John Voelcker, Contributing Editor
Articles
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When the history of modern electric cars is written, the BMW i3 will likely go down as something of an anomaly.
Its carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic body shell, aluminum underpinnings, and...
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These six states have the highest electric-car adoption rates in the countryBy now, many people would likely produce the correct answer when asked, Where in the U.S. are electric cars most popular? That would be California, which last year had almost seven battery-electric and plug-in hybrid cars registered per 1,000 people. But five other states have more than two plug-in...
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An electric Thing? VW Thing could return as EV, chairman says (or electric Beetle)As it gears up for volume production of battery-electric cars starting in 2019, Volkswagen Group spends a lot of time talking to the press about its future plans for the vehicles. We already know its first electric car that year will be the compact hatchback Volkswagen ID, and the first to be sold...
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Dieselgate jail term, plug-in hybrid Jeep, Tesla battery puzzle, Jaguar I-Pace testing: The Week in ReverseWhich upcoming electric car has more than 200 prototypes on the road that have now covered 1.5 million miles of testing? What claims by Tesla caused some head-scratching among battery engineers? This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week...
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Electric cars in Europe, CA engine ban, EV100 pledge, new battery cooling: Today's Car NewsToday, European electric-car sales, another proposed ban on sales of cars with engines, a new battery-pack cooling approach, and a relocated future Ford electric model. All this and more on Green Car Reports. We've resumed our monthly European plug-in electric car sales report, and there's a new...
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Jaguar I-Pace tests, VW exec sentenced, Tesla vs dealers, grim climate news: Today's Car NewsToday, Tesla wins one against dealer lobbyists, a VW executive is sentenced for his Dieselgate deception, Canada plug-in sales are in, and the Jaguar I-Pace hits the road. All this and more on Green Car Reports. In what may be a subtle dig at Tesla, the Jaguar I-Pace electric SUV is at 1.5 million...
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Since the Dieselgate scandal broke more than two years ago, Volkswagen has spent a great deal of time talking about its plans for electric cars.
It has rolled out three concept vehicles within the...
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Plug-in Jeep Wrangler, 15-minute fast charge, Exxon not scared, Model 3 sales: Today's Car NewsToday, we've got an update on a Tesla poll from six months ago, a plug-in hybrid Jeep we didn't expect, more support for 15-minute electric-car fast charging, and a new word: pretertype. All this and more on Green Car Reports. The UPS will use electric bikes for package delivery in Florida, as part...
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How many Model 3s will Tesla deliver by Dec 31? Twitter poll results, againWhat a difference a few months makes. In June, one month before the delivery of the first 30 Tesla Model 3, we polled our Twitter followers on how many of the lower-priced electric cars Tesla would deliver by the end of this year. The view then was pretty rosy, with more than half the respondents...
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Jeep Wrangler Plug-In Hybrid to go into production in 2020Looking back at last week's Los Angeles auto show media days, one new vehicle sucked up a disproportionate amount of attention and airtime. That would be the new 2018 Jeep Wrangler, a once-in-a-decade redesign of the iconic off-roader that's the linchpin of the Jeep brand image worldwide. While the...
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BMW iX3 electric SUV, 2018 Leaf in production, FCA fuel cells, Tesla battery claims: Today's Car NewsToday, we have a bit of a Tesla puzzle, a name for BMW's electric SUV, Leafs coming off the lines, and a Twitter poll on alternative fuels. All this and more on Green Car Reports. The long-awaited Tesla Model 3 is still in the future for all but a few reservation-holders, but one reader has now...
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Plug-in electric car sales for Nov: Volt vs Prime neck-and-neck, Bolt EV just misses 3K (updated)Chevy didn't quite pull it off in November, but it could well happen this month in a burst of end-of-year sales. In this case, "it" would be selling 3,000 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric cars in a single month: the delivery total reported last month was 2,987. That brings year-to-date Bolt EV sales to...
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The 2018 Nissan Leaf electric car will start to appear at Nissan dealers in January, the company said Monday.
That availability came in an announcement that the second-generation electric car...
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Which alternative fuels will survive long-term? Take our Twitter pollYou just don't hear the phrase "alternative fuels" as much as you did, say, 10 years ago. With a couple of million plug-in electric cars now on the world's roads, the idea of swapping in one hydrocarbon fuel for another may have passed its time. Admittedly biodiesel continues to make quiet inroads...
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Configuring a Tesla Model 3: buyer walks through the process with usVery few of the 455,000 people who put down $1,000 to reserve a place in line for the Tesla Model 3 electric car have received the opportunity yet to configure their cars online and place a firm order. The volume of Model 3s is still apparently at low numbers—a few hundred last month...
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Visiting Byton, electric-car sales, Camry Hybrid video, natural-gas shutdown: Today's Car NewsToday, we've got a visit to electric-car startup Byton, ethical minerals, a Camry Hybrid video road test, and last month's plug-in electric car sales. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Over the weekend, as we do every seven days, we ran down last week's most important green-car stories. We...
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When fueling stations shut down for your natural-gas car: one reader's experienceLet's say you buy the greenest car you can, one that uses a different kind of fuel, and drive it happily for several years. What happens when the supply of your fuel suddenly ends, and you can no longer fill up your car? That's just what happened to Duncan Chalmers of Seattle, who can no longer...
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2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid video road testThe 2018 Toyota Camry is the latest generation of the car that launched a category—the mid-size hybrid sedan—way back in 2007. While competitors in that segment now include the Chevrolet Malibu, Ford Fusion, Hyundai Sonata, and Kia Optima, the Camry Hybrid remains one of the most...
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BMW i3 sales halt, Model 3 video, lots of Porsche plugs, LA auto show news: The Week in Reverse John VoelckerWhich pair of European plug-in hybrids got bigger batteries and more rated range for 2018?
What were the big stories from this week's surprisingly news-packed Los Angeles auto show?
This is our look...
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Self-driving Bolt EVs, why to buy EVs now, Tesla Roadster considered, LA auto show: Today's Car NewsToday, we wrap up our Los Angeles auto show coverage, offer buying advice, consider Tesla's latest surprise, and lay out plans for self-driving Chevy Bolt EVs. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Our Tesla-owning author David Noland weighed in with some thoughts on the new Tesla Roadster. If...
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If you plan to buy an electric car, you should do it this monthCommon wisdom has it that the last few days of any calendar year are the best time to buy a car. Not only are franchised dealers and their salespeople seeking to close out the month with a bang, but it's the end of a year and their allocation of cars next year can depend on how many they sell this...
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BMW i8 Roadster, plugs for Porsches, Tesla Supercharger sites, waste for fuel: Today's Car NewsToday, we've got the world's largest Tesla Supercharger sites, a startling prediction from Porsche, electric Vespa scooters, and a bigger BMW battery. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Today is the last media day of this week's LA auto show, and you can follow all the production-car and...
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Toyota to build megawatt electric and hydrogen plant fueled by California bio-waste
Toyota today is the world's most ardent proponent of using hydrogen fuel cells for zero-emission vehicles rather than large battery packs. The huge Japanese carmaker, one of the world's four largest, now sells its Toyota Mirai fuel-cell sedan around the world, and has more hydrogen-powered vehicles...
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Half of all Porsches will plug in by 2025, showing importance of electric carsIts customers and employees know, but the rest of the world may not quite have realized that Porsche will soon sell six separate plug-in hybrid models. They span three different vehicles—the Porsche Panamera large sedan, the Panamera Sport Turismo shooting brake, and the Cayenne sport utility...
John Voelcker