Eric C. Evarts, Contributor
Articles
-
Following a U.N. report on Monday that concluded world leaders have only two decades to end emissions of greenhouse gases or suffer catastrophic climate change, the European Union took just 13 hours...
-
Bollinger Motors announces B2 electric pickup alongside SUVBollinger Motors has already generated a lot of interest in its B1 electric SUV. And on Wednesday it released images and some details of its long awaited second model, a pickup. The American startup electric truckmaker is one of several to announce an electric pickup. Tesla has said it is...
Eric C. Evarts -
Mercedes breaks ground on US battery factory (Updated)Mercedes-Benz broke ground Friday on a new battery factory in the U.S.—right next door to its SUV factory in Alabama. The move is an indication that the company plans to build its upcoming all-electric EQC electric SUV in Alabama. The EQC is expected to go on sale in the U.S. as a 2021 model...
Eric C. Evarts -
Tesla again claims higher safety rating than NTHSA givesTesla took a page out of its Model S playbook over the weekend and announced that its Model 3 is the safest car that NHTSA has tested. Only Tesla isn't NHTSA. In a blog post Sunday night, Tesla said it based its findings on NHTSA data, just as it did with the Model S in 2013. "The agency’s...
Eric C. Evarts -
How fast is fast enough for fast charging? Twitter poll resultsIn an effort to make electric-car charging as ubiquitous and easy as filling up with gas, fast chargers are coming to malls, gas stations, rest areas and more, and these upcoming chargers are getting a lot faster. Where original fast chargers could replenish less than 65 miles in a half-hour...
Eric C. Evarts -
Nothing comes close to Tesla: 2018 Q3 plug-in salesEven with solid increases, other electric-car sales paled in comparison with numbers from Tesla in September and for the third quarter of 2018. The next highest sellers, were the Chevrolet Bolt EV, with 3,949 sales from July to September, and the Nissan Leaf just behind with 3,767 for the quarter...
Eric C. Evarts -
Jeep said Monday that it laid the groundwork to begin production of a plug-in hybrid version of its small Renegade at the factory in southern Italy where it's produced alongside the Fiat 500X.
The...
-
Catastrophic climate effects could hit by 2040, UN report saysTwo decades. That's all the time world leaders have to reverse emissions of greenhouse gases to avoid inundating coastal cities, killing off coral reefs and their attendant marine wildlife, and potential food shortages, according to a new UN report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change...
Eric C. Evarts -
Where would you most like to see more public chargers installed? Take our Twitter pollPublic charging networks are booming. Even if it often seems to electric car drivers like there aren't enough public chargers to go around. massive new charging network companies are coming online, existing networks are expanding, and all are planning on installing a new wave of ultra-fast...
Eric C. Evarts -
Tesla rolls out new Version 9 software–without full-self-driving featuresTesla chief executive Elon Musk on Friday announced that the company released its long-awaited Version 9 software update, but without the full-self-driving features that he promised back in June. Instead, the new software now rolling out to all Model 3's, Model S's, and Model X's makes improvements...
Eric C. Evarts -
Electric cars may end the automatic era this Olds beganWith only the possible exception of the electric starter, nothing has done more to expand the adoption of personal cars than the automatic transmission, as reflected by one of the first cars so-equipped, being sold this week in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The 1938 Oldsmobile L-38 convertible coupe used...
Eric C. Evarts -
Report: Volvo's parent company in talks with Toyota over hybrid systemsToyota revealed on Thursday that it is in talks with Chinese automaker Geely, which owns Volvo, about cooperation on hybrid vehicle technology, Reuters reported. As the company that has sold by far the most hybrids worldwide, the discussions could involve selling Toyota hybrid technology in Geely...
Eric C. Evarts -
In the latest ranking of automaker self-driving systems, Tesla's popular Autopilot system ranked second to Cadillac's Super Cruise system.
The ratings come from Consumer Reports, which tested the...
-
Electric cars are clean, but can they be profitable? New report casts doubtA flood of new electric-car models is washing into the market in the next year as automakers scramble to meet regulatory demands for electric cars around the world—not to mention scrambling to compete with Tesla. The challenge, as with Tesla, is whether they can sell those cars at a profit. A...
Eric C. Evarts -
New electric-car ads to hit the other half of California driversOne problem with electric cars is that they may be invisible. Despite proliferating charging stations, multiplying car models, and extended range for many new electric cars, fewer than half of California drivers are even aware they exist, says Mary Nichols, head of the California Air Resources...
Eric C. Evarts -
Electrify America lays out plans for second round of chargers in CaliforniaMidway through building its first installments of electric-car chargers, Electrify America sketched out plans for its second $200-million round of investments in California on Wednesday. These installations will add more California cities, target charging networks for ride hailing services and...
Eric C. Evarts -
UCS report shows electric cars get even cleaner in 2018Electric cars keep getting cleaner, despite efforts by the EPA and NHTSA to roll back pollution standards on cars and powerplants. That's the conclusion of the latest report from the Union of Concerned Scientists which annually measures the environmental impact of driving an electric car. The study...
Eric C. Evarts -
2020 Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 makes public debut at Paris auto showAfter hosting a private introduction for the car last month in Stockholm, Mercedes-Benz formally introduced its EQC electric crossover to the public at the Paris auto show on Tuesday. The EQC, which is about the same size as the gasoline-powered Mercedes-Benz GLC crossover, albeit with separate...
Eric C. Evarts -
A few weeks ago, Green Car Reports asked our Twitter followers which new electric car for 2019 they were most excited about.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, they chose the base, $35,000 Tesla Model 3 over...
-
California overrules EPA emissions freeze for cars sold in the stateAt its meeting on Friday, the California Air Resources Board officially confirmed that it will stick with planned increases in emissions and fuel economy standards for cars sold in the state. The move was expected after CARB said in August that it would not follow the Trump Administration's move to...
Eric C. Evarts -
Tesla Model 3 is fifth bestselling car in U.S., production still short of profitability goalTesla announced Tuesday that it delivered 55,843 Model 3s between July and September, confirming reports that the company's mass-market electric is the fifth bestselling car model in the United States. That slightly exceeded the number of Model 3s Tesla said it produced in the third quarter...
Eric C. Evarts -
Mazda announces electric lineup, rotary range extenderThe electric-car revolution may give new life to an old gas engine. On Tuesday, timed to coincide with the Paris auto show, Mazda announced it will add plug-in capability and electric power to all of its models by 2030. Some will be plug-in hybrids or range-extended electric cars—with a...
Eric C. Evarts -
2019 Honda Insight recalled for rearview camera failureThe 2019 Honda Insight hybrid hasn't been on sale for long; and yet Honda is already recalling more than 6,000 of them for a rearview camera failure. The problem affects another 226,000 vehicles—2018 Accord models, possibly including some Accord Hybrids. The screen may show up blank, with...
Eric C. Evarts -
How fast is fast enough for charging? Take our Twitter poll
Automakers are launching a race to build electric cars that can charge as fast filling a gas tank. When the first electric cars launched in 2011, buyers and fans were clamoring for CHAdeMO fast charging that operates at about 50 kilowatts and could recharge a short-range electric car (to 80 percent...
Eric C. Evarts