Range-Extended Electric Vehicle
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The 2017 BMW i3 may be offered with two battery-pack options.
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BMW i3 REx electric-car lawsuit: range-extender power loss alleged
The BMW i3 is the only electric car in the world sold with an optional range-extending engine to increase driving capability beyond the range provided by the battery. The "REx" option adds a small, 34-horsepower 650cc two-cylinder engine, derived from one used in BMW motorcycles, that powers a...
John Voelcker -
R.I.P. Cadillac ELR: what went wrong with luxury electric coupe?
After a long and tortured development process and a short life, GM has quietly euthanized its Cadillac ELR range-extended electric luxury coupe. The derivative of the first-generation Chevrolet Volt was intended to sell at a higher price, to help recoup some of the development costs of the Voltec...
John Voelcker -
2017 BMW i3: up to 114 miles of range from 50-percent battery increase
For its fourth year on the market, the 2017 BMW i3 electric car gets a huge boost in battery capacity and hence its EPA-rated range. The battery capacity rises 50 percent, from 22 to 33 kilowatt-hours, and the company says the rated range for the battery-electric version will be up to 114 miles...
John Voelcker -
2017 Karma: same range, new battery, display updates, low production
The 2017 Karma will relaunch with limited changes, insiders say.
Stephen Edelstein -
Durable 2012 Chevrolet Volt: 300,000 miles, no battery loss
One of the biggest worries about electric cars--and hybrids for that matter--is whether their expensive high-voltage battery packs will last the life of the car. If not, potential buyers worry, they may be saddled with thousands of dollars of cost in years to come. The evidence on hybrids is...
John Voelcker -
You almost have to pity the Cadillac ELR range-extended electric coupe: It's a very pretty car with luxurious appointments, but no one wants to buy it. And if the rumors that now-departed General Motors CEO Dan Akerson personally set its initial price at $75,000 are true, you have to wonder how it might have done if launched at a considerably lower price. Regardless, the ELR is now a product on Death Row, and it will likely vanish sooner than later--making it even rarer than the Chevrolet Spark EV among GM electric cars. DON'T MISS: 2016 Cadillac ELR: More Performance, More Range, Lower Price...
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2016 Chevrolet Volt: Gas Mileage Review
By now, it's hardly a secret that we're big fans of the redesigned second-generation Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid. We gave it our Best Car To Buy 2016 award, and we've written that it's better in pretty much every way than the innovative first-generation Volt. Last month, we were able to spend four...
John Voelcker -
Plug-In Electric Car Sales For 2015 Fall Slightly From 2014
The U.S. new-vehicle market set a new record last year, with deliveries of new passenger cars and light trucks totaling 17.39 million. The previous record of 17.35 million was set in 2000. But battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles saw their totals fall slightly, from about 120,000 in 2014 to...
John Voelcker -
Why A 2015 BMW i3 REx Replaced My 2013 Chevy Volt: Electric-Car Evolution
The car most comparable to the first Chevrolet Volt is the current BMW i3 fitted with the optional REx range-extending engine. Both cars run entirely in electric mode until their battery packs are depleted, unlike other plug-in hybrids which switch on their engines under maximum power demand. But...
Green Car Reports -
Cadillac ELR A 'Disappointment,' Plug-In Hybrids For Most Models: Marketing Chief
When it was unveiled at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, the Cadillac Converj concept was widely lauded for its looks. That was likely the last time the car that became the Cadillac ELR range-extended electric luxury coupe won any praise. After an on-again, off-again, on-again history and a launch at...
John Voelcker -
2016 Chevrolet Volt: Owner's First Impressions Of Car, Range, Dealers, And More
Along with the upcoming fourth-generation hybrid Toyota Prius, the 2016 Chevrolet Volt is one of the major green-car introductions of this year. It won’t be available nationwide until next spring, but new Volts are already being delivered in California and a few other states. To get an early...
John Voelcker -
The London Taxi Company debuts a new extended-range electric model.
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2016 Chevrolet Volt First Drive: Plug-In Hybrid Home Run
The all-new 2016 Chevrolet Volt is just about here, and it builds on all of its predecessor's virtues while resolving most of that car's vices. It's got a lot more electric range--53 miles--and at 42 miles per gallon, it's more fuel-efficient on those rare occasions when the range-extending engine...
John Voelcker -
BMW i3 REx Electric Car: 'Coding' Unlocks Features Owners Want (And May Void Warranty)
The BMW i3 REx model is an unusual beast, the sole example to date of a car built specifically to comply with California regulations that define it as a zero-emission electric car even though it has a range-extending engine. That's because its gasoline range (EPA-rated at 78 miles) is more or less...
John Voelcker -
Should I Buy A Used Chevy Volt Electric Car?
The Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric car scores higher on owner satisfaction than any other vehicle GM has sold since it began surveying its buyers. It has attracted new buyers who'd never otherwise haveconsidered a Chevy. And GM data reveals that 80 percent of all Volt trips, and two-third...
John Voelcker -
Fisker Karma Plant In Southern California: More Details Emerge
Fisker has signed a lease for a new plant in Moreno Valley, California.
Stephen Edelstein -
2012 Chevrolet Volt Racks Up 250,000 Miles, One-Third Electric, Rest At 39 MPG
An Ohio owner claims to have covered nearly 250,000 miles in his Chevy Volt.
Stephen Edelstein -
It's one of the big unknowns about plug-in hybrids: How much do they actually get plugged in? Battery-electric cars have to plug in to remain usable, but plug-in hybrids and range-extended electric vehicles don't. And while some makers--most notably Chevrolet and Ford--happily release data showing that their drivers plug in more than expected, other makers are silent. DON'T MISS: Chevy Volt Owners Drive More Electric Miles Than Nissan Leaf Drivers: Why? (Nov 2013) Now we have some data covering four different plug-in hybrids and the range-extended electric first-generation Chevy Volt...
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$75,000 Cadillac ELR Coupe Price Was 'Overestimate', Chief Marketer Says
The Cadillac Converj concept, a range-extended electric coupe design, debuted to favorable reviews in January 2009. That was pretty much the last time much went right for the car, which went on sale in December 2013 as the 2014 Cadillac ELR. Now Cadillac's head marketer has admitted that pricing...
John Voelcker -
Plug-In Electric Car Sales In Apr: Pace Continues Steady: FINAL UPDATE
Sales of plug-in electric cars in April held few real surprises, coming in at about the average rate of previous months. The now-aging Nissan Leaf saw deliveries of 1,553 units last month, bringing the year's total to 5,638 and the total delivered in the U.S. since December 2010 to almost 78,000...
John Voelcker -
The New Fisker Is Live: Original Karma Owners Get Most Support
A new Fisker website offers parts support for current owners.
Stephen Edelstein -
2015 Chevy Volt: Big Clearance Sale Before New 2016 Model Includes $249 Lease
Chevrolet offers big discounts on the 2015 Volt ahead of the redesigned 2016 model.
Stephen Edelstein -
2016 Cadillac ELR: More Performance, More Range, Lower Price
The specifications of the updated 2016 Cadillac ELR range-extended electric car were released this morning, and one big question has been answered. The luxury coupe will not use the revised Voltec powertrain that propels the new second-generation 2016 Chevrolet Volt on sale later this year. But it...
John Voelcker