Fuel Cell
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Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles are rolling out to California buyers in small numbers with two models on the market, and hydrogen stations slowly expanding outside a narrow slice of Los Angeles. The Honda Clarity Fuel Cell vehicle first went on sale in California at the end of 2016, and 2018 models just arrived. The Toyota Mirai has also been available in California since 2016, giving California buyers a choice of zero-emissions fuel-cell cars. Hyundai, too, offered a fuel-cell version of its previous Tucson SUV until recently, albeit only for lease. DON'T MISS: 2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell...
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Which Honda Clarity would you buy: electric, plug-in hybrid, or fuel cell? Take our Twitter poll
The Clarity sedan will encompass three models: a battery electric with 114-mile range, a 42-mile plug-in hybrid, and a fuel-cell vehicle
Eric C. Evarts -
Nikola suggests it's no Tesla, refunds deposits on fuel-cell, electric semi trucks
Tesla's most direct competitor announced it would refund all deposits it has taken.
Eric C. Evarts -
California now has 33 hydrogen fueling stations for 4,200 fuel-cell cars so far
Hydrogen fuel first went on sale in California in January 2015, more than three years ago, though it had been dispensed free at a dozen or so prototype locations before that. Five years ago, the state set a goal of 100 hydrogen fueling stations throughout the state by 2020, a deadline that now...
John Voelcker -
Hyundai Nexo fuel-cell SUV verdicts: classy, zippier, still a "niche vehicle"
The Hyundai Nexo hydrogen fuel-cell SUV that debuted last month at the Consumer Electronics Show won't be seen on California roads for many months yet. It is expected to go on sale in the U.S. in the fourth quarter of this year, but now we have a few reports from outlets that have driven the one...
John Voelcker -
Germany's hydrogen stations exceed US; California beats Japan on density
As of today, there are 39 hydrogen fueling stations in the U.S., all but four of them in the state of California. They serve roughly 39 million Californians, whereas 284 million Americans outside the state have no access to hydrogen fuel-cell cars nor stations at which to refill them. Germany, on...
John Voelcker -
Today, there are roughly 750,000 plug-in electric vehicles on U.S. roads and about 3,800 powered by hydrogen fuel cells. Proponents of each type of vehicle argue strenuously that their powertrain is a better way to produce vehicles with zero emissions from the tailpipe. Electric cars can be charged at home overnight, and electricity in many areas is far cheaper than gasoline on a per-mile basis, say the plug-in vehicle supporters. DON'T MISS: Why a Fiat 500e driver got a Honda Clarity Fuel Cell as his next green car: low cost Ah, but hydrogen vehicles have far longer ranges, need to be fueled...
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Budget deal restores tax credits for EV charging stations, electric motorcycles, fuel-cell cars
Fears that Congress would kill the federal tax credit for purchase of a plug-in electric car were laid to rest in December when that incentive survived the $1.5 trillion tax-cut bill. Now Congress has added back a handful of other tax credits related to electric cars and greener transportation in...
John Voelcker -
Why a Fiat 500e driver got a Honda Clarity Fuel Cell as his next green car: low cost
When marketing executive Chris Baccus leased a 2015 Fiat 500e three years ago, he intended to keep his 2007 BMW 335i as a "fun car," and use the electric Fiat just for commuting. Within six months, he'd sold the BMW altogether. Part of his interest in the Fiat, he admitted, came from an article...
John Voelcker -
Hyundai Nexo hydrogen fuel-cell prototype drives itself 118 miles without human input
As it does in every other aspect of the auto industry, Korean carmaker Hyundai-Kia has set itself an aggressive goal and a fast pace for rollout of self-driving vehicles. The Korean carmaker has said it would offer a vehicle capable of Level 4 autonomy—meaning a car that can operate without...
John Voelcker -
GM suggests Congress fund EV charging, Toyota asks for hydrogen fueling support
It's now abundantly clear that Tesla has created the roadmap on how to build a widespread DC fast-charging network that lets electric-car drivers travel long distances, even across the country. The Tesla Supercharger network can only be used by Tesla cars, however—and it remains entirely...
John Voelcker -
Electric cars will fail, but we'll build them anyway, say global auto execs: KPMG
Juxtaposed against a growing electric-vehicle market in China and increasingly stringent global carbon-emission limits, a survey by KPMG has revealed a majority of global auto executives believe electric vehicles are a fool's errand. Those executives believe electric cars will eventually be...
