John Voelcker, Contributing Editor
Articles
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The BMW i3 electric car is a tour de force of advanced engineering--and it was the most energy-efficient car sold in the U.S. in 2014 and 2015.
Its body shell is made of carbon-fiber reinforced...
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China electric-car rules to start in 2019; aggressive totals are world's highestYou may not have heard it happen, but the global automotive industry changed forever on Thursday. China released its plan to require substantial sales of plug-in electric cars by all makers who want to sell in the world's largest car market, and they start in little more than a year. The levels far...
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Outlander PHEV prices, Dyson electric, BMW wireless charging, Toyota ❤ Mazda: Today's Car NewsToday, we've got a wee bit more news on the Toyota electric car for 2020, prices for the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, wireless charging for two German luxury sedans, and a teaser to get you to come back a bit later. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Yesterday afternoon, we got prices for...
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BMW, Mercedes to offer wireless-charging options for plug-in hybrids next yearEvery one of the modern electric cars on the market for almost seven years requires plugging in a cord to recharge the battery using grid electricity. Inserting the cord into the socket takes just a few seconds, and most cars today are charged overnight. But soon there will be another option...
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Toyota electric-car tech to come from venture with Mazda, DensoVery little is known for sure about the long-range electric car Toyota will launch around 2020. Over the last two years, the company—by far the industry's strongest proponent of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles—has concluded it must field a battery-electric vehicle to stay competitive...
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Owning a Tesla, 48-volt mild hybrids, Indian electric cars, CA to ban cars with engines? Today's Car NewsToday, we've got important news from California, some reflections on owning a Tesla, and how diesel's decline is helping hybrids. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Over seven years of modern electric cars, it's widely accepted that they lose money for their makers if all costs are fully...
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In late July, we published an article describing one electric-car driver's experience in adding solar panels to his home to help with charging his family's five electric cars.
That reader, who'd...
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California mulls ban on new cars with engines, joining China in climate actionWith China mulling an eventual ban on sales of cars with gasoline or diesel engines, the world's largest car market made it clear earlier this month that it intends to force a conversion to zero-emission vehicles. Now California, which has led the U.S. in environmental awareness and emission...
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Which electric car will sell best in 2018, globally? Poll resultsNext year is shaping up to be a banner year for electric cars globally. The new, longer-range second-generation Nissan Leaf will be in production at three factories around the world, the Tesla Model 3 should hit volume production, and the Chevy Bolt EV will be fully available in North America...
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Lots of luxury electric cars, Volvo XC40 subscription, Drive Electric Week roundup: Today's Car NewsToday, we've got news on luxury electric cars from Volkswagen and from Jaguar, and a poll asking your opinion on them, as well as a prediction about car-subscription services replacing some sales . All this and more on Green Car Reports. This year's National Drive Electric Week, the eighth one, was...
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Jaguar I-Pace electric SUV has already accumulated 25,000 orders: CEOIn the rarified but still high-volume world of global luxury auto brands, Jaguar is still a tiny player. The British brand sold fewer than 150,000 cars globally last year, one-third of the number of Land Rover and Range Rover SUVs from its sister brands within Jaguar Land Rover. Audi sold 1.9...
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Volkswagen to show flagship all-electric ID sedan in Geneva: Phaeton successor?The long, strange, sad saga of the now-defunct Volkswagen Phaeton will likely go down as an asterisk in VW's long history. The pet project of now-departed VW Group chairman Ferdinand Piech, a member of the Porsche family that controls the carmaker, it was a $70,000-and-up luxury sedan from the...
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It has taken several years for European luxury makers to sort out what to do about the unexpected arrival of Tesla and its electric cars into a market they've dominated for decades.
Sure, Lexus and a...
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Electric-car cash, Tesla Model 3 videos, future MPG rules, why battery startups fail: Today's Car NewsToday, we've got more info on two Teslas, a look at China's electric-car battery plans plus a study on why battery startups fail, and survey results on what may happen to future fuel-economy rules. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Over the weekend, as always, we ran down last week's...
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2018 Nissan Leaf vs Chevrolet Bolt EV: new electric cars comparedThe 2017 Chevy Bolt EV went on sale last December, but only became available nationwide in August. Meanwhile, electric-car shoppers waited eagerly for details of the 2018 Nissan Leaf, the second-generation car that finally premiered in early September. We've now driven both cars, and can take a...
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What will happen to U.S. fuel-economy rules through 2025? Poll resultsWith the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president last November, it became clear that the regulatory environment for businesses would change once he took office. Indeed, dozens of regulations limiting corporate activities involving emissions, fossil-fuel exploration, hiring and firing, and a host...
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Tesla Model 3 interior details, features emerge from pair of videosWhile the 2017 Tesla Model 3 electric car is now being delivered in small numbers to company friends and employees, not all the specifications, features, and details for the electric car are available. Now more information has emerged, in the form of a pair of videos—one by a detailer and...
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RWD Tesla Model S 75 gone after September 24, as electric-car range continues to changeThis year has seen a dizzying profusion of changes to the features, options, and available versions of the Tesla Model S luxury electric car, now in its sixth model year. Anyone who wants to buy a new Model S with rear-wheel drive, however, must act fast. The 2017 Tesla Model S 75, the sole variant...
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2019 Volvo XC40, 2017 e-Golf prices, Porsche's faster charging, Tesla Model S 100D: The Week in Reverse John VoelckerWhat's the catch that some journalists didn't notice in a new electric-car announcement by China?
Which unlikely green car completed the grueling, no-support-allowed Mongol Rally?
This is our look...
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Volvo XC40 SUV, Nissan Leaf rally car, VW's 80 electric cars, EV sales in 2018: Today's Car NewsToday, a surprise Mongol Rally entrant, VW's growing electrification plans, the new 2019 Volvo XC40 small crossover utility vehicle, and your views on electric-car sales. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Among the 2018 Nissan Leaf, the Chevy Bolt EV, and the Tesla Model 3, which electric car...
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2019 Volvo XC40 small SUV to become brand's first electric carTwo years ago, the Volvo XC90 large SUV launched to widespread acclaim and awards as the Sino-Swedish brand's first all-new vehicle in six years. It was followed by the S90 sedan and V90 wagon in 2017, filling out its large luxury lineup. The 2018 Volvo XC60 mid-size crossover utility is now...
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VW Group makes 300 models globally, will electrify them all by 2030Along with the gleaming concept cars and new production models unveiled at last week's Frankfurt auto show, auto-company executives also make news. Often a company's CEO or product chief will announce directions for the future, whether they're hints about upcoming vehicles or new powertrain plans...
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Which electric car will sell best in 2018? Take our Twitter pollOK, now the 2018 Nissan Leaf has made its debut, and we know the prices, specifications, and standard and optional features of the updated electric car with a projected 150 miles of range. Deliveries of the 2018 Leaf will start early next year, but meanwhile the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV has been on...
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Rare-earth metals, Mercedes electric plans, oil-company angst, Tesla news, rumor: Today's Car NewsToday, we've got a Tesla rumor and a Supercharger expansion, news from Mercedes on electric SUVs, oil company Shell slamming the idea of future bans on cars with engines, and a primer on rare-earth metals. All this and more on Green Car Reports. There will be three types of cruise-control system on...
John Voelcker