Syndicate
-
It was just a couple of sentences during Wednesday's 2014 earnings call by Tesla Motors executives. But in it, CEO Elon Musk apparently revealed a new line of business for the company: selling or leasing lithium-ion battery packs for home energy storage. DON'T MISS: In 10 Years, Electric Cars Make Home Solar Practical Without Subsidies: UBS The full quote can be found in the transcript of the earnings call, as published by Seeking Alpha. Musk said: We’re going to unveil the Tesla home battery [indiscernible] consumer battery that will be for use in and [sic] people’s houses or...
-
Kia Trail'ster e-AWD Soul Hybrid Concept Unveiled At Chicago Auto ShowAt the very first automaker press conference of the Chicago Auto Show, Kia pulled the wraps off its Trail'ster Concept: an all-wheel-drive hybrid versions of its Soul that uses an electric motor to power the rear wheels. Bolder styling cues, a ride height more than 2 inches higher, and a fully...
John Voelcker -
Tesla Vs Franchised Car Dealers In Texas, Arizona: Battles ContinueDebate over Tesla direct sales is re-sparked in Arizona and Texas.
Stephen Edelstein -
Why I Had To Trade My Tesla Model S For A Brand-New P85DLast October, Tesla announced an all-wheel-drive version of the Model S electric car, with up to a mind-boggling 691 horsepower, and said deliveries would start as early as December—only a two month wait. The performance specifications of the new P85D version promised supercar numbers on the...
George Parrott -
Why Tesla Model X Electric SUV Is Late: Range, Towing, 'Falcon Doors'Electric-car fans and Tesla owners alike are eagerly awaiting the debut of the Tesla Model X electric SUV, now scheduled to go into production roughly six months from now. Like every Tesla, the Model X has been delayed a number of times--but there's been little speculation about the reasons for the...
John Voelcker -
Breaking: 2017 Chevrolet Bolt 200-Mile Electric Car To Start Production In Oct 2016The Chevrolet Bolt, a subcompact electric car with 200 miles of range, is to go into production earlier than expected, just 20 months from now. According to a breaking news story early this morning, the Bolt will start production in October 2016--possibly as a 2017 model. DON'T MISS: Chevrolet Bolt...
John Voelcker -
One of the benefits of battery-electric cars is that they have far fewer moving parts than gasoline vehicles, so they require less servicing. Or as the old saying goes, "Nothing but tires and wiper blades"--which is a bit reductive, but pretty close to the truth if you add in occasional brake-fluid checks. DON'T MISS: Life With Tesla Model S: At Last, Some Maintenance Needed (New Tires) So imagine the surprise of one Nissan Leaf owner in the U.K. who found he'd paid £8.94 (about $13.60) for a new oil filter and £17.50 ($26.60) for a new air filter during his very first annual...
-
Tesla P85D Highlights Why EPA Range Ratings Are Inconsistent & Confusing For Electric CarsThere’s been a lot of confusion recently about the official EPA-certified ranges of certain electric cars. That all-important number goes on the window sticker, and is typically used for advertising and marketing purposes. In November, Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk announced, with great fanfare...
David Noland -
FINAL UPDATE: Plug-In Electric Car Sales Continue Rise In 2014, To 118,500Plug-in electric car sales during 2014 rose above the 100,000 level, to total roughly 118,500. Last year's total represents a 27-percent gain over calendar year 2013. It's the third annual increase in full-year sales in the U.S. since modern electric cars first went on sale in December 2010; the...
John Voelcker -
2015 Jeep Renegade: First DriveJeep got its start with the U.S. Army more than 70 years ago, and the brand has huge global recognition. Now we've driven the first Jeep designed to sell in greater volume outside the U.S. than at home, the 2015 Jeep Renegade. DON'T MISS: 2015 Jeep Renegade - full review It's a subcompact Jeep...
John Voelcker -
Tesla Model X Caught On Video In Acceleration, Cornering TestsThank heavens for the Interwebs, which have now surfaced a video of a Tesla Model X electric SUV being tested in the San Francisco Bay Area. There's just over 60 seconds of footage of what's clearly a Model X, with camouflage patterns covering the details of its bodywork. DON'T MISS: Tesla Model S...
John Voelcker -
Tesla Transparency On Orders, Sales, Production Fades: Do Owners, Investors Care?On February 11, electric-car maker Tesla Motors will release its 2014 earnings and hold a conference call for financial analysts to discuss them. If recent patterns hold, the company won't disclose a number of the important operating metrics that reveal how well it's doing. In fact, over the last...
