Green
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BMW and Fisker make headlines today.
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Ford Mustang Electric Drag Car Does 0 To 60 MPH Under 2 Seconds, Targets 200 MPH
A 1968 Ford Mustang is transformed into a super-fast electric drag racer.
Stephen Edelstein -
Small Cars Now Deliver Fuel Efficiency of Big Motorcycles: How'd That Happen?
How are fuel-efficient are some of today's smaller cars? It turns out that they now actually equal the fuel economy of larger motorcycles--which is pretty amazing for a four-seat vehicle weighing more than a ton. Especially since the motorcycles returning comparable gas-mileage figures weigh about...
John Voelcker -
Why Next Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid Is So Important: CA Laws
The 2015 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid has the lowest electric range of any plug-in vehicle sold in the United States: just 11 miles. It's also among the top-selling cars that plug in, with more than 40,500 delivered since it went on sale in February 2012. Now out of production, the plug-in Prius...
John Voelcker -
2016 Honda Pilot Seven-Seat SUV Rated At 22 Or 23 MPG Combined
The 2016 Honda Pilot gets a slight bump in fuel efficiency as part of a ground-up redesign. The new Pilot was unveiled back in February at the 2015 Chicago Auto Show, and we now know that it will achieve an EPA-rated 23 mpg combined (20 mpg city, 27 mpg highway) with front-wheel drive and the...
Stephen Edelstein -
BMW To Make Whole Lineup Electric, With Range Extenders, AWD: Report
German carmaker BMW may be on the cusp of the most radical transformation in its history--one that will stun the auto industry if it comes to pass. If a report from early this year is accurate, the company plans to convert the bulk of its product lineup to electric power over the next 10 years...
John Voelcker -
Germany's in the news today, as are its carmakers BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Three different stories cover the country's plug-in electric cars. Then there's a new spy-shot photo of the next Toyota Prius hybrid, and a look at the impact of biofuels on oil consumption. All this and more today on Green Car Reports. We have a new and clearer photo of the rear of the upcoming 2016 Toyota Prius hybrid, although it's still in camouflage. It looks like the German government may have to move away from its reluctance to offer incentives for adopting plug-in electric cars, in order to meet lower carbon...
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2015 Mercedes-Benz S550 Plug-In Hybrid Priced At Entry Level
With more than a handful of plug-in hybrid models scheduled to hit dealers over the next three years, buyers are curious to find out how those cars will be priced. One maker, Volvo, is positioning the plug-in hybrid version of its 2016 XC90 seven-seat SUV at the top of the range. But it appears...
John Voelcker -
Adding Ethanol To Gasoline May Boost Global Oil Use: Study
Ethanol use doesn't automatically limit gasoline consumption.
Stephen Edelstein -
Ultra-Efficient BMW Four-Seat Plug-In Hybrid For Research Only, Not Sales: Report
The limited-production Volkswagen XL1 ultra-economy two-seater gets astounding fuel efficiency from its two-cylinder diesel plug-in hybrid powertrain. It's well over 100 miles per gallon if you use the European test cycle (which differs from U.S. tests). But at a six-figure price and a production...
John Voelcker -
2016 Toyota Prius Hybrid: Clearer Spy Shot Of High-Tailed Rear
Detroit-area residents occasionally see camouflaged development prototypes from GM, Ford, and Chrysler testing on public roads. Similarly, Southern California residents often see Toyota, Honda, and Hyundai prototypes pass them clad in disguise. And so it was for a Cars Direct employee driving to...
John Voelcker -
Germany Mulls Boosting Electric-Car Incentives Under Carbon-Goal Pressure
Germany may increase incentives for electric cars as it works to grow their numbers.
Stephen Edelstein -
It's one of the most common questions about electric cars: What happens to the battery packs after the car is junked? Do they just get thrown away? Will any of them be recycled? What happens to their components? The answer is electric-car batteries will largely be recycled--but that they will have a second life after they're taken out of the car they were supplied in. DON'T MISS: Chevy Volt: Battery Pack Housing Today, Owl's Nest Tomorrow? (Mar 2011) Even after the pack can only store 70 percent of its original energy capacity--the point at which it's considered no longer usable in a car--it...
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Tesla Model 3 SUV, Honda Civic Hybrid Axed, DC Charging Prices: Today's Car News
The Tesla Model 3 and Honda Civic make headlines today.
Stephen Edelstein -
Tesla Model 3 Lineup To Include SUV, Sedan; 1 Million Electric Cars By 2020
Tesla will sell a Model 3 sedan and crossover, its CTO says.
Stephen Edelstein -
Honda Civic Hybrid, Natural-Gas Models Eliminated After 2015
Honda surprised the industry when it pulled the wraps off a brand-new tenth generation of its Civic compact at April's New York Auto Show. But two members of today's Civic lineup won't survive into the new generation: the Honda Civic Hybrid, and the Honda Civic Natural Gas. Honda executive...
John Voelcker -
California's '50/50/50 Challenge' To Cut Energy Use Radically By 2030
California works to implement ambitious goals set by Governor Jerry Brown.
Stephen Edelstein -
Liquid-Cooled Cable Could Speed Up Tesla Supercharging Even More (Video Added!)
A Tesla Supercharger station with a liquid-cooled cable is being tested in California.
Stephen Edelstein -
Hyundai and Toyota make headlines today.
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UPDATED: Should I Buy A Used Nissan Leaf (Or Another Electric Car)?
About 15 million people buy a new vehicle in the U.S. each year, on average--but almost 40 million buy used cars in that same year. Modern electric cars have been sold in the U.S. since December 2010. Not surprisingly, they're started to show up on used-car lots. Should you buy one? The answer, of...
John Voelcker -
Plug-In Hybrids OK For Smaller Makers To Meet CA Zero-Emission Vehicle Rules
California's Zero-Emission Vehicle sales rules have been a major reason the state's drivers can now choose among two dozen different plug-in electric vehicles on sale today. Those rules will expand to cover more carmakers in 2018. And the behind-the-scenes jockeying by smaller makers to lessen the...
John Voelcker -
Toyota Prius C: Hybrid Subcompact Ultimate Guide (UPDATED)
There was a time when hybrid vehicles were expensive to buy, and the choice of vehicle type was limited. The 2015 Toyota Prius C is evidence that the options have expanded. With a starting price of $20,635 (including a mandatory $825 delivery charge), Toyota's hybrid subcompact is relatively...
Stephen Edelstein -
Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell Global Sales Below Target, Company Admits
Hyundai will fall short of its 1,000-unit target for the end of 2015.
Stephen Edelstein -
2016 Toyota Prius 'Coming Soon': 55-MPG Hybrid To Be Sportier
While Toyota remains coy about the launch date of its fourth-generation Prius hybrid, a company executive has confirmed that the car is coming "soon." Jim Lentz, CEO of Toyota North America, didn't release any specifications on the car when he mentioned it during the groundbreaking for an expansion...
John Voelcker