plug-in cars
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The Fiat 500e is perhaps the most critically lauded new all-electric vehicle that arrived in 2013. It's received rave reviews from unlikely sources, like buff-book magazines—even from Consumer Reports. There's reportedly been a long waiting list for these cars, with a $199/month lease deal and, yes, even some reports of markups. Yet Fiat has sold only a few hundred of these sought-after machines. Why? Because the automaker doesn't want to sell one more car than it has to. The Fiat 500e is a vehicle that Fiat Chrysler didn't really want to make, one on which the automaker will likely...
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Nissan Leaf Owners Answer Common Electric-Car Questions
Nissan is letting Leaf owners demystify the electric car for potential customers.
Stephen Edelstein -
Most Electric Cars Ever? Guinness World Record Try In Montreal Next Month
A Canadian group hopes to set the record for largest electric-car parade.
Stephen Edelstein -
How Lithium-Ion Batteries Age: Scientists Offer Insight
Scientists found that charging disrupts the structure of lithium-ion cathode material, degrading performance.
Stephen Edelstein -
Even Small Towns See Demand For Electric-Car Charging
Naperville, Illinois has seen a surge in electric-car popularity.
Stephen Edelstein -
2015 Volkswagen e-Golf: Drive Report, First U.S. Sale Details
The 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf is the German maker's first production electric car to be offered for sale in the U.S. On sale late this year, it adds a plug-in electric powertrain option to the all-new seventh generation of the classic Golf five-door hatchback, now celebrating its 40th birthday. While...
John Voelcker -
When the possibility of new jobs clashes with the desires of powerful campaign contributors, sometimes jobs can take priority. That may be what's happening in Arizona, where a new bill in the state legislature would legalize the direct-sales model of electric-car maker Tesla Motors--to the intense dismay of state car dealers who want it made permanently illegal. A similar bill died in January. But now Arizona has been named one of four finalists for Tesla's planned "gigafactory" for the lithium-ion cells and battery packs it will need to expand its electric-car production within three years...
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Nissan Tweets, Then Deletes, Electric-Car Sales Slap At Tesla
Oh, Nissan, you just shouldn't have gone there. As captured by Autoblog Green writer Domenick Yoney last Friday, the @NissanLeaf Twitter account posted the following message: It's okay #NewJersey, you can still #GoElectric with the #NissanLEAF #EV Sloppy punctuation aside, the tweet was a clear dig...
John Voelcker -
Germany Likes German Electric Cars; Leaf, Volt, Not So Much
It isn't unusual for citizens of a particular country to employ a little patriotism when buying vehicles and stick to brands from that country. A huge swathe of Americans buy cars built by the Big Three, for example. Italians buy plenty of Fiats. French drivers often stick to Renaults, Peugeots and...
Antony Ingram -
Standardized Electric-Car Battery Swapping Won't Happen: Here's Why
Standardized batteries are one of the great consumer goods: Who hasn't bought a pack of AA or AAA cells for some consumer-electronics device by now? The idea that standardized high-capacity lithium-ion battery packs are an inevitable next step in the evolution of electric cars crops up repeatedly...
John Voelcker -
Tucson Wants Tesla Gigafactory, Gives Formal Proposal To Electric-Car Maker
Tucson wants to be the home of Tesla Motors' massive lithium-ion battery cell factory.
Stephen Edelstein -
Owners Of 'New Fisker' Offer Selective Electric-Car History
Ten days ago, a website appeared from Wanxiang America, the new owners of Fisker Automotive, under the title of "The New Fisker." The site included a comprehensive timeline of the formerly bankrupt company's past, warts and all: from the lawsuit by Tesla Motors against Fisker through the May 2011...
John Voelcker -
National Parks problem....black holes for our increasing electric vehicle tourists
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Plug-in Electric Car Sales In Canada, Feb 2014: Milestones, Millstones
While February's electric vehicle sales in Canada will have easily topped year-ago numbers, the plug-in market still faces headwinds in Canada during 2014. British Columbia hit a milestone of 1,000 plug-in vehicle sales earlier this year. With 4.4 million people, the province has about the same...
Matthew Klippenstein -
NJ Hearing Today Could Ban Tesla Stores In State; Electric-Car Maker Cries Foul
New Jersey may become the latest state to ban Tesla's company-owned stores.
Stephen Edelstein -
Feds Block Purchase Of Chinese BYD Electric Buses In Long Beach
A lack of documentation when BYD was first awarded its $12.1 million contract could jeopardize the entire program.
Stephen Edelstein -
'Quietest, Slowest' Comparison Ever: 6 Electric Cars Tested By Car And Driver
Oh, to have the resources available to Car and Driver, which published in its March issue a lengthy comparison test among six battery-electric cars. They are the Chevrolet Spark EV, Fiat 500e, Ford Focus Electric, Honda Fit EV, Nissan Leaf, and Smart Electric Drive Cabrio. MORE: Electric Cars'...
John Voelcker -
Life With Tesla Model S: One Year And 15,000 Miles Later
Well, it's now been a year since I took delivery of my dark green 2013 Tesla Model S with the 60-kilowatt-hour battery. After almost four years of waiting, those first days after delivery were euphoric. As I recall, the words "greatest freaking car in the entire freaking Universe" (or thereabouts)...
David Noland -
Fremont is fast becoming a hub for electric cars, and it isn't known for much else.
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California Launches Country's First All-Electric School Bus
Electric school buses can save districts money, and improve children's health.
Stephen Edelstein -
LA Apartment Building Offers Free Electric-Car Charging, For Life
A new apartment building is equipped with 20 240-Volt Level 2 charging stations.
Stephen Edelstein -
Cadillac ELR Wasn't Originally Used In 'Provocative' Ad
In general, getting people talking about your ad is a good way to get people talking about your car. In the case of "Poolside"--an ad for the 2014 Cadillac ELR range-extended electric luxury coupe aired during the Oscars and the Sochi Olympics--however, not all the talk has been favorable. MORE...
John Voelcker -
2014 Cadillac ELR: Gorgeous, Too-Pricey Electric Luxury Coupe
Let's get one thing out of the way up front: The 2014 Cadillac ELR is rather more than a "tarted-up Volt," in the words of more than one commentator. It's a quiet, smooth, adequately powerful and very stylish coupe with a luxurious interior, and it runs on GM's most advanced range-extended electric...
John Voelcker -
Replacing 2003 VW Jetta TDI: What Non-Gasoline Car Should He Pick?
Tell us what car you would replace this Volkswagen Jetta TDI with.
Stephen Edelstein