John Voelcker -
One of the biggest concerns among electric-car advocates is GM's ability to create and sustain a smart, coherent, clever, and explanatory marketing campaign for its new 2016 Chevrolet Volt. The plug-in hybrid with a 50-mile range will arrive on the market in the second half of this year, but Chevy just released its first commercial for the car on YouTube yesterday. DON'T MISS: 2016 Chevrolet Volt: 50-Mile Range, 41 MPG, Five Seats, All New (Photos) The ad has music--with an inoffensively techno sound--but no voiceover, which is refreshing. More than half the minute-long ad is simply shots of...
-
2014-2015 Toyota Prius V Wagon Recalled For Airbag Sensor IssueToyota is recalling certain 2014 and 2015 Prius V hybrid wagons to fix an improperly-calibrated airbag occupant classification system.
Stephen Edelstein -
Should GM Name Its Bolt Electric Car The 2017 Chevrolet EV2?Without a doubt, Chevrolet dominated the news in plug-in electric cars at the recent Detroit Auto Show. It unveiled not only the new 2016 Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid, but also a concept that showed what a 2018 battery-electric hatchback with a 200-mile range might look like. The subcompact concept...
John Voelcker -
Energy Secretary Confirms: U.S. Will Fall Short Of Obama Goal Of 1 Million Electric Cars By 2015The U.S. will not meet an electric-car adoption goal set by President Obama in 2011.
Stephen Edelstein -
Diesel Engines Selling Well In Large Luxury SUVs & CrossoversIn the U.S., diesel engines have long been established in pickup trucks. In passenger cars, however, they've remained a small part of the overall market. But diesels seem to be doing well in another segment: larger SUVs, particularly those from luxury makers, like Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz...
John Voelcker -
2016 Chevrolet Volt: Seats Five, But Not (Really) On A Fifth SeatThe new 2016 Chevrolet Volt, its designers and engineers say, carries many features requested by owners of the first-generation Volt built from 2011 through this year. Among them are more electric range, an illuminated charging port ... and a fifth seating position. DON'T MISS: 2016 Chevrolet Volt...
John Voelcker -
At 50 miles, the 2016 Chevrolet Volt offers the longest range of any plug-in hybrid (though the range-extended BMW i3 electric car is rated at 72 miles). Announced this week at the Detroit Auto Show, following an October technical briefing, the technology in the new Volt may turn out to hold some secrets. DON'T MISS: 2016 Chevrolet Volt: 50-Mile Range, 41 MPG, Five Seats, All New (Photos) First we need to revisit November 2012, when then-product chief Mary Barra (now GM's CEO) told journalists that the company planned to focus on plug-in electric cars and mild hybrids. "We think plug-in...
-
Ford Says Lightweight Aluminum For Trucks Only: No Cars ComingA Ford executive says there are better ways than aluminum bodywork to improve car fuel efficiency.
Stephen Edelstein -
2018 Chevrolet Bolt Electric Car: What It Is & Isn't, What It Means For TeslaThe great thing about the Detroit Auto Show is that it brings so many global auto industry executives together under one roof. So there's been a lot of discussion about the Chevrolet Bolt electric-car concept here: what it is (for buyers, for GM, and for other carmakers), what it isn't...
John Voelcker -
Chevrolet Bolt Concept: 200-Mile, $37,500 Electric Car Concept (Live Video & Photos)General Motors CEO Mary Barra had hoped to have a Steve Jobs moment this morning, but news about the Chevrolet Bolt Concept for a 200-mile electric car leaked late Friday night. Still, with no advance information, the Bolt Concept was both a surprise to open the Detroit Auto Show and a bold...
John Voelcker -
Why 'Bolt' Is A Really Terrible Name For Chevy's Electric CarMonday morning, General Motors CEO Mary Barra is expected to unveil a new battery-electric concept car at the Detroit Auto Show. It's the first look at a future production vehicle with a projected 200 miles of electric range, at a price said to be around $30,000. Assuming the leaked stories are...
John Voelcker -
Obama: Buy A Fuel-Efficient Car, Gas Won't Stay Cheap ForeverPresident Barack Obama encourages Americans to buy more-efficient cars despite low gas prices.
Stephen Edelstein