Green
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Today, a Tesla Model 3 EPA rating, a future electric SUV from Nissan, who loves tiny crossovers and who doesn't, and hydrogen fuel for Maui. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Over the weekend, we covered last week's most popular green-car news. One reviewer called the Chevy Bolt EV user interface "the best of any electric car" on the market. We kicked off today with a request from contributor John Briggs for some advice: should he buy a Toyota Prius Prime, Chevy Bolt EV, or Chevrolet Volt? The comments are flooding in. An alert fan snapped the photo that gave us the missing EPA...
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Hawaii to get hydrogen fueling station; Toyota Mirai leases to follow
Tropical islands are some of the best places on earth to pioneer carbon-free energy and zero-emission vehicles. Within the United States, the eight islands of Hawaii are blessed with a temperate climate, abundant sunshine, few high-speed highways, and a statewide speed limit of 60 mph, achievable...
John Voelcker -
Nissan Leaf electric car platform to spawn more models, SUV included: report
The 2018 Nissan Leaf apparently won't be the brand's lone electric car for much longer, if a new report with details on plans to expand the electric car's underpinnings to additional models proves accurate. Following the introduction of the second-generation 2018 Nissan Leaf, the electric car's...
Sean Szymkowski -
Smallest SUVs most popular in US Midwest, less so in west, south
The small SUV segment has ballooned into a hugely important market for many automakers, as consumers continue to shift from traditional sedans to crossovers and other utility vehicles. The smallest of the expanding array of SUVs on the market offers the flexibility of a hatchback or wagon, combined...
Sean Szymkowski -
Tesla Model 3 rated at 126 MPGe, third-best after Ioniq Electric and Prius Prime
Ten days ago, when the first 30 Tesla Model 3 electric cars were delivered to their owners at a much-publicized Handover Party, we didn't get full information on the latest Tesla model. The company didn't discuss battery capacity in kilowatt-hours, for instance, giving range in miles instead, nor...
John Voelcker -
Should we buy a Toyota Prius Prime, Chevy Bolt EV, or Volt?
It's now time to shop for a new car for my wife, as her wonderful 2006 Toyota Prius has 144,000 miles and we're ready for something new. So I thought I might throw the question out to Green Car Reports readers. What car should replace our 2006 Prius hybrid? DON'T MISS: 2017 Toyota Prius Prime: gas...
John Briggs -
The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV is an amazing, long-range electric vehicle that won multiple awards for good reason. Driving the EV for an extended test for the first time, it’s obvious this is the future of driving. (Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently predicted that 50 percent of new cars will be electric in 10 years.) Beyond the surprising acceleration, the spirited feel around corners (possibly because the car feels so light), and the ability to drive 238 miles on one charge, the features that amazed me were all related to the touchscreen interface DON'T MISS: All-electric Buick small SUV to be...
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Tesla Model 3 launch, 2018 Leaf, CAFE debate, Porsche faster charging, 'dead' coal: The Week in Reverse
What did we learn about the Tesla Model 3 electric car this week? Why is the EPA planning to remove an exhibit on climate change? This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending on Friday, August 4, 2017. Friday, we noted that while the...
John Voelcker -
Model Y sanity, 2018 Leaf teaser, VW guilty plea, Tesla service, Toyota-Mazda pact: Today's Car News
Today, again we have two Tesla stories, this time on Model Y "insanity" averted plus extended service plans; a VW executive pleads guilty; Toyota and Mazda hook up; and we get another 2018 Nissan Leaf electric car teaser image. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Toyota and Mazda announced they...
John Voelcker -
Tesla Model Y to be based on Model 3 after all; Musk 'reeled back' from 'insanity'
It's fair to say that Tesla CEO Elon Musk probably raises more eyebrows more often than all other automaker CEOs combined. One case in point came in early May, when he mentioned during a financial-results call that the upcoming Tesla Model Y compact crossover utility would be based on a new...
John Voelcker -
Next 2018 Nissan Leaf teaser sketch; electric car debuts Sept. 5
The global debut of the 2018 Nissan Leaf electric car is just a month away, and now another teaser image has been released. This one's a design sketch showing a drawing of the car's side profile, suitably shaded to obscure some of the details. You can compare it to a shot of the actual vehicle...
John Voelcker -
Life with Tesla Model S: beware Extended Service Agreement fine print
A couple of years ago, as my 2013 Tesla Model S approached the end of its 50,000-mile warranty, I debated long and hard whether to opt for Tesla’s extended warranty, which they call an Extended Service Agreement (ESA). At $4,000, it wasn’t cheap. It provided four years and an additional...
