Green Car News
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Fans of the Smart Fortwo--and they are out there, if not necessarily in the United States--have been patiently waiting for what seems like an eternity for the next-generation car. But, like an enormous candy bar dangled just out of reach of a child, the company has instead churned out concept after concept after special edition--all previewing the new car, but never giving away all the details. The latest, due at next week's Frankfurt Auto Show, is the four-seat, open-sided FourJoy Concept. It's the closest indication yet of the next ForFour model, replacing the car that sold only briefly...
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Not For Us: Toyota Yaris Hybrid-R Concept Fully Revealed For Frankfurt
Toyota has released more official images of its Yaris Hybrid-R Concept, a hotted-up hybrid Yaris due at the Frankfurt Auto Show next week. While it looks more or less like a Yaris, the powertrain is far removed from that you'll find in any existing Yaris--and indeed any existing Toyota hybrid...
Antony Ingram -
California Extends Electric-Car HOV Lane Access To 2019
The California Legislature has voted to allow drivers of plug-in cars to cruise the state's High-Occupancy Vehicle lanes solo for another six years.
Stephen Edelstein -
Tesla Servicing, Charging Station Ratings, The End of Internal Combustion: Today's Car News
Today's news roundup includes Tesla's new and improved service program, PlugShare's new PlugScore rating system, and some ambitious plans by the UK government.
Stephen Edelstein -
U.K. Goal: Consign Gasoline, Diesel Cars 'To History' By 2050
UK government proposals could extend current tax benefits for electric cars to the end of the decade, with further plans for a full market of ultra-low emission vehicles by 2050. Ministers have suggested the current benefits package could be extended to end the current reluctance of UK drivers to...
Antony Ingram -
Lexus LF-NX Compact Crossover Concept Previews Production 2015 Lexus NX Hybrid Model
Toyota has promised an ever greater range of hybrids over the next few years, to add to its already significant range of 23 hybrid models worldwide. One of those will be the 2015 Lexus NX, a compact crossover showing off the latest in the company's L-finesse design language. This concept, the...
Antony Ingram -
While the quality of gasoline can vary slightly from station to station, you're always pretty sure of the experience you'll get. There's a gas station in most towns, you pump some fuel into your tank, and you're generally there for no more than ten minutes. There's a bit more emphasis on a quality, satisfying experience with electric car chargers, and it's nice to know what you might be getting before you arrive and plug in. That's where PlugScore from Recargo comes in. If you're familiar with sites like TripAdvisor and their crowd-sourced rating system, then you'll get the hang of PlugScore...
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Audi Sport Quattro Concept: Yet Another Plug-In Hybrid For Frankfurt
The rumors were correct--Audi's Sport Quattro Concept, due at the Frankfurt Auto Show next week, isn't just a gas-guzzling V-8 but a plug-in hybrid concept. Okay, it's actually both--at the heart of Audi's latest concept, you'll find a four-liter, twin-turbocharged gasoline V-8, with cylinder...
Antony Ingram -
Life With Tesla Model S: Three Days Of Service Nirvana
A few months ago, some minor glitches in my 2013 Tesla Model S were fixed at the Tesla service center in White Plains, New York. It was a perfectly satisfactory experience, pretty much like any other service visit: Drive to the shop, read magazines for a couple of hours, get the car back, drive...
David Noland -
Tesla Battery Demand, Norway's Electric Haven & 'Vette Hybrids: Today's Car News
Today on Green Car Reports: We ask whether Tesla Motors alone can double demand for the battery cells it uses, we look forward to a Corvette hybrid, and examine whether Norway can maintain its rate of electric car adoption. All this and more in today's car news, right here on Green CarReports...
Antony Ingram -
BMW i8 Plug-In Sports Car Edges Closer With New Teaser Video
One of the most exciting launches at this month's Frankfurt Auto Show will be BMW's new plug-in hybrid sports car, the i8. The German automaker has released a teaser video of the new car ahead of its official debut on September 10, where it'll join the existing i3 electric city car on BMW's...
Antony Ingram -
Do Nissan, Tesla Sales Mean Other Makers Don't Need Electric Cars?
You can break down car companies into three groups, depending on their electric-car activities. The leaders are Nissan, General Motors, BMW, and upstart Tesla, all of whom have developed purpose-built plug-in cars. The followers are most of the large players in the global industry, who largely...
