Mazda aims its new MX-30 EV at the European market

Mazda MX-30Mazda's new concept may sport a set of suicide doors and have an optional rotary engine, but it's not a performance coupe; it's an electric crossover, and it's aimed squarely at the European market. The Mazda MX-30 borrows its designation from the old "Mazda eXperimental" nomenclature closely associated with piston engines (as opposed to Rotary...

Honda’s retro-styled E was originally planned for the US

2020 Honda EThe United States narrowly missed being included in Honda's distribution plans for the new E urban electric car, its project manager has revealed, and if attitudes change, Honda's plans might too. "The U.S. was included in the beginning," Kohei Hitomi told Jalopnik. "I personally wanted to see it." But three years ago, he says, that changed...

BMW i3 not dead yet, will get another range boost

2019 BMW i3The BMW i3, which always seems to be on the precipice of discontinuation, is slated for yet another series of hardware upgrades to keep it relevant in the growing EV market. Even in the middle of re-positioning its electrical models as more mainstream-friendly offerings, BMW has given the model battery upgrades and new editions to keep it fresh...

DHL’s StreetScooter electric commercial vehicles are coming to the US

Deutsche Post StreetScooter electric van prototypeAn new small electric delivery vehicle is coming to the United States—and it's probably not one you'd expect. Deutsche Post DHL Group is bringing its StreetScooter line of light-duty delivery vehicles to the U.S. market, as the company looks to expand its reach beyond its existing European and Asian customers. Of the existing StreetScooter...

Report: Long-haul electric semis aren’t yet cost-effective

Freightliner eCascadia electric semi and Freightliner eM2 short-haul truckIt may be a while yet before long-haul electric semi-trucks catch up to current and forthcoming ICE technology in terms of total cost of ownership An analysis concluded that while short- and medium-haul trucks powered by alternative fuels may be closing in on the break-even point, long-haul still has a way to go, with high-efficiency diesel models...

Toyota Yaris Hybrid revealed: Will the Prius C return?

Toyota Yaris HybridToyota's subcompact Prius C was never a sales rock star, and as it was surpassed in efficiency by its larger siblings, Toyota put its baby hybrid out to pasture after the 2019 model year. While this option no longer exists for would-be buyers of small hybrids, the formula soldiers on with the next generation of the car on which America's...

Los Angeles wants to pave its streets with recycled plastic

Highway Lights from Drive Change consumer surveyMany, many peoples' trash may become Los Angeles' treasure, as the city is currently mulling a proposal to use waste plastic in the creation of bitumen—the glue that holds asphalt together. Los Angeles is in talks with Silicon Valley- and Saudi Arabia-based Technisoil⁠, which specializes in alternative landscaping products, to put...

VW CEO says ramping up EVs won’t affect profit margins

Volkswagen ID Crozz concept, 2017 Los Angeles auto showVolkswagen has spent billions investing in its shift from diesel powertrains to battery-electric, but when it comes to profitability, its executives say, what's under the hood doesn't really matter. Thanks to the company's new global architecture, which is electrification-friendly and flexible enough to underpin just about anything VW wants to...

California plug-in hybrid maker Karma Automotive now accepts Bitcoin

2020 Karma Revero GTKarma Automotive announced Tuesday that it will now accept Bitcoin at its flagship Newport Beach location. In addition to dabbling in cryptocurrency for simple transactions, Karma will also explore theoretical blockchain applications outside of the that space, the electric-car manufacturer said in its announcement. This move signals Karma's intent...

Tesla takes you behind the scenes at its crash-test lab

Tesla Crash LabTesla has earned a strong reputation for occupant safety. And in a video posted Tuesday by Tesla, the California carmaker shows that, as with every other automaker, there's physical testing and probably a degree of trial and error involved. The brief look at its in-house crash-testing regimen covered computer simulations all the way through to the...

Crowdfunded Aptera super-efficiency EV will use in-wheel motors

Aptera-Elaphe partnershipAptera, self-proclaimed builder of the world's most efficient passenger vehicle, is partnering with Elaphe Propulsion to bring in-wheel motor technology to its 1,000-mile electric two-seater. If Aptera rings a bell but you can't quite place it, it was a company that was seeking funding to build a hyper-efficient, three-wheel electric car way back...

Bosch uses pyrotechnics to boost battery safety

Bosch PyrofuseThe controlled explosion has been a staple of automotive safety for decades, but the supplier Bosch has found a new way to apply the fundamental technology behind airbag deployment to protect EV and hybrid drivers (and their rescuers) in the event of an accident. Bosch calls this a pyrofuse, and it's pretty much exactly what it sounds like: an...

Classic Morris marque returns with a futuristic commercial EV concept

 Morris JE commercial vanWhen Morris introduced the J-type van in 1948, it took Europe by storm, becoming one of the most ubiquitous delivery vehicles east of the Atlantic Ocean. In 2019, the newly reconstituted Morris Commercial wants to do it again, only with a twist. This is the Morris JE, and as its name suggests, it's a new take on the classic commercial van. This...

Toyota boosts warranty on plug-in hybrid, hybrid, and fuel-cell vehicles

2020 Toyota PriusToyota announced last week that it will extend its battery warranty on all 2020 model year (and newer) hybrid, plug-in and fuel-cell vehicles to 10 years or 150,000 miles. Through 2019, Toyota covered the first 8 years or 100,000 miles. This increase means Toyota offers the longest battery warranty in the industry to cover both the original and...