Bengt Halvorson, Senior Editor
Articles
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The 2014 Fiat 500e has far lower power and torque numbers than the 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV; yet at city speeds, of below 40 mph or so, the 500E feels (and is) quicker.
Given their nearly identical...
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2015 Nissan Leaf: Full Details, Pricing ReleasedOut with the old, in with the new: It's hard to believe the Nissan Leaf is already entering its fifth model year. With the 2015 Nissan Leaf models that are already reaching dealerships, there's no boost in range or performance, but there are some minor feature improvements that might be cause to...
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2015 Volkswagen e-Golf Vs. Golf TDI: Back-To-Back Test DriveWith the introduction of the 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf late this year, VW will be the only automaker to offer (in the U.S.) both diesel and all-electric versions of the same model in the U.S. While we expected to plan a back-to-back drive of these two models at some point, we didn’t expect it to...
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2015 Volkswagen e-Golf: Quick Preview Drive Of All-Electric HatchbackVolkswagen has bet very heavily on diesel, with its TDI models; yet it's preparing to bring its all-electric Golf, called the e-Golf, to the U.S. later this year. And we took another short drive in it this past week—this time on U.S. shores. The e-Golf, as it will be sold beginning this...
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Tesla Model S Earns Top Score In The Industry For Total QualityOwners of the Tesla Model S tend to be very satisfied with their cars. You might already know that; but so far, that's largely been anecdotal, based on reports in various ownership profiles, comments, and forums. Now all this owner 'love'—and the lack of problems—is starting to be...
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Nissan Leaf News, Tesla Talks Price For Small Sedan, Next Prius Delayed: The Week In ReverseWe have lots of news about the Nissan Leaf. What is realistic pricing on a Tesla? And have you seen the world's coolest taxi? It's the Week In Reverse for Friday, July 4, 2014, right here at Green Car Reports. Electric-car sales results rolled in from June, and the Nissan Leaf continued its reign...
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If Warren Buffett needed to catch a ride across town, we suspect he might do it exactly the way that we did this past week: in an all-electric BYD bus.Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway famously...
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Acura Drops A Hybrid, Plug-In Crossovers, Tesla Battery Swapping: The Week In ReverseWhich automakers did Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk meet with this past week? What hybrid isn't coming back for 2015, and which plug-in crossovers are on the way? And wait, what is Jay-Z driving? It's the Week In Reverse, right here at Green Car Reports. Here we look back at some of the most...
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Should Fuel Cells Have Been Called 'Hydrogen Batteries' Instead?Even after some of the big-picture infrastructure hurdles are remedied, will the success of fuel-cell vehicles get tripped up by the term itself? It's an issue that concerns former General Motors R&D chief Larry Burns, now a University of Michigan professor. “If I could do one thing...
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Driving Nissan e-NV200 All-Electric Small Commercial VanOne of two Nissan e-NV200 all-electric vans being used in North America was pushed into service yesterday by Portland General Electric (PGE). And we were among the first to get a turn—and a few miles—behind the wheel. What's it like? Frankly, it's a lot more like the current 2014 Nissan...
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Musk: Tesla Going Open Source, Lifting Patents 'In Good Faith'Tesla Motors, the California electric-car maker, won't participate in a patent war over electric cars and associated technology, as it runs counter to the success of EVs. It's one of the messages conveyed in a terse post from CEO Elon Musk on the Tesla Motors Blog. And it could be good news for...
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2015 Volkswagen Golf TDI: First Drive Of All-New Diesel HatchbackIn today's American car market, 45 miles per gallon is a rare occasion, and 50 miles per gallon is pure fantasy. That's the case for nearly any vehicle that has a fuel tank and isn't a hybrid—and for many hybrids, actually. Enter the 2015 Volkswagen Golf TDI, a vehicle that seems to buck...
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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...
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2014 Mercedes-Benz E 250 BlueTec Diesel: Fuel-Economy ReviewIn recent years—especially in the time since EPA fuel economy ratings have become more realistic—40 miles per gallon on the highway has become like a sort of high-water mark for non-hybrid cars. Even in 2014, there remain relatively few subcompact or compact sedans that top the 40-mpg...
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Compliance Car Update: Which Electric Cars Are Loss Leaders?The Fiat 500e is perhaps the most critically lauded new all-electric vehicle that arrived in 2013. It's received rave reviews from unlikely sources, like buff-book magazines—even from Consumer Reports. There's reportedly been a long waiting list for these cars, with a $199/month lease deal...
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Mercedes-Benz S-Class Plug-In On Sale Early 2015, C-Class Hybrid LaterWhile Mercedes-Benz and other German luxury automakers (Audi, especially) are betting on diesel powertrains on a larger scale in helping to make their lineups more fuel-efficient, they're starting to concede that to some luxury shoppers, plug-in hybrids are seen as a 'greener'...
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Ford: Predictive Logic Can Boost Cruise-Control MPG 5 PercentCruise control is an American driving staple. We use it on long road trips to reduce fatigue. And with the advent of adaptive cruise control systems, we're even using it on parts of our commutes, and during traffic-jammed holiday weekend slogs. For the most part, cruise control can save a lot of...
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Nissan R&D Chief: Carbon Fiber Is Good For Planes, Not CarsNissan has put a lot of investment into the battery and all-electric powertrain technology in its all-electric Leaf. Yet outside of that, the Leaf is a pretty ordinary small car in materials and layout. Meanwhile, the somewhat more expensive BMW i3 takes a radically different approach to materials...
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Nissan is readying a new lithium-ion chemistry for its Leaf electric car, aimed at better range performance in hot-weather climates. And it's likely bound for all Leaf models in the first half of...
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2014 Mazda 3: How Does It Drive With i-ELOOP?Mazda’s most recently redesigned models all feature the SkyActiv badge—corresponding to a suite of engines, transmissions, body structures, and other core components engineered around the idea of maintaining a responsive, sporty driving feel while making major improvements in fuel...
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2014 Honda Accord Hybrid: First Drive ReportDoes the all-new 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid really get 50 miles per gallon? And does it drive as well as a regular four-cylinder Honda Accord? To cut right to the spoiler: yes and yes. For some shoppers who already know and like the Accord, that might honestly be enough—once they run the...
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2014 Honda Accord Hybrid Has No Transmission: How It WorksThe 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid has no transmission. To be more precise, there's nothing in a form we'd normally recognize as a transmission—no conventional automatic transmission, no automated dual-clutch system, no belt-and-pulley continuously variable transmission (CVT) either. There's no...
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Before Plug-In Hybrids, Volvo Preps Efficient New Gas EnginesAs German luxury brands have moved to smaller turbocharged engines with much-improved gas mileage, Volvo's entire U.S. lineup has remained powered by five- and six-cylinder engines. Yet with the introduction of a new generation of so-called Drive-E engines—and eight-speed automatic...
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Audi R8 e-Tron Not Completely Dead Yet, Suggests OfficialYes, Audi earlier this year did say that it won't be building its electric supercar, the R8 e-tron. But the plug might not have been pulled completely. According to Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, the member of the Audi AG board of management in charge of technical development, the R8 e-tron was an...
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