John Voelcker -
Traditionalists may be feeling faint right about now. The thought of a Chevrolet Corvette with a hybrid-electric powertrain threatens to make their heads explode. But that's exactly the concept at which GM president Mark Reuss says, "Don't laugh." Reuss made the comment during a Los Angeles Times interview (via Motor Authority) in which interviewer David Undercoffler asked--perhaps facetiously--about such an unlikely beast. The GM president is the company's uber-car guy, now that Bob Lutz has retired, and he called the concept "a very attractive idea," suggesting that "people would love it."...
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Norway: The Friendliest Place In The World For Electric Cars
Just last week, Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] opened its first Supercharger fast-charge stations outside the U.S.--in the Scandinavian country of Norway. With just six stations and 46 charging points, 90 percent of Norwegians live within 200 miles of a Supercharger--well within the 265-mile EPA range of...
Antony Ingram -
Toyota FCV-R Fuel Cell Concept Updated, Previews 2015 Production Car
Toyota says it's still on course for launching its first production hydrogen fuel cell vehicle by 2015, and has updated its FCV-R fuel cell concept for the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show to publicize the fact. Since the concept debuted in 2011, the FCV-R's setup has changed, reflecting Toyota's new take...
Antony Ingram -
Men Love Tesla, E15 Challenges, Traffic-Jam Hell: The Weekend's Car News
This weekend on GreenCar Reports: Men love Teslas (is this really a surprise?), Big Oil may be blocking the rollout of more ethanol in gasoline--which most likely irritates Big Agriculture--and China too faces Traffic-Jam Hell. All this and more in today's car news, right here on Green Car Reports...
John Voelcker -
Study: China Could Soon Find Itself In Traffic Jam Hell
The International Energy Agency's report "A Tale of Renewed Cities" predicts that global vehicle usage will increase sharply by 2050, with China leading the way.
Stephen Edelstein -
Gas Stations Claim Oil Companies Block E15, FTC To Investigate
The idea is simple: Replace refined hydrocarbons yanked deep out of the earth with vehicle fuel derived from crops. The ongoing politics of ethanol remain anything but simple. The latest salvo sally in the ethanol wars was fired by two U.S. senators from agricultural states, Amy Klobuchar [D-MN]...
John Voelcker -
The first Tesla Supercharger fast-charging stations are now up and running in Europe's capital for electric cars, Norway. Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] announced via its Twitter feed that 90 percent of Norwegians now live within 200 miles of a Supercharger station--well within the 265-mile range of a Model S. Six stations have sprung up in the country on routes between some of the country's major towns and cities. The six Superchargers stations are located at Dombås, Gol, Cinderella, Aurland, Lyngdal and the old winter Olympic town of Lillehammer, north of the capital Oslo, with 46 actual...
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Driving Toyotas, 2016 Toyota Prius, Tesla's Value: This Week In Social Media
This week we spent a bit of time with Toyota. Why, you ask? Good question. We learned a bit more about the upcoming and eagerly-anticipated 2016 Toyota Prius, and took some time behind the wheel of some Toyota models that aren't sold here in the U.S. Those included the oddly enjoyable Toyota Crown...
Joel Feder -
Why Men Love Their Tesla Model S Electric Cars
A new study finds that Tesla has more male owners than other plug-in nameplates, and that those owners love their cars. Why? Because they have a need for speed.
Stephen Edelstein -
Toyota's 23 Hybrids, Better Battery Sensors, Musk Unimpressed: Today's Car News
Today on GreenCar Reports: Elon Musk says "meh" to the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt, better sensors may cut battery costs, and we challenge you to name all 23 hybrids Toyota sells globally. All this and more in today's car news, right here on Green Car Reports. Tesla is now worth more than Fiat, the...
John Voelcker -
Nissan ZEOD RC Electric Race Car Dresses For The Track (Video)
Last week, Nissan announced it had chosen a development driver for its ZEOD RC electric race car project, Spanish gamer-turned-racer, Lucas Ordóñez. This week, the automaker and its motorsport arm Nismo has allowed us a little insight into the car itself, starting with the strong...
Antony Ingram -
Tesla: Worth More Than Fiat, Which Is 100 Times Its Size?
Is startup electric-car maker Tesla really worth more than century-old Italian carmaker Fiat? Not to mention more than Mazda, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, and Isuzu--the last two of which no longer sell cars in the U.S.? The Italian maker sells roughly 2 million cars a year globally (plus 1.6 million more...
John Voelcker