plug-in cars
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We've had a 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car in our fleet for a handful of days, and have been thinking about our impressions of the car in everyday use. While a major snowstorm cut half the days out of our test run—with a 7-foot snowdrift blocking the road to my house—we've been using the Bolt in and around the New York City metro area. With the the car's arrival delayed (at our request), we dug into what early Bolt EV owners were saying about the car. DON'T MISS: 2017 Chevy Bolt EV electric car: new owner's first impressions The Facebook group for owners of Chevy's first...
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Tesla electric cars have quality issues, but owners love them regardlessTesla electric cars have many notable and pioneering qualities. Faultless reliability has not necessarily been one of them. Since the Model S launched in 2012, multiple quality issues have been documented by both owners and media outlets like Consumer Reports. The Model X debuted with a...
Stephen Edelstein -
First high-volume VW electric car must arrive by 2020, CEO says, mostly for ChinaAs it tries to put the ongoing diesel-emissions scandal behind it, VW Group is focusing its future on electric cars. The Volkswagen brand within the sprawling German company has developed an electric-car specific platform called MEB, and has shown multiple concepts based on it. Those include the ID...
Stephen Edelstein -
Chevy Bolt EV pricing across U.S.: some discounts, some markups on electric carWith a base price of $37,495 and an EPA-rated range of 238 miles, the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV has no real direct competition at the moment. All other electric cars in its price bracket offer substantially lower ranges, while the 200-mile luxury electric cars sold by Tesla now start at $75,000. Just...
Stephen Edelstein -
World's largest electric-car charging site in parking facility: in Norway, of course (video)Parking garages often aren't very well-lit, and a video tour of one may not sound like a particularly enjoyable way to spend time. But if you're an electric-car driver or advocate in North America, an 11-minute tour by electric-car advocate (and Tesla fanatic) Bjørn Nyland may be time well...
John Voelcker -
Development of new vehicles, especially if they're on underpinnings that haven't been used in previous models, follows a very predictable schedule. First, a concept car is revealed. Often, it's a thinly disguised version of the future production car with some added design flourishes that won't make it onto the assembly lines. Then spy shots of cobbled-together "mule" vehicles start to emerge, followed by more shots of heavily disguised hand-built cars that are essentially early versions of the production car. DON'T MISS: Tesla Model 3 prices: reader makes his guesses, via spreadsheet That was...
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Michigan utility cancels electric-car charging stations after oppositionIn multiple states, electric utilities are beginning to establish networks of electric-car charging stations. But plans for such a network in Michigan recently hit a roadblock. Last week, local utility Consumers Energy withdrew its request to install public electric-car charging stations at an...
Stephen Edelstein -
Hybrid Kinetic electric luxury car, with turbine range extender, to be built in ChinaSeveral Chinese or Chinese-backed automotive startups are currently trying to replicate the success of Tesla by designing and selling their own luxury electric cars. But Hybrid Kinetic likely predates most of them. Started by the founder of Chinese automaker Brilliance, the company made headlines...
Stephen Edelstein -
Has GM really 'already lost' the electric-car race to Tesla?Lots of people like horse races, win-or-lose competitions, and rankings. They're easy to understand, and definitive. They may also lose the forest for the trees, which is what we're tempted to suggest about a new article that addresses the launch of the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car. GM's...
John Voelcker -
Electric cars only need 100 miles of range, some carmakers say; is it true?Hyundai first made the argument that energy efficiency in electric cars is just as important as their range, as part of its launch of the Ioniq Electric hatchback, EPA-rated at 124 miles. Now Honda is making that argument as well, based on a news report it confirmed saying that the Clarity EV...
John Voelcker -
What does a Chevy Volt do when it runs out of gas and battery charge?Unlike conventional hybrids and many plug-in hybrids, the first-generation Chevrolet Volt makes extensive use of both electric and gasoline power. With a fully-charged battery pack, it will drive on electric power alone until the charge is depleted, at which point the onboard gasoline engine...
