Stephen Edelstein, Contributing Writer
Articles
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Toyota has reached yet another significant milestone in global hybrid sales.
The Japanese automaking giant has surpassed 10 million hybrid sales globally since the launch of the first-generation...
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Video explains how Tesla Model S P100D takes just 2.28 seconds to hit 60 mphThe Tesla Model S, now into its sixth model year, just keeps getting quicker. When Tesla introduced the current P100D version, it quoted a 0-to-60-mph time of 2.5 seconds. But then it released a "Ludicrous Plus" software upgrade, cutting that time to 2.4 seconds. DON'T MISS: Tesla P100D 'Ludicrous...
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2017 Chevy Cruze Diesel, Daimler electric truck, electric-car fees: Today's Car NewsToday, we have more details on the 2017 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel, Daimler confirms plans for an all-electric commercial truck, and multiple states ponder new fees for electric-car owners. All this and more on Green Car Reports. We have spy shots of the next-generation Nissan Leaf, Toyota plug-in...
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State fees, penalties on electric cars proliferate this yearSeveral different states have continued to propose new fees for electric-car owners as a way to pay for road repairs. The fees are typically meant as a substitute for the gasoline taxes that, because they don't buy gas, electric-car owners don't pay. Advocates have criticized these fees, saying...
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Plug-in hybrid utility truck keeps lights on during emergenciesCalifornia electric utility Pacific Gas & Electric recently took delivery of a pair of new trucks that it hopes will help solve two problems. The first is power outages, whether they are caused by weather or necessary planned maintenance work conducted by utilities. The other is every utility's...
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Toyota Mirai update to fix output voltage on fuel cell electronicsEvery Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel-cell car sold anywhere in the world will soon be recalled to address an issue with its onboard electronics. The problem lies with the output voltage generated by the cars' fuel-cell stacks. Under certain driving conditions, the amount of voltage generated by the...
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Following successful trials, Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler plans to produce a small run of all-electric large commercial trucks for the European market.
These trucks will be made available to a small...
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Tesla granted patent on metal-air battery chargingWhen it comes to Tesla and electric-car batteries, the eyes of most analysts are currently on the automaker's "Gigafactory," which began battery-cell production earlier this year. The Gigafactory is expected to build cells in massive numbers, but using a variation of the same lithium-ion chemistry...
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U.S. household energy costs hit 50-year lowSubstantial growth in U.S. renewable-energy capacity will undoubtedly have a positive environmental impact. But the reduction in carbon emissions renewable-energy advocates aim to achieve does not exclude potential benefits to consumers. Because as renewable-energy generating capacity has expanded...
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Maven gets Bolt EV, 2018 Lexus LS 500h, Tesla Supercharger live status: Today's Car NewsToday, General Motors' Maven "mobility" brand adds Chevrolet Bolt EV electric cars to its Los Angeles fleet, the 2018 Lexus LS 500h hybrid is slated to appear at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, and a new feature allows Tesla drivers to check the status of Supercharger stations from their cars. All this...
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2018 Lexus LS 500h hybrid luxury sedan to debut at Geneva showIt should come as no surprise that Toyota's Lexus luxury brand remains enthusiastic about hybrids. Toyota has sold more hybrids than any other automaker, with luxury models sold under the Lexus brand contributing to a total that just exceeded 10 million. That trend will continue with the 2018 Lexus...
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Tesla now tells electric cars about charger status en routeUnlike most automakers, Tesla doesn't schedule redesigns, updates, and new features for its cars to coincide with traditional model years. Aided by the fact that most of its new features are software-related, Tesla takes a more flexible approach. Many new features are pushed to its electric cars...
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Just days after the presidential election, automaker lobbyists urged Donald Trump to loosen pending emissions and fuel-economy standards.
Shortly after the election, a lobbying group wrote Trump...
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Chevy Bolt EV electric range: can 238 miles stretch to 300 miles?The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV has an official EPA-rated range of 238 miles per charge on the combined test cycle. That gives it the longest range of any electric car currently on sale in the U.S. that isn't a Tesla, at a base price around half that of the least-expensive model from the Silicon Valley...
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Kia Niro EV, subsidized fast charging, plug-in hybrid proliferation: Today's Car NewsToday, we have confirmation of the all-electric Kia Niro EV, pros and cons of automaker subsidization of electric-car fast charging, and why Toyota thinks plug-in hybrids will catch on more quickly than battery-electric cars. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Solar power hit a new high in the...
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Diesel sales in Europe will fall close to zero within 10 years: predictionIn the U.S., the Volkswagen diesel scandal was a case of an automaker betraying the trust of more than half a million owners. But in the Europe, the issue of diesel emissions looms far larger yet. Diesels have represented roughly half of European car sales for decades, their good fuel economy being...
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Should electric-car makers subsidize fast charging for owners?By now, purchase incentives are a well-proven and valuable tool in increasing electric-car adoption. But what if incentives were applied to more than just the cars? Different automakers have shown varying levels of interest in developing DC fast-charging networks for the electric cars they produce...
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Solar power hits new U.S. heights: utility use exceeds home panelsNo matter how you measure it, 2016 was a major year for solar energy. More solar-generating capacity was added last year than either natural gas or wind, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. A study by investment bank and research firm Lazard found that utility-scale solar has now become the...
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More GM electric cars, Chevy Cruze Diesel lawsuit, KS electric-car charging: Today's Car News Stephen EdelsteinToday, General Motors CEO Mary Barra says the Chevrolet Bolt EV will form the basis for a "huge range of electric cars," a Chevrolet Cruze Diesel lawsuit moves forward, and a Midwestern electric...
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European electric and plug-in hybrid sales for Jan-Dec 2016The Renault Zoe closed out 2016 as the best-selling electric car in Europe. While the Nissan Leaf continues to lead in worldwide sales, the smaller electric car from Nissan's alliance partner has remained on top in its home market. These consistent performances have cemented the Renault-Nissan...
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Electric utility in Kansas leads push to get electric cars on roadsWhen it comes to promoting electric cars, California is rightfully viewed as the most active. But efforts are not limited to the Golden State. If one electric utility has its way, more electric cars will soon be plying the roads of America's heartland. CHECK OUT: Kansas City Power & Light To...
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Chevy Bolt EV is basis for 'huge range of electric cars': GM CEO Mary BarraIt's common practice in the industry for automakers to base multiple different models on the same basic platform or architecture. This allows them to amortize the development costs of new platforms across a wider range of products. It also means that two seemingly dissimilar models—such as a...
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Smart goes all-electric, 2017 Hyundai Ioniq prices, 'Greenest' and 'Meanest' cars: Today's Car NewsToday, we have news that Smart may start selling only electric cars in the U.S., pricing information for the 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid and Ioniq Electric, and rankings of the "Greenest" and "Meanest" cars in terms of environmental impact. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Tesla's updated...
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2017 Hyundai Ioniq prices: hybrid starts at $23,035, electric at $30,335The 2017 Hyundai Ioniq is the South Korean automaker's first dedicated green model. It will offer three powertrain options in the same body shell: hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery-electric. Those models are just now beginning to hit U.S. showrooms, and we now have pricing information for two of...
Stephen Edelstein