Smart to be all-electric in U.S. and Canada; gasoline goes away this fall

2017 Smart Fortwo Electric Drive - first drive, Miami, Nov 2016   [photo: Jeff Jablansky]When the tiny Smart ForTwo launched in the U.S. a decade ago, it got a huge boost in sales from both novelty and soaring gas prices. While its EPA ratings never approached those of the larger Toyota Prius hybrid, the little two-seater found buyers who liked its cheeky character and the ease of parking a car less than 9 feet long. Its first-year...

Carmakers ask Trump to review EPA rules, use discredited job projection

Gas pumpJust days after the presidential election, an automaker lobbying group wrote Donald Trump asking him to change, delay, or dispense with an EPA decision that kept planned exhaust-emission standards through 2025. Now executives of 18 automakers have sent a second letter, asking the same thing—and echoing a statement by Ford CEO Mark Fields...

2018 Nissan Leaf spy shots: our question on electric car update

Section of 2018 Nissan Leaf spy shot  [image via S. Baldauf/SB-Medien, as used on Motor Authority]It's the long-missing member of the trio, the last of three affordable electric cars with 200-plus miles of range expected to go into production this year. But until now, we've heard almost nothing about the 2018 Nissan Leaf. All we knew was that the second generation of the world's highest-volume electric car would have more mainstream styling...

China’s BYD built more plug-in cars than any other maker last year

2016 BYD Tang plug-in hybrid SUV, made in ChinaTime for a quick quiz: which carmaker sold more plug-in electric vehicles last year—both battery electrics and plug-in hybrids—than any other? If you're a reader in North America or Europe who managed to miss our headline, odds are you may answer "Tesla" or "Nissan," based on media coverage of those two companies' achievements. You...

What White House faces if it tries to roll back fuel-economy standards

Chrome exhaust pipeDonald Trump won the U.S. Electoral College and swept into the White House on a varied platform that included significant promises to cut regulation and reduce government involvement in a wide variety of spheres. The day after his election, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers sent him a letter asking that corporate average fuel economy...

2018 Hyundai Elantra GT hatchback unveiled at Chicago auto show

2018 Hyundai Elantra GT SportOver the last 10 years, the Hyundai Elantra has emerged into the top tier of compact sedans, joining longstanding leaders like the Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, and Volkswagen Jetta as well as more recent contenders like the Chevrolet Cruze and Subaru Impreza. The last-generation Elantra sedan launched in 2012 gained a hatchback...

Honda Clarity Fuel Cell marketing theme: thinking about tomorrow

Image from 'Thinking About Tomorrow' video ad for 2017 Honda Clarity Fuel CellA 40-year-old Fleetwood Mac song, floating childrens' heads, and hydrogen molecules all kick off the marketing campaign for the 2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell hydrogen-powered vehicle. Like most marketing for hydrogen vehicles, the video ad above will likely be targeted only to California drivers. That state is the sole location today in which a...

VW Board vs ex-CEO Piech: rancor erupts over diesel cheating lies

Ferdinand Piech, chairman and CEO of Volkswagen Group, at 2000 Paris Motor ShowStatements from the boards of directors of automakers are generally dry, dispassionate, and formal. So the language of a terse item issued yesterday by the board of Volkswagen Group was remarkable in its directness. Not to mention its inferences about the company's former CEO Ferdinand Piech, who remains a powerful and major shareholder. DON'T...

Pilot production of Tesla Model 3 to start Feb 20: report

Tesla Model 3 Driving on a Public RoadTesla said yesterday it would shut down its production lines for one week this month to prepare for the launch of its upcoming Model 3 electric sedan. The Silicon Valley carmaker said the "brief, planned pause" was to add paint-shop capacity and do general maintenance at its assembly plant in Fremont, California. An exclusive Reuters news service...