Green Car News
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California leads the way when it comes to electric-car adoption in the U.S. That's due in large part to a zero-emission vehicle mandate that requires the largest-volume automakers to sell cars without tailpipes, combined with a generous state purchase incentive that encourages residents to buy them. But local governments have also played an important role in ensuring that the deployment of large numbers of electric cars goes smoothly. DON'T MISS: Speedy growth of electric cars will challenge automakers When it comes to electric cars—and other anticipated shifts in the transportation...
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VW exec pleads not guilty on diesel cheating charges
A Volkswagen executive appeared in a federal courtroom in Detroit on Thursday to be arraigned on charges related to the automaker's diesel-emissions cheating. Oliver Schmidt previously headed the VW Group's U.S. regulatory compliance group. He was arrested by the FBI in Florida last month, while...
Stephen Edelstein -
Musk responds to Tesla line workers on wages, injuries, confidentiality
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has responded vigorously to an employee's claims of low wages and commonplace on-the-job injuries. In an email to employees and statements to media outlets, Musk denied the claims and accused the employee who made them of being a paid union agitator. Earlier this month, Jose...
Stephen Edelstein -
Sierra Club to sue EPA over failure to report on ethanol
The confirmation of Scott Pruitt as Environmental Protection Agency administrator was expected to rankle environmental groups. Pruitt is a climate-science denier who, in his previous position as Oklahoma attorney general, sued the agency he is now charged with many multiple times over its efforts...
Stephen Edelstein -
Honda Clarity EV electric car to have only 80 miles of range: report
One of the more eagerly awaited all-electric cars coming to market this year has been the 2018 Honda Clarity EV. It's a battery-electric version of the 2017 Clarity Fuel Cell already on sale in some regions of California, powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. But unlike most of the pure electric cars on...
John Voelcker -
'Thousands' of self-driving Bolt EVs to be deployed next year: report
The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV is a crucial car for General Motors in more ways than one. With an EPA-rated 238-mile range and $37,495 base price (before federal, state, and local incentives), the Bolt EV considered a groundbreaking electric-car game changer. But the Chevy hatchback is also GM's main...
Stephen Edelstein -
What did we think of the new 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid, with its 58-mpg combined gas-mileage rating? When will the Tesla Model 3 be rolling off the production lines in high volumes? This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending on Friday, February 24, 2017. Friday, we previewed the 2018 BMW i3 electric car, which will get some (very) minor styling tweaks, as shown in spy photos. But we also covered the rumors about a further battery-capacity upgrade (which may come for 2019 instead) that will result from higher-capacity cells. On...
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2018 BMW i3 preview, electric-car tax credit phaseout, hydrogen airplanes: Today's Car News
Today, we have spy shots of the 2018 BMW i3 electric car, estimations of which automakers will lose their electric-car tax credits first, and an argument for liquid hydrogen as a replacement for jet fuel in airplanes. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Tax credits for electric cars start to...
Stephen Edelstein -
2018 BMW i3 preview (including battery rumors)
This year's updated BMW i3 electric car is only just arriving at U.S. dealerships after a battery-capacity boost that gives it longer range. But already some details of the 2018 BMW i3 have leaked out, in the form of spy photos and further rumors about more battery capacity yet. Unlike our usual...
John Voelcker -
Will Tesla Model 3 be most 'made in America' car, beating Toyota Camry?
For some buyers, where a car is made can be as important as the qualities of the car itself. "Made in America" can be a powerful selling point, especially after a presidential election in which domestic manufacturing jobs were a hot-button issue. But in the age of globalization, U.S. automakers no...
Stephen Edelstein -
Why liquid hydrogen may make sense for airplanes, replacing jet fuel
If you want to find a major source of transportation-related emissions, just look up. Aviation currently accounts for around 2 percent of global carbon emissions, and many analysts believe its share could triple by the middle of the century if projected growth in air travel occurs. But finding...
Stephen Edelstein -
Which type of car will go all-electric the fastest? Poll results
One reason cited for the slow, if growing, penetration of plug-in electric cars in the U.S. is that they're not available in all segments and body styles. With the exception of the pricey Tesla Model X and the discontinued Toyota RAV4 EV, for example, there are no battery-electric SUVs or...
