Green Car News

  • Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid, 2012 Paris Motor Show

    As far as plug-in cars go, the 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) has to be one of the most important vehicles making its debut this year at the Paris Auto Show. The first vehicle to launch under Mitsubishi’s ambitious goals to offer plug-in hybrid or all-electric versions of every car it sells within 4 years, the 2013 Outlander PHEV is the plug-in hybrid variant of Mitsubishi’s popular crossover SUV. It will be offered for sale starting in 2013 alongside an internal-combustion engine version of the same vehicle. Due to launch in Japan early next year, followed by a...

  • Steve Marsh's 2011 Nissan Leaf: 11 Months, 36,000 Miles
    Nissan Buys Back Leaf Electric Cars Under Arizona Lemon Law

    Yesterday, a local news station in Phoenix, Arizona, confirmed that Nissan has agreed to buy back wilting Leaf electric cars from their owners under the state’s Lemon Law. The news comes less than a week after Mark Perry, Nissan North America’s product planning and advanced technology...

  • BMW Concept Active Tourer, 2012 Paris Auto Show
    2012 Paris Auto Show: BMW Concept Active Tourer Gallery

    For as long as we can remember, BMW has ignored the pull of front-wheel drive cars, preferring to stick with the performance-oriented rear-wheel drive setup that has served it well for decades. But at this year’s Paris Auto Show, the German automaker has unveiled a car that we once described...

  • 2013 Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion (European model), 2012 Paris Motor Show
    VW Unveils High-Mileage Diesel Golf In Paris That The U.S. Won’t Get

    As today marks the start of the 2012 Paris Auto Show, we’re likely to see lots of interesting green cars over the next few days that we’ll never see in the U.S. Among them, the all-new 2014 Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion diesel, capable of a claimed 88.3 mpg imperial, or 73.5 mpg U.S...

  • 2014 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive
    2013 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive: Sexy, But Expensive

    A few years ago, Mercedes-Benz teased us with the possibility that it would be building an all-electric version of its iconic gullwing supercar, the SLS AMG. Today, on the opening day of the 2012 Paris Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz gave us the news we’d all been waiting for: the 2013 SLS AMG...

  • Audi Crosslane coupe concept
    Audi Crosslane Coupe Concept Heralds New Q2 Crossover

    Audi is previewing the future of the compact crossover with a Paris Auto Show concept it calls the Crosslane Coupe. The Crosslane Coupe features lightweight construction and a fuel-saving, dual-mode hybrid drivetrain, which could potentially make it into the production version, reportedly called...

  • Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo Concept live photos, 2012 Paris Auto Show

    After a brisk run-through of new models from all of its many brands, Volkswagen Group closed last night's preview event before the Paris Auto Show with a few words on its plans for plug-in hybrids. "Many companies are reducing their plans for electric vehicles," said VW Group chief Martin Winterkorn. "We at Volkswagen don't have to do that; we have always looked rationally at this transition." "The new powertrain [that is] taking shape as very promising," he said, "is the best of electric and engine power: the plug-in hybrid." VW Group believes this gives the best flexibilities for drivers...

  • Hyundai ix35 Fuell Cell Vehicle
    Hyundai Announces Hydrogen Fuel Cell Tucson: 2012 Paris Auto Show

    This morning at the 2012 Paris Auto Show, South Korean automaker Hyundai has announced its intentions to begin series production of a hydrogen fuel-cell electric car. Based on the i35 compact crossover SUV, sold in the U.S. as the Hyundai Tucson, the ix35 Fuel Cell will be built from December this...

  • 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
    2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid Makes World Premiere In Paris

    We’ve known about it for many months, but Mitsubishi has finally unveiled the production version of the 2013 Outlander Plug-in Hybrid at the 2012 Paris Auto Show. Referred to by Mitsubishi as being a ‘no-compromise’ vehicle, the Outlander PHEV is a series-parallel, full hybrid...

  • Nissan Leaf Charging Port Cover
    Electric-Car Charging: Why Some Households Are Paying Too Much

    Owners of plug-in vehicles like the Nissan Leaf, Chevrolet Volt, and even the new Tesla Model S may be paying too much when they charge their car. Why? Because they haven’t signed up with the right utility plan. According to a recent survey from the California Center for Sustainable Energy...

  • Henrik Fisker
    2012 Fisker Karma Owners Average 150 MPG, Company Says

    The same day Consumer Reports released its devastating review of the 2012 Fisker Karma, the makers of the range-extended electric luxury sedan put out their own press release. Covering the $106,000 car's fuel economy, it reported on the real-world gas mileage achieved by a group of more than 30...

  • 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid - production model
    Less Than Half Of Shoppers Will Pay More For Green Cars

    It's a refrain we've often heard here at Green Car Reports and elsewhere: environmentally friendly technology and products are great, but consumers won't adopt them until they're competitively priced. Now, research firm GfK has conducted a study to prove (or disprove) that hypothesis, and the...

