Chinese electric carmaker Nio seeks public funding in US

Nio Formula E race car, EP9, ES8 and Eve concept carChinese electric carmaker Nio has filed for an initial public offering to sell its stock in the U.S., according to a Reuters report Tuesday. The company, which has built a Formula E race car, an exotic electric sports car, and an electric SUV for China, is looking to ramp up production and build a smaller, more affordable SUV. It will trade on the...

Time is running out for VW diesel claims

Volkswagen turbodiesels await their fate near Pikes Peak International Raceway in Colorado SpringsTime is running out for owners of 2.0-liter VW TDIs to file their claims against the company and receive a settlement that could be worth at least $5,100. All claims in the diesel emissions lawsuit must be filed by Sept. 1. So far, Volkswagen has bought back more than 350,000 TDIs and repaired another 57,000. CHECK OUT: VW TDI owners face deadline...

Electrify America launches “Jetstones” ad campaign

Electrify America 350 kw chargers at Home Depot in Chicopee, Mass.If regular automakers aren't advertising their electric cars well enough, maybe purveyors of electric-car infrastructure can fill in the gaps. Electrify America, VW's court-mandated effort to build a nationwide DC fast-charge network, is launching its first ad campaign Monday on behalf of all electric cars. Called the "Jetstones," the ad campaign...

Tesla builds Supercharging “moat” to keep out competition: analysis

Tesla Supercharger site in Rocklin, California, before expansion    [photo: George Parrott]Competitors are coming for Tesla. Just as the young company begins to ramp up production of its bread-and-butter Model 3 to what CEO Elon Musk has called sustainable levels, Tesla's European rivals are beginning to roll out their own electric cars. That has some investors worried about whether the upstart automaker can survive the onslaught from...

2019 Toyota Prius C preview: $900 price increase, fewer options

2018 Toyota Prius cThe most affordable hybrid on the market just got a little less so. The 2019 Toyota Prius C will cost $900 more, with a sticker of $22,450, including destination, based on a recent official price list released by Toyota and shared by our partners at CarsDirect. Toyota has replaced its traditional Prius trim lines—One, Two, Three, and...

IIHS: Self-driving systems aren’t that, and aren’t ready for prime time

Tesla Model S Autopilot testing with IIHS [CREDIT: IIHS]Self-driving systems aren't ready for prime time, says a new report by IIHS. The Institute tested five cars: two Teslas, a BMW, a Mercedes-Benz, and a Volvo, all with systems that earned top marks in its tests of advanced driver safety aids. In new tests on its track and on public roads, all of the systems made mistakes that could be fatal without...

Mazda CX-5 diesel gets 28-mpg EPA city rating

2018 Mazda CX-5The Mazda CX-5 diesel took one step closer to production by receiving an EPA rating. Jalopnik made the find and reported the ratings on Wednesday. With front-wheel drive, the CX-5 diesel is rated at 28 mpg city, 31 highway, 29 combined. With all-wheel drive those numbers each drop by 1 mpg for ratings of 27 city, 30 highway, and 28 overall. The...

California warns it won’t follow lower EPA fuel economy, emissions rules

Traffic at the I-10 & I-405 interchange in Los Angeles, California (by Mario Roberto Duran Ortiz)In response to an EPA proposal to freeze emissions and fuel economy standards, California said it will not honor federal vehicle certifications if the proposal goes through. "The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has proposed amending the California Low-Emission Vehicle III Greenhouse Gas Emission Regulation to ensure that cars and light-duty...

2019 Land Rover Range Rover plug-in hybrid pricing starts at $96,145

2019 Land Rover Range Rover P400eBy 2024, Land Rover will have a whole new lineup of hybrid and electric luxury SUVs. As we learned yesterday, that lineup will include plug-in hybrid and electric versions of its small Evoque crossover SUV. Now the company has released pricing for its largest, most luxurious plug-in hybrid, the Range Rover P400e. Both will join the Range Rover...

Tesla board confirms it will consider Musk’s privatization plan

2017 Tesla Model 3, in photo tweeted by Elon Musk on July 9, 2017Six of Tesla's board members issued a statement Wednesday morning confirming that they have been in discussions with CEO Elon Musk about taking the company private. On Tuesday, Musk revealed on Twitter that he was considering privatizing the company after taking it public in 2010. He set a target stock price of $420 a share and said he had...

Sono Sion solar car starts testing in Germany

Sono Sion solar charged electric carSolar cars are like sunny days—always waiting for tomorrow. Now the dawn may be breaking on that tomorrow with the small, crowd-funded Sono Sion solar car in Germany. The company has raised enough online funding to begin testing, according to a Reuters report carried by Autoblog. The car is mainly battery-powered, but the roof, doors, and...

Elon Musk announces he’s considering taking Tesla private (Updated)

Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk at Tesla Store opening in Westfield Mall, London, Oct 2013Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Tuesday he is considering taking the electric car company private. The executive posted on Twitter, "Am considering taking Tesla private at $420 a share." Tesla's stock bounced 7.3 percent Tuesday immediately after the news. Trading was halted for well over an hour on Tuesday. Shareholders could either to sell at 420 or...

Refreshed Land Rover lineup to include new plug-in hybrid

Jaguar Land Rover electrified vehicle conceptsLand Rover and its sister company Jaguar each are planning new lineups by 2024 and 2025 respectively. We've heard a lot about Jaguar's plans to launch a gas, hybrid, and electric version of everything it sells by 2025. Land Rover's plans have been more opaque. Now British car magazine Autocar reports that the company will launch four new models by...

Which modern electric car will be the first classic? Twitter poll results

2011 Tesla Roadster Final Edition, photograph copyright Damon Lavrinc / AOLElectric cars are changing the automotive landscape, technologically and culturally. Those factors are what often make things classic, whether it's in music, architecture, or automobiles. Various people have weighed in recently on which of today's green cars will become tomorrow's classics, from Hagerty Insurance selecting the Tesla Model S as the...