John Voelcker -
Crossovers are so popular right now that several automakers are even trying to pass off conventional hatchbacks as high-riding utility vehicles. The latest example of this trend is the Honda WR-V, a new pseudo-crossover for the Indian market. Despite the extra plastic body cladding and slightly-different front and rear fascias, the WR-V looks very similar to the Honda Jazz subcompact hatchback it's based on. DON'T MISS: 2017 Chevy Spark Activ: fake crossover jacks up minicar into SUV wannabe (Nov 2016) The Jazz is sold in the U.S. as the Honda Fit and lends its platform to the HR-V crossover...
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Tesla Model 3 timing, 2017 VW e-Golf range, emissions-rule lobbying: Today's Car News
Today, Tesla confirms plans to deliver the first Model 3 electric cars in July, the 2017 Volkswagen e-Golf gets a 125-mile range, and automakers continue to lobby for changes to EPA emissions rules. All this and more on Green Car Reports. The 2018 Hyundai Accent subcompact will be sold in the U.S...
Stephen Edelstein -
Tesla to sell 200 electric cars to Dubai taxi service
If you wanted to start a green taxi service—and had ample funds to do so—Tesla electric cars would seem to be a good choice. The Model S and Model X offer plenty of interior space and range, and their popularity would like raise the profile of any taxi service using them. So perhaps...
Stephen Edelstein -
2017 VW e-Golf rated at 125 miles, tops 124-mile Hyundai Ioniq electric car
Oh, those crafty Germans. Just a few days after the week-long media launch of the 2017 Hyundai Ioniq range, Volkswagen has quietly one-upped the Ioniq Electric's 124-mile EPA-rated range. Granted, it's only beaten the South Korean electric car by 1 mile. But still. DON'T MISS: Hyundai Ioniq...
John Voelcker -
Auto lobby again asks to redo emission rule, to new EPA chief Pruitt this time
Lobbyists for the world's automakers continue to ask the new presidential administration to revisit an EPA decision to finalize emissions standards through 2025. Just days after the November election, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers wrote President-Elect Trump to ask that he reverse the...
Stephen Edelstein -
Shell hedges bets, adds hydrogen fuel to 1st U.K. station
Anticipating a possible decrease in fossil-fuel consumption from the mass deployment of zero-emission vehicles, one of the world's largest oil companies is hedging its bets. Royal Dutch Shell is becoming increasingly involved in hydrogen fueling infrastructure, which will be needed if fuel-cell...
Stephen Edelstein -
Estimates of electric-car market share over the coming decades vary wildly, but certain trends seem to be working in their favor. Battery prices should continue to fall, and tougher global emissions standards may put increasing pressure on automakers to build larger numbers of electric cars. But can automakers handle a sudden increase in electric-car production brought on by these factors? DON'T MISS: Electric cars lead to carmaker job cuts: new flashpoint? (Dec 2016) Not easily, according to new analysis. Electric cars will arrive in large numbers more speedily than anticipated, and the...
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Tesla Model 3 timing confirmed: first cars in July, 5K a week by next year
Tesla Motors confirmed today that it expected to start production of its crucial Model 3 electric car in July, and claims that it will boost production to 5,000 cars a week by the end of this year. The news was contained in Tesla's latest letter to its shareholders, and it started with the third...
John Voelcker -
2018 Hyundai Accent confirmed for U.S. as well as Canada (update)
In a U.S. where all the new-vehicle buzz seems to be about light trucks—especially crossover utilities and SUVs—is there even a place for a new subcompact sedan? That's the question posed by the launch of the 2018 Hyundai Accent, the latest generation of the Korean maker's smallest...
John Voelcker -
2019 Cadillac XT4 plug-in hybrid, Nissan Leaf pros and cons, 2018 Hyundai Accent: Today's Car News
Today, spy shots indicate a possible plug-in hybrid version of the upcoming 2019 Cadillac XT4 crossover, an owner discusses pros and cons of Nissan Leaf ownership, and why the 2018 Hyundai Accent subcompact may not come to the U.S. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Find out how the Tesla...
Stephen Edelstein -
2015 Nissan Leaf: one year later, owner offers pros and cons
Sometimes being a revolutionary requires a lot of personal sacrifice, and sometimes it doesn’t. After one year of driving of a 2015 Nissan Leaf electric car, I was surprised to find that daily driving with a gasoline car requires more sacrifice than with my electric. Like most people, before...
John Briggs -
What is a self-driving car?
Self-driving cars are a popular topic in both the auto industry and general media coverage these days, with several makers testing vehicles and promising fully autonomous cars at some future point. But when it comes to self-driving cars, different automakers may not be talking about the same thing...
Stephen Edelstein