Volkswagen knows that there’s a frustrating disconnect over voice commands in the car. Through today’s relatively inexpensive speakers and smart devices at home, you’re able to give simple natural-language requests and most of the time it just works. But in the car it’s sometimes a different story completely, with vehicles... Just ahead of electric-car push, voice systems are about to get much smarter
Volkswagen knows that there’s a frustrating disconnect over voice commands in the car. Through today’s relatively inexpensive speakers and smart devices at home, you’re able to give simple natural-language requests and most of the time it just works. But in the car it’s sometimes a different story completely, with vehicles... 
Want to leave whatever happened in Las Vegas? Tesla is allowing its owners—especially those with a Model 3—to do just that, with a very speedy recharge right on the Strip. That’s where Tesla, on Thursday, officially opened its first station that entirely features V3 fast-charging hardware. Although V3 has already been introduced... 
Why aren’t there more full-fledged hybrid vehicles—models that provide the kind of efficiency gains that really pay off in fuel savings over time? Blame the bean-counters. With Toyota and its mammoth economies of scale with high-mileage hybrids perhaps the one exception, a set of critical components that need to go in full... 
Cross the ubiquity of ordering a pizza with the form factor (and weight) of a backup “jerry can” of fuel and you’re close to what it seems the startup SparkCharge is attempting to produce with its new modular charging system. SparkCharge is a startup that won the top $1 million prize at the 43North pitch competition in 2018. It... 
A potential manufacturing fault relating to brake hardware has prompted Toyota to conduct an investigation that reaches around the globe. The issue has led to a stop-sale in Australia and New Zealand, among other markets, and affects the hybrid versions of the Toyota RAV4, Camry, Prius, Corolla hatchback, Lexus ES300h, and Lexus UX250h. While the... 
The federal government has crashed another Tesla Model 3. And once again, the results are something that Tesla, its owners and acolytes, and anyone considering one of these electric cars can agree is good news. With tests newly posted for the 2019 Tesla Model 3 Long Range Dual Motor (all-wheel drive) version, the entire Model 3 lineup now earns... 
Electric vehicle makers face a weight dilemma. Shoppers want more range, and each extra kilowatt-hour of lithium-ion battery-pack capacity adds as much weight as carrying 2 or 3 gallons of extra gasoline around all the time. Yet the more a vehicle weighs, the more energy it takes to move it and its occupants from place to place. Without the extra... 
Hyundai last week announced that it has developed what it claims is the world’s first mass-production continuously variable valve duration (CVVD) technology. The company asserted the new valve tech, headed into versions of the 2020 Hyundai Sonata, will produce significant improvements in emissions, fuel efficiency, and performance. The... 
Where might the timeline be stepped up for new vehicles going nearly all plug-in? Which company recalled its vehicles over fire concerns? What did VW use for teasing some new ideas that might be headed into its upcoming Microbus revival? This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending... 
Today in a holiday edition of Green Car Reports we’re bringing you two driving impressions of the 2019 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. Can the same seven-seat minivan be both a very fuel-efficient gasoline vehicle for a long road trip through the American West and an all-electric vehicle for the commute and errands every other day? The Lotus... 
Plug-in hybrids like the 2019 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid are pitched as great solutions for families who can’t quite make the leap to a fully electric vehicle for road trips but want to keep their local driving—and, perhaps their commute—tailpipe-emissions-free. The vast majority of plug-in hybrids on the market today don’t... 
Given the enthusiastic reception lavished on Volkswagen’s production-bound ID Buzz concept—that’s the 2022 revival of the Microbus, in all-electric form—the automaker’s transformation can’t come soon enough. So today as part of the dedication of a Silicon Valley facility focused on the future, Volkswagen decided... 
This story has been updated to clarify Electrify America's steps to stabilize the affected charging units, and the as-yet-undetermined timeline to bring them back to full charging power. Drivers of the Audi E-tron electric SUV aiming for a holiday-week road trip could be up for a longer wait at the charging station. It's no fault of the vehicle... 
From the U.S., we most often encounter European WLTP standards in the context of sizing up plug-in driving range for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids that haven’t yet been rated by the EPA. The Worldwide Harmonised Light-Vehicle Test Procedure, is however taking form as the most comprehensive emissions program in the world, replacing... 
Many automakers now see electric vehicles as the long-range future of the passenger vehicle. What may actually say more though, in the language of corporate nuance, is that few companies have gone so far as to solidly declare that the end is nigh for internal combustion engines. Among the examples that have been so bold: Volvo won’t develop... 
The possibility of an extension for the $7,500 federal EV tax credit has recently intensified lobbying efforts in Washington D.C.—and pitted the efforts of the auto industry soundly against those of the oil and gas industry. So reports the Washington Post. According to its report this week, the powerful companies and interests opposing the... 
Electric-vehicle marketing, ads, and advocacy can often be completely lacking in one thing: humor. Sometimes a little bit of the farcical can go a long way to help point out the strengths of EVs—or in this case, how out of touch old-fashioned used-car dealers might be in not choosing to embrace the electric side. Enter the Governator. Arnold... 
For those of us who remember what General Motors’ Hummer brand symbolized—especially around 2006, when sales peaked—it’s a little hard to fathom the idea that it might have any future as way for GM to green its reputation. Although GM hasn’t officially confirmed any such thing yet, a top executive earlier this month... 
By the time the 2020 Porsche Taycan launches late this year, Porsche owners in three states will likely be able to choose a new kind of per-mile insurance offered through the sports-car brand. Especially for those planning to make a leap to the Taycan, it could amount to some peace of mind. For those new to electric cars, insurance can often be a...