Green Car News
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Few things make electric-car advocates as cranky as criticism of their vehicles. But when the criticism is factually wrong, and comes from a carmaker that has resolutely said it doesn't think plug-in electric cars are "ready for prime time," the howling gets harsher. Perhaps Toyota's Lexus luxury brand, then, ought to have been a little more careful in a recent two-and-a-half-minute video that's front and center on its main Lexus Hybrid website. It starts, "Some advances in alt-fuel technology actually hold you back." As ChargedEVs points out, the video shows "an image of a public charger ...
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Micro-Hybrids To Grow Fast: More Than Start-Stop, Less Than Mild HybridMicro-hybrid vehicles remain relatively unexplored in the automotive sector, but their time in the limelight may soon be due. More sophisticated than vehicles with simple start-stop systems, but less reliant on electric power than a mild hybrid vehicle, micro-hybrids are nevertheless a low-hanging...
Antony Ingram -
China Leans On Automakers To Produce Electric Cars, But Infrastructure LagsIt seems that China is facing the old "chicken and egg" dilemma, as it ramps up its push for electric car sales growth. The country wants to encourage electric car use, and is pushing automakers to sell them--but so far, the country's infrastructure lags far behind. As the ChinaEV blog notes, it's...
Antony Ingram -
Natural-Gas Powered 2015 Chevy Impala To Start At $38,210The 2015 bi-fuel Chevrolet Impala can run on natural gas or gasoline.
Stephen Edelstein -
Want To Rent A Tesla Model S P85? It'll Cost You $900...A DayA California exotic-car rental company has a Tesla Model S electric car in its fleet.
Stephen Edelstein -
Chrysler Plug-In Hybrids, New Smart Fortwo, Nissan e-NV200 Electric Van Production: Today's Car NewsChrysler, Nissan, and Smart make headlines today.
Stephen Edelstein -
Nissan officially started production of its second electric vehicle, the Nissan e-NV200 small van, at its assembly plant in Barcelona, Spain. The battery-electric van blends the powertrain of a Nissan Leaf battery-electric hatchback, including its in-floor battery pack and electric motor driving the front wheels, with the tall body of the NV200 small van. DON'T MISS: Nissan e-NV200: Driving Nissan's Prototype Electric Minivan That vehicle is now sold only with a 2.0-liter gasoline engine in North America, supplied from a plant in Mexico. Barcelona, however, will be the sole assembly plant for...
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Chrysler Confirms Plug-In Hybrid Minivan, Big SUV In 2016 And LaterFive years ago, then-new Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne and a new executive team held a marathon day-long presentation session on the company's future, laying out a product plan in conjunction with Fiat following its government-backed restructuring. Today, what is now Fiat Chrysler Automobiles...
John Voelcker -
New Smart Fortwo Minicar Slides In Sweden, Due This Fall? (Video)It's fair to say the Smart brand hasn't been one of Daimler's bigger successes, but bosses will be hoping the third-generation car is closer to "third time lucky" than "three strikes and you're out". Smart's latest video suggests that new third-gen car is on its way soon, as camouflaged cars...
Antony Ingram -
Electric-Car Incentives Vary Globally--A Lot--But Generally WorkIf you've bought an electric vehicle recently, chances are you may have enjoyed some of the myriad incentives currently offered on plug-in cars. Income-tax credits, purchase rebates, sales-tax exemptions, and various non-monetary incentives have been used worldwide to spur plug-in car sales growth...
Antony Ingram -
FTC Considers Changes To Rules On Carmaker Claims For Fuel EconomyThe FTC is seeking comments on potential updates of its fuel-economy advertising guidelines.
Stephen Edelstein -
2014 BMW i3 Electric Car Online Configurator Now LiveAs the first customers take delivery of their new BMW i3 electric cars, it's time for the pre-launch hype to disappear and let sales do the talking. The hype isn't hard to understand though--BMW is far outside its comfort zone with the i3, yet has come out with a product that looks, and is...
Antony Ingram -
BMW and Mercedes-Benz make headlines today.
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How Many Cars Is Tesla Selling In U.S.? Pace May Be SlowingThis Wednesday, Tesla Motors will release its first-quarter financial results--one part of which will be its electric-car sales total from January through March. If the usual practice holds true, Tesla will provide a single global sales total, not breaking it down by market or month as other...
John Voelcker -
Why European Gas-Mileage Ratings Are So High--And Often WrongWe're often asked why cars sold in Europe seem to be so much more efficient than those on sale in the U.S. Typically, it's accompanied by the mention of some supposedly 80-mpg car sold in Europe--while the best U.S.-market vehicles barely crest the 50-mpg mark. Now, Reuters highlights one of the...
Antony Ingram -
Plug-In Electric Car Sales In Canada For April: Volt Record SalesIn Canada, the Chevy Volt's record-setting sales last month overshadowed the Tesla Model S's equally impressive deliveries the month before, in March. Building on strong momentum in March, the Chevy Volt tallied 222 sales in April, breaking its own monthly record for deliveries of a single plug-in...
Matthew Klippenstein -
Atmospheric Carbon Is Higher, Faster, This Year Than LastAtmospheric CO2 levels have already exceeded last year's annual peak.
Stephen Edelstein -
Plug-In Electric Car Sales In April: Leaf Widens Lead, Volt Flat Again: FINAL UPDATESales of plug-in electric cars last month stayed about level with last month's, based on the reports from all makers of plug-in electric cars sold in the U.S. (except for two that refuse to provide sales data). With all data now in, it was a steady month for plug-in sales, but not a spectacular...
John Voelcker -
Can electric cars be sexy? Look at the exclusive Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive gullwing sports car, and that question has been answered. But put your sensible cap on for the moment, have a look at the 2014 Mercedes B-Class Electric Drive, and you'll find little of such flirtation. That's partly because Mercedes has potentially a much tougher mission: to convince American families that an electric vehicle will work for them as a second or third car—and perhaps the one they will drive most frequently, for short errands and daily tasks. As we experienced last week on our first drive...
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Rewarding Dealers Who Sell Electric Cars: Connecticut Takes The LeadThe Connecticut "Revolutionary Dealer Award" is meant to encourage the sale of electric cars.
Stephen Edelstein -
First 2014 BMW i3 Electric Car Delivered To Buyer, In BostonAs of Friday, May 2, it's official: the 2014 BMW i3 electric car is now on sale in the U.S. In a small ceremony inside the BMW of Boston dealership, the first retail buyer of an i3 took delivery of his keyfob yesterday afternoon. DON'T MISS: 2014 BMW i3 Electric Car Rated At 81 Miles, 124 MPGe He...
John Voelcker -
2014 BMW i3 Range, Zipcar OneWay, CA Gasoline Use: Today's Car NewsElectric cars, car sharing, and gasoline usage make headlines today.
Stephen Edelstein -
Electric Car 'Guest Drive' Service Launches In CA To Get 'Butts In Seats'If it's worth saying once, it's worth saying a thousand times: The best way of getting people interested in electric cars is to let people drive them. That's exactly what Electric Car Guest Drive, a California-based initiative, is doing--giving people interested in electric cars the opportunity to...
Antony Ingram -
2014 BMW i3 Range-Extended Model Gets Full $2,500 CA Rebate For Electric CarsIt's clearly the week for news about the new and distinctive 2014 BMW i3 electric car. Yesterday, as the first cars arrived at dealers, we learned that it was rated at 81 miles of range (less than a 2014 Nissan Leaf's 84 miles), but operates at an unparalleled efficiency of 124 MPGe. Then, late...
John Voelcker