plug-in cars

State tax credits and purchase rebates have proven effective in kickstarting the early market for plug-in electric cars and other green vehicles. But they don't last forever, as buyers in Illinois and Georgia are learning; the Ilinois program has been suspended, and Georgia seems likely to kill off...

It's long been known that getting some car dealerships to sell plug-in electric cars can be a challenge. Now, one reporter tested the thesis for himself, by visiting both his local Tesla store--to inquire about the Model S electric luxury sedan--and his local Chevrolet dealer, to ask about the Volt...

Since the launch of the Chevrolet Volt almost five years ago, a battle has raged over what to call it. Is it a range-extended electric car, as GM strongly preferred, or a plug-in hybrid as others insisted equally forcefully? GM's goal in calling the Volt a "range-extended electric" car was to...

It was another typically hyperbolic statement from Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk. A simple tweet on a Sunday afternoon claimed that Tesla was “About to end range anxiety ... via [over-the-air] software update. Affects entire Model S fleet.” As usual, the media erupted with wild speculation...

A new study shows a rapid drop in lithium-ion cell prices in recent years.

Volkswagen will decide whether to get more involved with battery startup QuantumScape.

A new study claims availability of public charging doesn't increase consumer interest in electric cars.

Natural gas is displacing coal in U.S. electricity generation.

We know very little about the plug-in hybrid version that Fiat Chrysler will launch sometime after the new 2017 Chrysler Town & Country minivan is unveiled next year. But while a spate of plug-in hybrid SUVs and crossover utility vehicles is just about to enter the U.S. market, only Chrysler...

Yesterday, the Province of British Columbia announced the return of its Clean Energy Vehicle (CEV) incentive program, effective April 1. The program's return was the culmination of months of behind-the-scenes efforts by electric-vehicle advocates throughout the province. The so-called Phase 2 of...

An owner claims to have essentially driven a Tesla Model S for free for 18 months.

Federal vehicle fleets will cut emissions 30 percent by 2025.

The Tesla Model X should be arriving in buyers' driveways within six months, if the company keeps to its latest schedule and starts delivering the all-electric SUV in the third quarter of this year. But Tesla Motors is being uncharacteristically quiet about its next model line, saying it'll simply...

With the first three-year leases of Honda Fit EVs now set to end in June, drivers of Honda's only electric car have been wondering what will happen to their cars now. Many of them would like to hang onto the cars. While Honda won't let them buy the car, the company has decided to offer those...

Utilities' attempts to pinch solar are countered by the Left and Right.

If you’ve been thinking of making a electric-car road trip, the Pacific Northwest is a good place for it. And a quick study of the ‘Electric Highway Map,’ released by the West Coast Electric Highway earlier this year [and at the bottom of this page, as well as here], makes it easy...

Earlier this week, Tesla CEO Elon Musk teased us Model S owners with a tweet promising to “end range anxiety.” In a press conference this morning, Musk revealed the goods: an over-the-air firmware update that, while not increasing the range of the car, will at least set the...

Newport Convertible Engineering unveils its first Tesla Model S drop top.

Tesla can now operate up to four of its retail stores in New Jersey.

BYD plans to use money from a spun-off subsidiary to grow its electric-vehicle business.