Mark Stevenson -
The world of cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells is still small and low-volume, but Korean maker Hyundai unveiled its production entry into that group on Monday. The sprawling Consumer Electronics Show is increasingly a showcase for advanced-technology and zero-emission vehicles, and the Korean maker used it to show its production-ready hydrogen SUV ahead of next week's Detroit auto show. The 2019 Hyundai Nexo is the first dedicated hydrogen vehicle that's an SUV; the various Honda and Toyota models that preceded it have all been four-door sedans. DON'T MISS: Hyundai FE Fuel Cell Concept...
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California to fall short of 100 hydrogen fueling stations by 2020
As electric charging stations continue to sprout across the country, hydrogen fueling stations haven't experienced the same rapid growth. That's an issue in California, where Assembly Bill 8 stipulates a goal of 100 functioning public hydrogen stations by 2020. The latest forecast predicts the...
Mark Stevenson -
What topic should we have covered less in 2017? Twitter poll results
Over the nine years this site has published daily news about green cars, the focus of our coverage has shifted significantly. In February 2009, when we started daily coverage, our most popular topics were hybrid cars and the Toyota Prius. With Prius sales in 2017 less than half what they were just...
John Voelcker -
If electric semi tractors are real, their running-cost advantage could be huge
Emotions play a big role in purchases of passenger vehicles, but fleet decisions are generally driven by numbers, spreadsheets, and the almighty dollar. And it's in the equation of overall cost where early adopters of electric and other alternative-fuel semis could make a financial killing. Haulers...
Mark Stevenson -
What topic should we have covered less in 2017? Take our Twitter poll
No single definition exists for the idea of "green car," and very few shoppers set out to go buy a green car. Instead, car buyers look for vehicles that meet their needs—with fuel economy or energy efficiency somewhere in that list of needs, whether higher or lower. Certainly the definition...
John Voelcker -
Toyota plans 1 million zero-emission vehicles a year by 2030: our analysis
Sales of plug-in electric cars are rising steadily in North America, Europe, and Asia, with roughly 2 million now on the world's roads. China is debating when it will ban sales of new vehicles with combustion engines. Meanwhile, Toyota—one of the four largest global automakers—is only...
John Voelcker -
The industry trade journal WardsAuto has been giving out "Best Engine" awards for 24 years now, and this year's list includes some interesting choices. For starters, there are no engines from German manufacturers on the list: The sole luxury recipients this year are Infiniti and Jaguar. But more importantly, and for the first time ever, four of the winners are electrified—and two aren't engines at all. DON'T MISS: Three Hybrids On Ward's '10 Best Engines' List For 2016 For 2018, Wards declared two hybrid powertrains worthy of its accolades. The reworked 2.5-liter Atkinson Cycle inline-4...
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Which alternative fuels will survive long-term? Twitter poll results
Building a fueling network turns out to be more of a challenge than many advocates, regulators, and drivers may have anticipated. The attempt to boost passenger vehicles fueled by cheap, abundant U.S. natural gas is now essentially over, with a mere 942 public natural-gas fueling stations...
John Voelcker -
Fiat Chrysler seeks Hyundai partnership for hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles
Fiat Chrysler is looking to partner with Hyundai to develop hydrogen fuel-cell technology, its CEO Sergio Marchionne revealed on Saturday. The revelation came after a presentation on Alfa Romeo's planned return to Formula 1 racing, held at the Alfa Romeo Museum in Arese, Italy. “There is the...
Mark Stevenson -
Which alternative fuels will survive long-term? Take our Twitter poll
You just don't hear the phrase "alternative fuels" as much as you did, say, 10 years ago. With a couple of million plug-in electric cars now on the world's roads, the idea of swapping in one hydrocarbon fuel for another may have passed its time. Admittedly biodiesel continues to make quiet inroads...
John Voelcker -
Toyota to build megawatt electric and hydrogen plant fueled by California bio-waste
Toyota today is the world's most ardent proponent of using hydrogen fuel cells for zero-emission vehicles rather than large battery packs. The huge Japanese carmaker, one of the world's four largest, now sells its Toyota Mirai fuel-cell sedan around the world, and has more hydrogen-powered vehicles...
John Voelcker -
Eight crossovers, four powertrains, two years; Hyundai outlines new SUV plan
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 including battery-electric, diesel, hydrogen fuel-cell, and gasoline. The first crossover to arrive on...
Aaron Cole