“Death of the internal combustion engine” is now a thing

ClunkersThe very first working four-cycle internal-combustion engine was invented by Niklaus Otto in 1876, and in due course it changed the world. A quarter of a century later, gasoline engines, steam-powered vehicles, and electric drive competed on an equal basis, but by 1915, it was clear the gasoline engine would triumph. The next 100 years brought...

How will Tesla Model 3 do over the next year? Poll results

2017 Tesla Model 3 If ever a car were in "production hell"—to use Tesla CEO Elon Musk's memorable phrase—the Tesla Model 3 is, right around now. From the first hand-built Model 3s delivered in late July through the end of September, fewer than 300 cars have gone to buyers—far short of the 1,500 predicted by Musk in early July. That now makes it...

Seven years of Green Car Reports Best Car To Buy winners

2012 Toyota Prius V station wagon, Half Moon Bay, CA, May 2011As we head into final deliberations for the Best Car To Buy 2018 award, it's worth looking back over our first seven years of winners. The list of seven different models or lineups gives a sense of just how far green cars have come—and how fast they've evolved since 2011. Our first award that year came on the heels of the December 2010...

Tesla to build electric-car factory in Chinese free-trade zone: report

2014 Tesla Model S in ChinaChina is the world's largest car market, and the country plans to phase out sales of new vehicles with combustion engines in the future. Tesla makes and sells only electric cars, and it aspires to become a volume automaker, meaning China is key to its future. The Chinese government effectively requires carmakers to manufacture in the country to...

Mazda rotary range extender, Nissan’s chill electric van, 2018 Zero motorcycles, Cummins buys Brammo: Today’s Car News

Apple’s self-driving system atop a Lexus RX - Image via MacCallister HigginsToday, we've got a very cool electric van, a diesel-engine maker moving into electric trucks, Mazda's rotary range-extending engine, and new and better electric motorcycles. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Refrigerated trucks are a small but crucial piece of the commercial van market; now Nissan has an all-electric refrigerated van concept...

Mazda all but confirms rotary range extender engine for electric car

Rotary engineHow Mazda plans to integrate plug-in hybrid and battery-electric vehicles into its range of increasingly efficient gasoline and diesel models is a topic that interests parts of the global auto industry. In 2019, the small Japanese maker will offer a combustion-engine technology never before achieved in production: a gasoline engine that can work...

Which green cars didn’t make the list for Best Car To Buy 2018?

2018 Honda Accord HybridAfter the usual intense discussions and debates, we announced our three finalists for the Green Car Reports Best Car To Buy 2018 award earlier this week. The Tesla Model 3 was not among them, because we have to drive a car in order to evaluate it as a finalist—and Tesla declined to provide us with a car to test. The company's more affordable...

Volkswagen targets Pikes Peak with electric-car tech from future models

Teaser for Volkswagen’s entry for 2018 Pikes Pike International Hill ClimbThe next Pikes Peak International Hill Climb race is eight months away still, so a press release on a carmaker's entry into next June's event comes out of left field. But for Volkswagen, it's another small step to underscore its major commitment to battery-electric vehicles as its two-year-old diesel emission cheating scandal continues to...

Will Nissan have an electric SUV concept at Tokyo Motor Show?

Teaser for Nissan concept debuting at 2017 Tokyo Motor ShowAutomakers spend a lot of time trying to work out how electrified powertrains, autonomous driving technology, connectivity, and sharing will turn their industry upside down. Or not. Meanwhile, globally but especially in North America, one trend is clear right this moment: utility vehicles are hot. When Nissan put out a teaser video on Tuesday for...

What’s ahead for Tesla Model 3? Take our Twitter poll

2017 Tesla Model 3 Auto-industry CEOs virtually never admit that the new product that could make or break the company is "in production hell," but that's now obviously the case for the Tesla Model 3. Deliveries last months totaled just 220 units, far below Tesla CEO Elon Musk's July projection of 1,500 during September. Reports have emerged saying every Model 3...

What’s ahead for Tesla Model 3? Take our Twitter poll

2017 Tesla Model 3 Auto-industry CEOs virtually never admit that the new product that could make or break the company is "in production hell," but that's now obviously the case for the Tesla Model 3. Deliveries last months totaled just 220 units, far below Tesla CEO Elon Musk's July projection of 1,500 during September. Reports have emerged saying every Model 3...

How much does wireless charging matter for electric cars? Poll results

2018 BMW 530e iPerformance wireless chargingThe announcements by BMW and Mercedes-Benz that they would offer wireless charging as an option next year raise a question for electric-car advocates. How important is the ability to recharge a vehicle without plugging in a cord? On the pro side, wireless charging may be easier for owners and drivers, who don't have to remember to plug in the...