Aaron Cole, Managing Editor
Articles
-
Fledgling automaker Elio Motors said it has good news this week for its three-wheeled car, which has been delayed for several years.
KTBS in Shreveport, Louisiana, reported last week that the...
-
Plug-in electric car sales for April: Leaf sales lag, spendy Porsches take off
The landscape for plug-in electric and hybrid cars appears to be little changed.
Aaron Cole -
Report: Tesla kicked out from official investigation over fatal Model X crash
Bloomberg reported Wednesday that the National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Robert Sumwalt called Tesla CEO Elon Musk to tell him that the automaker would be removed from an investigation surrounding a fatal crash in March that killed its driver, 38-year-old Walter Huang.
Aaron Cole -
Report: Former VW CEO Martin Winterkorn criminally charged over dieselgate
Former Volkswagen boss Martin Winterkorn was charged with defrauding the U.S. in a Michigan federal court Thursday for his role in the widespread VW diesel emissions scandal. The charges were first reported by Reuters. According to the report, the charges were filed secretly in March and made...
Aaron Cole -
Budweiser-maker taps Nikola for up to 800 hydrogen-powered semi trucks
Anheuser-Busch bet big on hydrogen fuel for its semitrailer trucks Thursday. The Budweiser beermaker announced it would buy up to 800 big rigs from Nikola Motor Company by 2025 and nearly replace its entire dedicated corporate fleet with trucks powered by renewable energy. The agreement is largely...
Aaron Cole -
2019 Toyota Avalon Hybrid first drive review: understated efficiency
In our testing the Avalon Hybrid seemed in line with what full-size buyers would expect from their sedans. It’s a smooth ride with effortless efficiency.
Aaron Cole -
Passenger cars at Ford have short lives.
The automaker announced Wednesday that it would pare its lineup to just two cars: The Mustang and a new Focus Active crossover, which is based on the...
-
All-electric Buick Enspire crossover SUV concept bows in China
Buick unveiled Tuesday an electric crossover SUV concept bound for the 2018 Beijing auto show with promise. In addition to 370 miles of range, the Buick Enspire concept can charge up to 80 percent in 40 minutes through fast and wireless charging. Its motors combine for 410 kilowatts (550...
Aaron Cole -
Is the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta the most fuel-efficient small car?
Over the lifetime of a car, small things can make a big difference. When it comes to fuel economy, just 1 or 2 mpg can add up to hundreds of dollars left in owners’ pockets. That may not mean much to luxury buyers, but for compact sedans that start at less than $20,000 and their owners, every...
Aaron Cole -
2019 Jaguar I-Pace: brief first drive of all-electric luxury crossover
A parking lot in suburban New Jersey isn’t the first place I’d look for a revolution. According to Jaguar, it’s where ours will start. After just over four minutes behind the wheel of the 2019 Jaguar I-Pace, the electric Jaguar feels like the beginning of something. DON'T MISS...
Aaron Cole -
Here's how California's carpool (HOV-lane) stickers work now: updated
For years, green-car buyers in California have enjoyed a special perk: access to high-occupancy vehicle lanes that can whiz past gridlock, even with just a single occupant. Now, updates to the rules signed into law in October by Governor Jerry Brown will likely change the way owners and shoppers...
Aaron Cole -
Chevy Bolt EV production to grow, GM to work for single set of fuel-economy rules: CEO Barra
General Motors CEO Mary Barra told energy conference attendees in Houston on Wednesday the automaker would increase production of its newest electric vehicle, push for a single fuel-economy standard nationwide, and support expanding tax credits for electrified vehicles. "The good news is that our...
Aaron Cole -
Vastly greater numbers of electric cars on United Kingdom roads could pose problems for the power supplies used to recharge them—if, that is, they all plug in during the day.
Frank Mitchell,...
-
Trump promised to save the coal industry; it hasn't happened
You may recall that President Donald Trump made some ambitious and audacious campaign promises about his plans to revive America's dwindling coal industry. Two weeks ago, The Washington Post fact-checked the president's delivery on those promises after his first year in office—in multiples of...
Aaron Cole -
Effect of Trump solar-panel import tariffs on clean-power growth debated
A majority of the photovoltaic solar panels used in the U.S. are imported from such countries as China, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam. Now, environmentalists and energy analysts worry that the new 30-percent tariff on solar-panel imports announced last Monday by President Donald...
Aaron Cole -
Trump administration to work with Saudis on carbon capture for fossil fuels
Last month, U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry signed an agreement with Saudi Arabian officials to research "carbon capture" technology for fossil fuels, the Department of Energy announced. Perry and Khalid Al Falih, the Saudi Minister of Energy, Industry, and Mineral Resources, signed a memorandum...
Aaron Cole -
Ferrari, Infiniti embrace EVs; Mazda takes the top EPA slot; Ford has more EVs to come: Today's Car News
Today, we look at details about Fisker, learn more about luxury brands coming around to electrification, and Mazda takes home another win from the EPA's calculators. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Automotive designer Henrik Fisker is back with a new car company bearing his name but just...
Aaron Cole -
GM CEO Mary Barra hints at Bolt EV-based crossover SUV, details future electric vehicles
General Motors CEO Mary Barra gave investors a detailed playbook for the automaker's future electric vehicles plans Wednesday, including a possible glimpse at a crossover based on the Bolt EV. Barra gave the presentation for investors at the Barclays 2017 Global Automotive Conference in New York. A...
Aaron Cole -
Hyundai announced in Detroit on Wednesday that it would bring to market eight new or redesigned crossovers by the end of the decade.
The new utility vehicles will sport a wide range of powertrains...
-
Regulators approve updates to some Audi, VW, Porsche 3.0-liter diesel SUVs
State and federal environmental regulators announced Monday they had approved modifications to illegally polluting Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche SUVs fitted with VW Group's 3.0-liter V-6 TDI turbodiesel engine The EPA and California Air Resources Board sent a letter Friday to VW announcing the...
Aaron Cole -
2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid gas-mileage review: going the distance
Toyota can’t be blamed for a lack of effort: The 2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid is dripping with it. From the creased hood and cascading brow to the Modernist center console enclosed by flickers of chrome, the mid-size stalwart is anything but lazy. Our first, limited exposure to the hybrid sedan...
Aaron Cole -
GM taps Bolt EV, Volt, Super Cruise chief for new EV lead role
General Motors announced Friday that it would promote Pamela Fletcher to a newly created role to lead the automaker's global electric vehicle program. Fletcher most recently oversaw development of the Chevy Bolt EV and Super Cruise programs. The newly minted role for Fletcher—vice president...
Aaron Cole -
GM's Barra backpedals from "mandated" electric car statement
General Motors CEO Mary Barra appeared Tuesday to walk back from earlier statements that China would be artificially creating demand by mandating electric cars in the future. “Clearly we believe that the Chinese market will have the highest electric vehicles most quickly because of the...
Aaron Cole -
2018 Honda Accord Hybrid first drive review: lighter shade of green
It’s easy for the 2018 Honda Accord Hybrid to get lost. Short of small “Hybrid” badges on the front fenders, not much on the car’s exterior says it's powered by electrons. There’s no plug-in variant for now (a role reserved to the Clarity Plug-In sedan), and the latest...
Aaron Cole