Green
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Georgia's income-tax credit for the purchase of a zero-emission vehicle will become history in about six weeks. That poses a problem for the state's electric-car shoppers: Buy before June 30 to take advantage of the expiring credit, or wait for improved battery-electric cars expected to arrive within two years. First, the facts: The highway-funding bill passed six weeks ago by the Georgia Legislature eliminated the $5,000 credit for purchase of a non-emitting car as of June 30. DON'T MISS: Insult To Injury? GA Kills Electric-Car Incentive, Adds Last-Minute Luxury-Car Tax Break It also imposed...
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Why Higher Gas Taxes Would Have Been Best Way To Save Fuel
It's now a widely-accepted tenet of today's U.S. political landscape: You just can't come out and advocate for higher taxes. For any purpose, under any circumstances, no matter what the end purposes. Any politician who does so will be punished by voters. DON'T MISS: Low Gas Price An Opportunity For...
John Voelcker -
Tesla To Launch Automated Passing Function, Timing Still Uncertain
Tesla will launch an automated passing function activated by turn signals.
Stephen Edelstein -
2015 Ford Focus EcoBoost Driven, VW Golf GTE Sport Plug-In Hybrid, Mazda & Toyota Pact: Today's Car News
Ford, Mazda, Toyota, and Volkswagen make headlines today.
Stephen Edelstein -
What If China's Plug-In Hybrids Were Never Actually Plugged In? (Or California's?)
China has had difficulty getting its New Energy Vehicle program off the ground for a number of reasons. While it was initially focused on battery-electric vehicles, buyers have proven more receptive to plug-in hybrids--and virtually every carmaker selling in China will offer one or more in the next...
John Voelcker -
2015 Ford Focus EcoBoost: Brief Drive Of 1.0-Liter Three-Cylinder Sedan
The 2015 Ford Focus EcoBoost may be the most European car Ford sells in the U.S. It's fun, but not fast. It handles well, and has a small engine that requires energetic use of the manual gearbox to keep up with traffic. That all means that very few U.S. buyers will ever consider it, since fewer...
John Voelcker -
Patent applications reveal designs for possible Porsche electric and fuel-cell models.
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Mazda To Lean On Toyota For Hybrid, Fuel-Cell Expertise
Mazda and Toyota will collaborate on future products.
Stephen Edelstein -
Fortune Puts Volt In 'Dustbin Of History' Despite New Model Coming (UPDATE)
Two carmakers sell plug-in electric cars; one is a pricey, sexy all-electric sport sedan, the other a range-extended electric compact hatchback. One (the Tesla Model S) is a huge success, with its maker "going from strength to strength." The other (the Chevy Volt) is "headed to the dustbin of...
John Voelcker -
Tesla MI Ban 'Protectionism,' Biofuel Carbon Footprint, CO Credit for Used Electric Cars: Today's Car News
Colorado and Michigan make headlines today.
Stephen Edelstein -
Colorado's Electric-Car Credit: Applies To Used Cars Too
The checkerboard pattern of constantly changing electric-car incentives and fees among the 50 American states often baffles outsiders. And as states go, Colorado has a mixed record. But its electric-car incentive turns out to have a quirk not shared by any other state, as far as we can determine...
John Voelcker -
Biofuels: Don't Assume They're All Carbon-Neutral, New Study Warns
New research suggests claims of biofuels' carbon neutrality are oversimplified.
Stephen Edelstein -
Tesla Motors has had varied success in its efforts to fight state laws making its direct online-sales model illegal. The electric-car maker lost a round in Michigan last fall, but now a government agency has weighed in on Michigan's revision to its franchise law. Let's just say that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission doesn't think much of Michigan's revised law targeting Tesla. DON'T MISS: Tesla Owners Take Protest To Michigan; Dealer-Backed State Ban Targeted As reported yesterday in The Detroit News, the FTC is urging Michigan to drop its ban on Tesla's direct sales. The agency called the...
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Why BMW Boosting Its V-8 Twin-Turbo's Fuel Efficiency Kills Batteries
Turbocharger cooling demands overtax batteries in V-8 BMWs.
Stephen Edelstein -
Gasoline Car Test Drive: Noisy, Wasteful, Polluting, Fast But Pricey Refueling
A Tesla owner composes a hypothetical gasoline neophyte's first experience with internal combustion.
Stephen Edelstein -
2015 Chevrolet Trax: Gas Mileage Review Of Small SUV
Sport-utility vehicles are all about hauling stuff, so collecting a set of 40-year-old wheels seemed like the perfect road test for the new 2015 Chevrolet Trax. The subcompact SUV offered cargo space for the wheels--which, frankly, would have fit into a sedan--along with decent gas mileage on our...
John Voelcker -
Tesla Owners Take Protest To Michigan; Dealer-Backed State Ban Targeted
Tesla owners will protest Michigan franchise laws with a rally this weekend.
Stephen Edelstein -
Tesla Powerwall Findings, Green Car Deals, Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell Driver Impressions: Today's Car News
Hyundai and Tesla make headlines today.
Stephen Edelstein -
There have already been more Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell vehicles leased in the U.S. than any other hydrogen-powered vehicle. Through April, Hyundai has leased 68 of the small SUVs since last June, when the first one was delivered. That slightly exceeds the number of Honda FCX Clarity fuel-cell sedans leased from 2008 through April. DON'T MISS: First 2015 Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell Delivered In California (Jun 2014) We spoke to early lessees in the U.S. and Canada to find out how they felt about driving on hydrogen and what kinds of experiences they'd had. In the U.S., Paul Berkman has now had his...
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Electric Cars: What's Needed To Eliminate Gasoline, Diesel In 25 Years
A new report calls for increased unity in efforts to promote electric cars.
Stephen Edelstein -
Best Deals On Hybrid, Electric, Diesel Cars For May 2015
These are the best deals on hybrids, electric cars, and diesels for May 2015.
Stephen Edelstein -
Tesla Energy: What We Learned About Powerwall Demand On Q1 Results Call
The quarterly earnings calls held by Tesla Motors are always a chance to hear CEO Elon Musk describe the Silicon Valley carmaker's operations and outlooks. But last week's call was a first: The bulk of the questions by financial analysts weren't about the company's electric cars. Rather than...
John Voelcker -
New Battery And Energy Research And Technology: What We're Reading
Catch up on the latest battery and fuel-cell research news.
Stephen Edelstein -
Which Electric Car Dominates Sales In New York State?
More Tesla Model S sedans are registered in New York state than any other electric car.
Stephen Edelstein