John Voelcker, Contributing Editor
Articles
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It's now clear that every automaker, no matter how large or small, will have to develop and sell battery-electric vehicles by 2020 to 2025.
Companies like GM and Volkswagen, which each make 10...
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Ford axes Fields, new VW diesel update, 60-mph wireless charging, FCA vs EPA: Today's Car NewsToday, two different diesel updates, Ford fires its CEO and we look at one possible reason, and more White House fossil-fuel shenanigans. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Over the weekend, we did our usual Week in Reverse rundown of top stories from last week's green-car news. Yesterday, we...
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Trump names vocal renewable-energy critic to oversee...renewable energyWhile the news headlines on President Donald Trump mostly address potential scandals, his administration has also lagged significantly in appointing top-level officials to run government agencies. Those that have been appointed often have an adversarial relationship to the missions of the agencies...
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Renault, Qualcomm show off electric-car road charging at 60 mphIt's long been an inspiring futuristic concept: electric cars that can recharge continuously at speed, driving along roadways with built-in inductive charging. Think a modern-day version of slot cars, but at 1:1 scale. Now French automaker Renault has demonstrated a prototype of just such a system...
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Ford fires CEO Fields, in part, for lagging on electric carsIt's all the buzz of the auto industry this morning: Ford has fired its CEO Mark Fields and will replace him with Jim Hackett, former CEO of Michigan furniture maker Steelcase. Hackett presently oversees the Ford unit working on autonomous vehicles. The company is expected to make the announcement...
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Chevy Bolt EV costs $28,700 to build, Tesla Model 3 a bit higher: analysisThe costs and prices of electric cars are endlessly debated, not only among owners and advocates but within the industry itself. The cost per kilowatt-hour of electric-car batteries is closely held, with a few notable exceptions. One of those was the statement by GM product chief Mark Reuss that...
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New Mini E, GM electric-car goal, 2018 Leaf, Clarity lineup, diesel emission study: The Week in Reverse John VoelckerWhy won't the EPA target California's waiver to set its own emission rules—yet—according to one source?
How bad are the real-world NOx emissions from diesel passenger vehicles and heavy...
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New Leaf detail, electric-car advice, Tesla vs UAW, Volvo dials down on diesels: Today's Car NewsToday, a hot-rod version of a favorite minicar, Tesla CEO Elon Musk goes after the media, we get a tiny bit of detail on the eagerly awaited 2018 Nissan Leaf, and Mercedes targets Tesla's home energy-storage batteries. All this and more on Green Car Reports. The 2018 Nissan Leaf is eagerly awaited...
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Car Dealer 101: electric cars that aren't charged won't sellElectric-car owners and advocates have a tenuous relationship with the franchised independent car dealers who are the only legal way to buy a new vehicle in the U.S. Tesla excepted, if you want to buy a new car, you have to go to a dealership over which the carmaker has only limited control. Horror...
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Could California climate-change rules raise gas price enough to backfire?California has by far the most aggressive climate-change policies in the nation, and the state is a global leader in plans to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions. It's also the world's eighth-largest economy, with a growing population, soaring economic output, and a resolutely progressive legislature...
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2018 Nissan Leaf electric car: first teaser photo (headlights!) emergesSometime within the next few months, the 2018 Nissan Leaf electric car will be unveiled to the world's media. The second generation of a pioneering plug-in vehicle that launched affordable all-electric cars on the global market. It's been a long time coming. DON'T MISS: 2018 Nissan Leaf: more spy...
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Tesla vs Uber, Toyota electric cars, Ioniqs compared: Today's Car NewsToday, an electric car smashes a lap record, Toyota's CEO worries about passion, the EPA gets feedback on eliminating pollution regulations, and Tesla turns down Uber. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Toyota's CEO and namesake, Akio Toyoda, worries that electric cars will lack excitement...
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Much of the news out of Washington, D.C., these days has to do with the possibility of political scandal.
But the wheels of government keep turning, and significant changes are happening at numerous...
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Shift to electric cars will cost money, may lack excitement: Toyota CEOEvery automaker is now working on one or many electric cars, but some are at the head of the pack and others lag behind. General Motors already sells the 238-mile Chevrolet Bolt EV, and Volkswagen has firm plans for multiple electric cars by 2020 and as many as 30 by 2025. That leaves Toyota, the...
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Mini E to return, Mercedes electric SUV driven, diesel NOx emissions bad, Karma redux: Today's Car NewsToday, two cars with plugs return—one luxury plug-in hybrid, and one all-electric minicar in a couple of years—plus grim news about diesel emissions, an ambitious electric motorcycle ride, a phone app for British electric-car drivers, and a scary IIHS video. All this and more on Green...
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Real-world diesel emission study shows latest standards must be applied to heavy trucksWhen a major lobbying group issues a statement replying to an academic study the same day that study first hits the media, you know it's major. On Monday, the Diesel Technology Forum responded to an article in Nature with a statement that supported "improved real-world testing" of diesel emissions...
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GM electric-car goals, EPA test worries, 5-minute battery recharge, Google vs Uber: Today's Car NewsToday, uncertainty over EPA emission testing, GM's electric-car goal, concern over the fate of more capable start-stop systems, and a 5-minute battery recharge? All this and more on Green Car Reports. Romania has doubled its electric-car purchase incentives; they're now more than $10,000 for a new...
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Israeli firm StoreDot claims battery with 5-minute charging timeIt's one of the Holy Grails for battery researchers and electric-car advocates alike: a battery that could recharge in the same amount of time as it takes to stop for gasoline. Some of that can be provided by charging at higher rates, as Porsche's proposed 800-volt system for 15-minute fast...
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Automotive innovation rolls out over many years, usually decades, and usually only a few companies lead.
Others hang back, waiting to see if buyers will accept new features, new powertrains, and new...
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Romania doubles electric-car subsidies, adds 'cash for clunkers' programIn recent years, governments have increasingly worked to encourage the sales of plug-in electric vehicles. Incentive programs for the purchase of a low-emission vehicle have been adopted across the world. The amounts granted and the mechanisms vary according to the individual program, but the goal...
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Trump vs California, Honda Clarity explained, Tesla Roadster redux, VW diesel V-6 pact: Today's Car NewsToday, a Lotus powered by Tesla that recalls the legendary Roadster, another VW diesel settlement, a look at California's emission status and whether it'll stay that way, and why the Honda Clarity lineup emerged the way it did. All this and more on Green Car Reports. As always, the Renault Zoe...
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Will Trump EPA target CA electric-car, emissions rules? Not yet, maybe; here's whyCalifornia began regulating vehicle emissions within its boundaries before the Environmental Protection Agency was even a gleam in President Richard Nixon's eye. Since that agency was founded in 1971 with an executive order by Nixon, the state has retained the right to set its own—more...
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Assessing the Honda Clarity range: how electric cars fit in, and whyThe 2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell is the only model of Honda's newest sedan presently on sale, though an all-electric version will arrive later this year. The hydrogen-powered mid-size sedan with a rated 366 miles of range is the one that's gotten by far the most publicity from Honda, as its...
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European electric and plug-in hybrid sales for Jan-Mar 2017The first quarter of 2017 is now behind us, which means we get to take a peek at the European plug-in electric vehicle sale numbers. The year-to-date numbers show a significant growth in sales for most electric models, according to the recent European Alternative Fuels Observatory report. The...
John Voelcker