potentially record-breaking order" for electric cars, according to E&E News. Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and...
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Honda hybrids, Prius Prime buyers misled, PG&E electric-car rebate: Today's Car NewsToday, Toyota Prius Prime buyers complain of uncooperative dealers, Honda announces a new dedicated hybrid model for 2018, and California utility Pacific Gas & Electric offers rebates for electric-car use. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Find out why Faraday Future's luxury electric car...
Stephen Edelstein -
California's PG&E utility now offers $500 rebate for electric-car usePacific Gas & Electric now offers a rebate to customers who charge electric cars at home.
Stephen Edelstein -
Honda hybrid minivan, SUV, or pickup coming; dedicated hybrid in 2018 tooIn recent years, Honda has announced that it planned to release advanced-technology green cars in the future—without mentioning even their names, let alone any details or specifications. That's what happened two years ago with a pair of unnamed battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles...
John Voelcker -
Toyota Prius Prime buyers misled by dealers; more education neededThe Toyota Prius Prime is a far better car than its plug-in hybrid predecessor, and it seems likely to become one of the higher-volume plug-in electric cars on the U.S. market. If, that is, Toyota's own dealers prove willing to sell it—or even find out that it exists. After three separate...
John Voelcker -
Best deals on hybrid, electric, fuel-efficient cars for January 2017It's a new year, and that means a new crop of buyer deals on green cars. The 2017 model year is now well underway, but older 2016 versions of certain vehicles still sit on dealer lots. As dealers get more anxious to clear this older stock, look for more aggressive incentives on these models. DON'T...
Stephen Edelstein -
Despite a recent downturn, the Chinese government is moving full-speed ahead to invest heavily in renewable energy. The country's national regulators have already promoted renewable energy as a possible cure for the country's notoriously-bad air pollution. But China has placed more emphasis on renewable power in its latest five-year economic plan. DON'T MISS: Coal in China: huge problem for clean power, climate efforts (Nov 2016) One of the provisions of that plan calls for spending $360 billion on renewable energy by 2020, according to The New York Times. China's National Energy...
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Why Faraday Future's luxury electric car is named FF 91Faraday Future unveiled its FF 91 electric car at a special event held during the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week. It's a crossover-utility vehicle with a claimed 1,050 horsepower and 378-mile range, the latter courtesy of a 130-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. Aside...
Stephen Edelstein -
Plug-in minivan emissions, 2018 Camry Hybrid batteries, MPG plateaus: Today's Car NewsMore proof that plugging in cuts carbon emissions, news on the batteries of the new 2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid, and discouraging news on the calculated fuel economy of new vehicles sold last year: all this and more in today's car news on Green Car Reports. Samsung says a new lithium-ion cell will...
John Voelcker -
Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid: lifetime carbon emissions 24 percent lower vs standard minivanCars that run entirely or partly on electricity from a battery pack have no tailpipe emissions, but to judge their overall impact, you have to look at lifetime wells-to-wheels emissions. That includes emissions associated with extracting, refining, and burning the fuel used to make the electricity...
John Voelcker -
2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid: two different battery packs, 'best-in-class' fuel economy claimedMasato Katsumata is Toyota's chief engineer for the global Camry sedan program—so when he speaks, it's worth listening. Following yesterday's Detroit Auto Show launch of an entirely new 2018 Toyota Camry mid-size sedan, he was one of several Toyota executives who answered media questions in a...
John Voelcker -
Calculated average new-car fuel economy in 3-year plateauFor nearly a decade, the average fuel economy of new cars sold in the U.S. steadily increased—but that moment has stalled in recent years. Low gas prices and increased consumer interest in SUVs has caused calculated average new-car average fuel economy to plateau and, in the case of 2016's...
Stephen Edelstein -
The limitations of current lithium-ion battery-cell technology pose a hindrance to more widespread adoption of plug-in electric cars. Relatively short ranges and long charging times accorded by current lithium-ion cells still limit the appeal of electric cars in the minds of many new-car buyers. Now Samsung SDI—the South Korean electronics giant's battery subsidiary—claims to have a potential solution to at least one of those problems. DON'T MISS: Samsung wants to be major battery player, just like LG Chem (Sep 2016) The company has a new cell design for electric cars capable of...
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VW ID Buzz concept, Ford F-150 diesel, electric-car battery costs: Today's Car NewsWe have news from the 2017 Detroit Auto Show and more today.
Stephen Edelstein -
VW executive arrested by FBI on diesel emission conspiracy chargesThe head of VW Group's U.S. regulatory compliance group was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation this weekend on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States. Oliver Schmidt led the German automaker's regulatory compliance during 2014 and the early part of 2015. The Volkswagen...
John Voelcker -
Advocacy group says diesel cars coming back; it meant trucksThe Diesel Technology Forum notes that diesel's market share increased in the second half of 2016, but that was mostly due to truck sales.
Stephen Edelstein -
Will 3-wheeled so-called 'autocycles' break out this year? We're skepticalSeveral manufacturers are trying to launch new 3-wheeled vehicles, but will they succeed?
Stephen Edelstein -
2017 Chevy Bolt EV electric car wins North American Car of the Year awardMedia days at the Detroit Auto Show always open with the announcement of the year's North American Car and Truck of the Year awards, and this year is no exception. But green-car enthusiasts had a special reason to follow this year's awards, now broken into three categories: car, truck, and utility...
John Voelcker