  • 2012 Nissan Leaf 4-door HB SL Instrument Cluster

    It’s been six days since results of an independent test were published showing that Nissan Leaf electric cars in hot climates were suffering from premature range loss, and four days since Nissan responded, saying the high mileage of affected cars was to blame. Since then, we’ve been keeping track of your comments, and the comments of concerned Leaf owners as they try to decide the next stage in this ongoing saga. The general consensus among affected owners? Nissan needs to try harder. Disbelief, frustration Nissan’s most recent statement on the issue, made by Mark Perry...

  • ECOtality Blink charging station for electric & plug-in cars
    Electric-Car Charging Etiquette: Battery Electrics Better Than Plug-in Hybrids?

    Thanks to an increasing number of public charging stations, finding a place to recharge your electric car or plug-in hybrid is easier than ever before. With recharging of a fully empty car like a 2012 Nissan Leaf taking up to 8 hours at a public level 2 charging station however, how should access...

  • 2013 Porsche Cayenne Diesel, 2012 New York Auto Show
    U.S. Car Buyers Like Hybrids, Europeans Go For Diesels; Why?

    If you’re a car buyer in the U.S. looking for a high gas-mileage car, the chances are you’re going to choose a hybrid car for your next vehicle. In Europe, however, hybrid cars are generally shunned by car buyers in preference of high gas-mileage diesel cars. But why do U.S. car buyers...

  • 2012 Tesla Model S Signature
    Tesla Stock Falls 10 Percent On Lower Model S Volume Numbers

    The price of Tesla Motors shares fell 10 percent yesterday, closing at $27.66--down $3 from the previous day's ending price--due to a reduced revenue forecast. As described in a statement filed with the SEC, Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] says it will have sold only 2,700 to 3,225 cars by the end of the...

  • 2013 Cadillac ATS
    2013 Cadillac ATS: Smallest Caddy V-6 Gas Mileage Rated At 28 MPG

    Back in July, the EPA released fuel economy figures for the Cadillac ATS compact luxury sedan, showing it was capable of returning up to 33 mpg highway and 22 mpg city when equipped with the base 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. Now the EPA has released a new set of numbers on the Cadillac ATS, this...

  • National Plug-In Day 2012: San Francisco, with 60 Nissan Leafs in front of the Golden Gate Bridge
    National Plug-In Day Draws Thousands Of Electric-Car Fans, Inquiries

    In its second year, National Plug-In Day this past Sunday certainly avoided sophomore slump. In 65 cities all over the U.S., tens of thousands of electric-car owners, potential buyers, and just curious onlookers pored over, rode in, and drove plug-in vehicles from more than a dozen makers. Our...

  • 2012 Fisker Karma during road test, Los Angeles, Feb 2012

    The well-respected Consumer Reports doesn't pull any punches, and its review of the 2012 Fisker Karma range-extended electric luxury sedan is no exception. The magazine all but savaged the car, calling it "full of flaws" and deeming its touchscreen controls an "ergonomic disaster." The verdict may not have come as a complete surprise to Fisker and its latest CEO, Tony Posawatz. Early this year, the magazine purchased its own Fisker Karma--it doesn't use cars provided by automakers--and took the $106,000 plug-in luxury car to its test track. With less than 200 miles on it, during a routine...

  • 2013 Chevrolet Sonic
    2013 Chevrolet Sonic Recalled For Faulty Turn Signals

    At the end of last week, Chevrolet posted an official recall notice for all 2013 Sonic cars after it discovered a fault in the system responsible for detecting a blown turn signal bulb. Under normal operation, the unit, called the Body Control Module (BCM) should detect when a turn signal lamp has...

  • Nissan's electric-powered e-NV200 concept.
    Nissan To Sell All-Electric Seven-Seat Minivan In Europe

    Except for the 2012 Tesla Model S, there are no seven-seat all-electric vehicles for sale on the market today. Earlier this week, however, Nissan confirmed that it plans to sell a seven-seat minivan variant of the e-NV200 all-electric van in Europe when it enters production next year. Based on the...

  • GM Production Facility, Fairfax
    GM’s Aluminum Welding Process Means Lighter Cars, Better Gas Mileage

    As long as the auto industry has existed, various automated and non-automated processes have been developed to bond two or more pieces of metal together through the art of welding. Normally, how a car is welded together would be of little interest to the average car buyer. However, improvements in...

  • Tesla Supercharger fast-charging system for electric cars
    Tesla’s First Electric-Car 'Supercharger' Stations Now Live

    Last October, at the official launch of the 2012 Tesla Model S, we told you about Tesla’s plans to build a network of “Superchargers”: fast-charging stations that could add up to 150 miles of range to a Model S in 30 minutes. Yesterday, Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] launched its...

  • 2009 Toyota FT-EV II
    Toyota Kills Tiny Two-Seat Electric Car It Doesn't Believe In

    We've been subjected to a spate of dire headlines today covering Toyota's statement that it's killing plans for its eQ two-seat urban electric-car program. Reuters reported, "Toyota drops plans for widespread sales of electric car," which is at least an accurate headline. Some seem to take a "sky...

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