Sean Szymkowski, Contributor
Articles
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BMW i3 electric car sales stopped, future recall announced for specific safety concern (updated) Sean Szymkowski
An obscure safety issue has led to a halt in sales of the BMW i3 electric car until further notice.
The German maker announced a recall for every single i3 sold in the United States, covering 30,542...
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Iconic Vespa Scooter, now 70 years old, gets brand-new electric powertrain
The Vespa scooter is undeniably an icon on European streets. For 70 years, Vespas have buzzed about roadways, but the buzz will soon give way to an all-but-silent hum in the company's latest scooter. Earlier this month at the Milan Motorcycle Show, Vespa announced its first all-electric scooter...
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2018 Nissan Leaf preview
The 2018 Nissan Leaf electric car represents the second generation and a thorough redesign and update of the highest-selling electric car in the world. Although we still await the last details of pricing, features, and options, we know largely what to expect from Nissan's new electric car when it...
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Tesla Model 3 Long Range electric car tested by Motor Trend
Within the last week, we wrote that not one major automotive media outlet had independently tested the less-expensive and higher-volume Tesla Model 3. That changed on Monday, when Motor Trend published the first instrumented test of Tesla's affordable electric car. This gives us the first...
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2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV preview
The 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car is now arriving at Chevy dealers with no major changes—though drivers may find the heated steering wheel now turns itself on and off. Otherwise, the deletion of the map pocket on the back of the passenger seat from the 2LT trim level is the sole other...
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Chinese electric-car startup SF Motors bought Tesla founder's battery-tech firm
Although Elon Musk is the name now associated with Tesla, the current CEO was not a founding figure in the electric-car startup. That honor goes to two men, Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning. Eberhard subsequently sparred with Musk in and outside of court. Following his time at Tesla, Eberhard...
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Yet another study has revealed that many dealerships across the United States still don't prioritize electric cars and haven't prepared for their growth.
The latest report showed dealerships still...
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U.S. Postal Service urged to choose electric delivery trucks
The current fleet of delivery trucks used by the United States Postal Service have stood the test of time, but their high maintenance costs mean it's time to retire the iconic boxy vehicles. The USPS began soliciting bids in 2016 and five finalists now remain in the running: they are...
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Tesla builds world's largest lithium-ion battery, for utility use, in Australia
Tesla CEO Elon Musk made a bet that he'd build the world's largest lithium-ion battery in Australia in 100 days. If his company failed, Musk would personally pay for the project, but the battery is now ready for its first test ahead of full operation—and on schedule. The massive...
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Big Oil will lose grip on global vehicle market in less than 25 years: study
The latest study on the future of transportation paints an increasingly dim picture for the oil industry, though it suggests that the industry is in no danger of collapse. Instead, Big Oil will lose its dominance in the transportation sector over a 25-year period as electric cars and mobility...
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EPA chief Scott Pruitt: 'environmentalism' is use rather than preservation
EPA head Scott Pruitt will likely go down as one of the most controversial agency chiefs in that agency's history of almost 50 years. The former Oklahoma attorney general, who sued the EPA 14 times on behalf of fossil-fuel interests during the Obama administration, has a radically different view of...
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Nissan, Mitsubishi, Renault all to 'target' electric cars in 2020, CEO Ghosn says
Carlos Ghosn has been an advocate of electric cars for years, but after initial disappointment, he's ready to take on the segment with even greater focus. The CEO of the Renault Nissan Alliance that now includes Mitsubishi predicted the rise of electric cars nearly a decade ago, and oversaw the...
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Toyota made its future battery-electric car project public this past April after an "agonizing" decision to depart from its sole focus on a future powered by hydrogen fuel cells as its sole...
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2019 Infiniti QX50 crossover to debut variable-compression engine
Efforts by automakers to increase fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions have intensified in recent years as emission rules have tightened and the effects of climate change are better analyzed. While electric cars and hybrids will grow in popularity, the internal-combustion engine remains the...
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How about electric semis that draw power from overhead wires?
While battery-powered semi trucks remains years away for many prominent makers, the German tech company Siemens is experimenting with a well-known source of electric power delivery to make a different kind of electric semi. Much like electric trams or streetcars used by public transit agencies for...
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Chinese electric-car startup Nio gets $1 billion in funding: report
Nio, the electric-car maker formerly known as NextEV, has raised a substantial amount of money in its latest round of fundraising. The Chinese startup reportedly received a stunning $1 billion in funding, with Chinese investment powerhouse Tencent leading the charge. Notably, Tencent also holds a...
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Jaguar Land Rover owner denies stake in electric-car maker Faraday Future: updated report
Most reports on startup electric-car maker Faraday Future tend to describe it as "struggling," and that may be an understatement. It halted work at its Nevada-based production facility in 2016; the startup company's main backer, China's LeEco, acknowledged this past May it was experiencing...
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New 2018 Jeep Wrangler boosts fuel economy, from bad to less bad
Ahead of the next-generation 2018 Jeep Wrangler's debut, the EPA released fuel-economy estimates for the V-6 powered model of the archetypal SUV. They're higher, as are the ratings for pretty much every new model, courtesy of steadily rising corporate average fuel-economy rules for model years 2012...
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The market's shift to crossovers and SUVs is well documented, but what may be less well known are the massive discounts some automakers now offer on small cars as a result.
While those small cars may...
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Fisker still aims at solid-state electric-car batteries, as patents attest
At first, Fisker had promised its upcoming EMotion electric sedan would launch with revolutionary solid-state batteries. The company then backtracked in June, saying the technology would not be ready. Instead, the EMotion will launch with conventional lithium-ion batteries. Fisker announced on...
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Cargo space in popular electric cars: this video explains it all
Ensuring electric cars fit the needs of their owners is a requirement for boosting electric-vehicle sales. Adequate cargo space for an owner is necessary no matter what kind of car is being considered. Now, in one handy video, YouTuber Bjorn Nyquist has shown just how much cargo space is provided...
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US governors release own plans to cut carbon at climate-change summit
While President Trump has announced the U.S. will pull out of the Paris Climate Accord, the United States cannot formally exit the agreement until November 5, 2020. Despite the administration's stance and its many efforts to end U.S. action to reduce carbon emissions, numerous U.S. governors...
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These 12 cities will buy only electric buses from 2025 on; more expected to join
The mayors of 12 major cities from around the world have taken a landmark step to increase the use of zero-emission public transportation late last month. Mayors of London, Paris, Los Angeles, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Quito, Vancouver, Mexico City, Milan, Seattle, Auckland, and Cape Town all signed...
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EPA head: new report that climate change is manmade has 'no bearing' on plans to end climate action
When top U.S. scientists released the fourth National Climate Assessment, it spelled out one blunt conclusion: human activity in releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere caused the climate change that has warmed the globe. Mandated for release every four years, the report will apparently have...
Sean Szymkowski