Stephen Edelstein -
The ever-shifting Tesla Model S lineup has gone through another change. It will slim down as Tesla discontinues the electric car's current base models—the rear-wheel drive Model S 60, and the all-wheel drive Model S 60D, both with 60 kilowatt-hours of battery capacity. Both versions are being pulled from the Model S lineup after less than a year on sale. DON'T MISS: Tesla adds two Model S 60 versions starting at $66K, still 200 miles or more (Jun 2016) The decision was made because most customers ended up stepping up to the larger 75-kwh battery option, a Tesla statement said, adding...
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30 cities join to explore $10 billion electric-car purchaseWhile federal policies to reduce vehicular emissions of carbon dioxide are now back in the limelight, it's a different story on the state and local level. A group of 30 U.S. cities is discussing a major purchase of electric cars for their municipal fleets. The cities have jointly asked automakers...
Stephen Edelstein -
Tesla engineer alleges 'culture of discrimination' against womenA female Tesla engineer has accused the automaker of widespread discrimination against women. In a lawsuit filed last year, AJ Vandermeyden alleged Tesla ignored complaints of "pervasive harassment" of female employees, paid her a lower salary than men doing the same work, and promoted...
Stephen Edelstein -
Porsche Mission E electric car to cost less than Panamera sedanPorsche's most ardent fans no longer complain about the expansion of the German sports-car maker's lineup into sedans and, even worse, sport-utility vehicles. The large Panamera sedan and the Cayenne and Macan SUVs are not only some of Porsche's more popular models, but fund its development of the...
John Voelcker -
European electric and plug-in hybrid sales for Jan 2017It's a new year, and that means a reset of the tally of European electric-car sales. In January, the top-selling European-market electric car of 2016 maintained its status for one more month. The Renault Zoe accumulated 2,602 sales in the first month of the year. DON'T MISS: Nissan e-NV200 beats...
Stephen Edelstein -
VW's Electrify America submits electric-car charging plan to EPA, CARB: now what?Volkswagen has submitted a plan for electric-charging infrastructure to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board. VW's "Electrify America" plan shows how the automaker would spend funds it is required to commit to zero-emission vehicle infrastructure under the...
Stephen Edelstein -
The Lucid Air electric car will be available in a base model with less power and a lower range than the high-end model unveiled last year, but at a much lower price. A Lucid Motors press release confirmed the Air base model will start at $52,500, after the $7,500 federal tax credit for electric cars is applied. That means the true base price will be $60,000, excluding destination charge and any state or local incentives that may be applicable. DON'T MISS: Lucid reveals design for its luxury Air sedan, a Tesla competitor (Dec 2016) Of course, this is all somewhat ethereal, as Lucid does not...
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Chevy Bolt EV tested by Tesla Model S owner: his assessmentFleeing my home in New York’s Hudson Valley for California during February and March has a number of charms. Currently at the top of the list: reading about Winter Storm Stella while watching the surfers at Rincon Beach. For electric-car nuts like me, however, there’s another California...
David Noland -
More details emerge on low-cost electric car from Renault-Nissan for 2020The Renault-Nissan Alliance's plans for future electric cars are beginning to come into focus. The two automakers have dominated global battery-electric car sales with the Nissan Leaf and Renault Zoe, as well as lower-volume models like the Nissan e-NV200 and Renault Kangoo ZE electric vans. But...
Stephen Edelstein -
After Audi e-tron, next electric car to be compact BMW i3 competitorNext year, the Audi e-tron luxury electric crossover is expected to arrive at U.S. dealers, bringing Audi into direct competition with the Tesla Model X roughly three years after the world's first all-electric utility vehicle went into production. But with a pledge to sell 25 percent of its cars...
John Voelcker -
Which luxury brand will do best in electric cars? Poll resultsWithin the next two years we will see new all-electric luxury cars from Audi, BMW, Jaguar, and Mercedes-Benz appear in actual showrooms. All four of those makes have shown concepts for their pricey, 200-mile-plus electric cars, and most of them are expected to go on sale in the second half of next...
John Voelcker -
Nio Eve concept is yet another Chinese luxury electric SUV, this one autonomousChinese startup NextEV is the latest company attempting to replicate the success of Tesla with a long-range electric car. NextEV launched its Nio brand last year in dramatic fashion with the EP9—a 1,360-horsepower electric supercar. At the time, the company noted it was developing a model...
Stephen Edelstein