Eric C. Evarts, Contributor
Articles
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Ford has teased its planned 300-mile-electric performance SUV, but so far it's thin on details—other than the fact that it's supposed to be inspired by the performance of the Mustang (and, to...
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Poll suggests more Americans might buy an EV—if only they had a place to chargeAlmost three-quarters of Americans see electric cars as the future of transportation, according to a new Volvo/Harris poll released Tuesday. In the poll conducted last October, which surveyed 1,510 drivers in the U.S. during the middle of October, including 250 electric-car drivers, 74 percent of...
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Chinese Kandi cars, longer-range Volvos, Nissan Leaf Plus review: Today's Car NewsA new car company from China gets approval to sell electric cars in the U.S. We have a first chance to drive the longer-range Nissan Leaf Plus. Volvo gives is plug-in hybrids additional battery range for 2020. And the last Volt rolls off the assembly line. All this and more on Green Car Reports. We...
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GM rolls last Chevy Volt off Detroit assembly lineWith the end of Chevrolet Volt production last week, it looks more like pure electric cars are winning the race to transform driving over more complicated, if versatile plug-in hybrids. GM built the last 2019 Chevy Volt on February 15, and in a ceremony last Tuesday it rolled off the assembly line...
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Volvo XC90, XC60 T8 plug-in hybrids add electric miles for 2020Volvo announced on Friday that it is updating its lineup with two new "mild-hybrids" and more electric range for its existing T8 plug-in hybrid models. The XC60 and XC90 T8 plug-in hybrids will get up to 15 percent more range, according to Volvo's European announcement, which could boost their...
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Chinese Kandi electric cars a step closer to U.S. arrival (Updated)The federal government has given initial approval for the Chinese electric car manufacturer Kandi to import two electric cars to the U.S. in coming years, the company announced to investors last week. The company, which is known as Zhejiang Kangdi Vehicles Company in China, is publicly traded on...
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Electric-car batteries need to get recycled or reused at the end of their road. And campers are always in need of more batteries to stay out longer and run more things without resorting to gas...
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Tesla Model 3 reliability, Bill Gates, California fast lanes: The Week in ReverseWhich electric car gets great satisfaction but subpar reliability ratings? What did a bill in California propose instead of the high-speed rail project from San Francisco to LA? This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending Feb. 22...
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Ford fuel economy, EPA ends talks, better hybrids, Audi ad: Today's Car NewsFord opened an investigation into the way it conducts fuel economy tests. The EPA quit speaking to California in their dispute over emissions rules. Half of Consumer Reports top picks for 2019 include hybrids or plug-in cars. And Audi makes good on advertising the performance benefits of an...
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E-tron follows original Quattro to the ski slopes in Audi's latest adYou asked, now you've received. In our Twitter poll last week, readers told us that they think automakers should quit focusing on electric cars' green credentials in ads and start advertising their performance. Apparently Audi was reading their thoughts. After spending as much as $5 million (or...
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Consumer Reports Top Picks show hybrids have come a long wayCarbuyers no longer have to give up space, comfort, features, or reliability to make a difference in saving gas. That's the message of Consumer Reports' latest list of 10 top picks for 2019, published in its Autos Spotlight, and April Auto Issue Thursday. Out of CR's 10 Top Picks, three are...
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EPA cuts off fuel-economy talks with CaliforniaThe Trump administration has ended talks with California aimed at settling their differences over increasing fuel economy and tightening emissions regulations, Reuters reported Thursday, citing an unnamed government official. In August, the EPA, led by Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler, released...
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Ford announced on Thursday that it opened an investigation into the fuel economy testing it does to receive official EPA ratings and federal certification to sell its vehicles in the U.S.
The company...
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Satisfying, but not so reliable: Tesla Model 3 joins ranks of enthusiast carsThis article has been updated to include a response from Tesla. Consumer Reports pulled its recommendation for the Tesla Model 3 again, after new survey data from its subscribers showed the car has below-average reliability, the organization announced today. CR surveys its subscribers annually...
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Volvo batteries, California superhighways, more efficient motors: Today's Car NewsFalling reliability costs the Tesla Model 3 its Consumer Reports recommendation. Could high-speed rail be replaced with high-speed highways? Volvo is pulling depleted batteries out of electric buses to use as energy storage for solar in a large apartment complex in Sweden. Argonne National Lab has...
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Volvo reuses bus batteries for solar storageAs solar installations ramp up and electric vehicles have been on the market for a few years, automakers are starting to look for ways to get more life out of old electric-car batteries, repurposing them for stationary storage. And if you're going to use vehicle old batteries for storage, you might...
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Argonne develops lighter, cheaper, more efficient motor for EVs, chargingSaving weight and increasing efficiency and power are among the most common goals for electric-car engineers. The biggest breakthroughs in those specs generally come in batteries. But it's not the only place. Now scientists at Argonne National Labs have developed a lighter, cheaper, and more...
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VW emissions, Honda Tomo, Ford Fusion Energi recall: Today's Car NewsHonda teamed with student designers for its latest EV concept. VW is cleaning up its emissions act, not just in cars, but in its factories. Ford is recalling 2019 Fusion Energis for an electric-shock hazard. And readers weigh in on the Green New Deal in our latest Twitter poll. All this and more on...
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What effect do you expect the Green New Deal to have for electric cars? Twitter poll results Eric C. EvartsIf the goal of the Green New Deal proposed by Democrats in Congress is to get people talking about a transition to renewable energy, then it looks to be gaining traction.
The Senate generated...
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Ford recalls 2019 Fusion Energi over high-voltage shock riskFord has recalled 2,100 2019 Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid sedans over the risk of a high-voltage electrical shock. The company discovered a gap in the access panel to the car's high-voltage electrical drive system that could allow owners, or more likely mechanics, to accidentally touch the...
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2020 Ford Explorer Hybrid, Bill Gates, GM e-bikes: Today's Car NewsMicrosoft founder Bill Gates weighs in on electric cars. General Motors launches a pair of compact electric-bikes. Ford prices its 2020 Explorer Hybrid—high. And our latest Twitter poll asks about wireless charging. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Ford released pricing for the 2020...
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GM launches Arīv electric bikes, but not for U.S.Back in November, General Motors held a naming contest for a new electric vehicle—not a car, but a foldable electric bicycle. Now the company has announced the name, and says the bike will go on sale in Europe later this spring. Known as the Arīv Meld and the Arīv Merge, the...
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Do you look forward to wireless charging at home? Take our Twitter pollLast week, news came that could make finally help bring wireless charging to more electric-car drivers. Qualcomm, one of the biggest players sold its Halo wireless charging business to one of its biggest rivals, WiTricity. Not unlike DC fast charging, one of the biggest problems bringing the new...
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Porsche Taycan testing, Ford electric SUV: Today's Car NewsNew spy shots reveal quite a bit about the new Porsche Taycan. And on an abbreviated holiday schedule today, we run down what we know about Ford's upcoming 300-mile SUV. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Spy photographers caught a Porsche Taycan undergoing winter testing with a bare minimum...
Eric C. Evarts