David Noland -
It has been almost two years since Volkswagen changed the prospects for diesel-powered cars when it admitted to eight years' worth of cheating on emissions tests for its so-called clean diesel vehicles. The effects of the German automaker's diesel scandal are still unfolding today, not only in the United States, but in Europe as well. Another piece in Volkswagen's diesel scandal is expected to progress toward a resolution this morning. DON'T MISS: VW exec pleads not guilty on diesel cheating charges Former Volkswagen executive Oliver Schmidt is expected to plead guilty to charges surrounding...
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Toyota, Mazda plan joint plant in U.S., electric-car cooperation: updated
Toyota is one of the largest global automakers, while Mazda is one of the smallest. This morning, the two Japanese makers announced a capital-investment deal under which Toyota would take a small shareholding in Mazda, the smaller maker would invest in Toyota as well, and the two would set up a...
John Voelcker -
Fiat 500e autocrossing, Model 3 update, Canada EV news, charging at gas stations: Today's Car News
Today, we've got two Tesla stories covering its entire model lineup, an electric car that went racing, a news roundup from Canada, and a distracted-pedestrian idea. All this and more on Green Car Reports. A piece we published on the net number of Tesla Model 3 reservations may have contributed to...
John Voelcker -
Tesla Model S, Model X electric cars updated with new features
Before the Tesla Model 3 officially entered production, the electric-car maker shuffled features on its Model S to provide a clear distinction between the two sedans. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has often said those looking for luxury will be happiest in a Model S, while the Model 3 remains a much more...
Sean Szymkowski -
Autocrossing a Fiat 500e electric car for first, maybe last, time
When we published an article on one owner's experience using his Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car to compete in a local autocross, it contained a comment that riled up our reader Doug Kerr. That comment—"Outside of one high-performance electric vehicle, casual electric cars are hardly the...
John Voelcker -
Canada electric-car news: EV Discovery Centre, more charging sites, ZEV mandates debated
As Canada celebrates its 150th birthday, the plug-in electric vehicle sector has charged forward, with developments on the national, provincial and even municipal levels. Here’s our take on six of the most salient stories. Federal ZEV committee On May 26, the Canadian government announced its...
Matthew Klippenstein -
Major oil companies are beginning to take the threat of electric cars seriously, and the latest evidence comes from British Petroleum. BP has begun discussions with electric-vehicle makers to partner on a network of charging stations. The move comes as many European countries announce plans to ban the sale of fossil-fuel powered cars in coming decades. DON'T MISS: Electric-Car Charging Station At Gas Station In Tar-Sands Land BP hopes to earn a piece of the charging market, which is forecasted to grow significantly in the coming years, according to Reuters. The report says multiple...
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Tesla Model 3 net reservations clarified after 16 months: 455,000
Sometimes, if you ask a question often enough for long enough, an answer will eventually be forthcoming. In the case of the net number of $1,000 reservations for the Tesla Model 3 electric car, it took 16 months for the company to cough up the latest data. It came, not surprisingly, from CEO Elon...
John Voelcker -
Plug-in electric car sales for July: Bolt EV, Prime, Volt, Teslas, Leaf lead (updated)
In a U.S. car market that's coming off record numbers over the last couple of years, plug-in electric car sales continued strong last month. The Chevrolet Bolt EV, GM's 238-mile battery electric hatchback, set a new monthly sales record of 1,937 deliveries in its eighth month on sale—the...
John Voelcker -
RIP Mitsubishi i-MiEV: lowest-range, slowest electric car departs U.S. market
The Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric car deserves a place in history. It was arguably the first mass-produced modern electric car put on sale, well before the Nissan Leaf arrived in December 2010. Pre-production i-MiEVs were operating in test fleets in Japan as early as 2007, and it was on sale in that...
John Voelcker -
Electric-car sales, Mazda loves engines, self-driving Dutch cars, oil demand decline? Today's Car News
Today, we put two criticisms of electric cars into context, look at plug-in vehicle sales for the U.S. last month, fill you in on self-driving cars in The Netherlands, and consider when peak demand for oil could arrive. All this and more on Green Car Reports. We published the first cut at our...
John Voelcker -
Mazda exec: engines can get cleaner, EVs will die without subsidies
Small Japanese automaker Mazda is in a tough spot. It's been on its own for most of a decade now, after Ford sold its shares in the company, and now Mazda must fund numerous new models all by itself. With global sales of just 1.5 million vehicles, it's one-seventh the size of Toyota or Volkswagen...
John Voelcker