BYD: tiny electric cars for China could be 75 percent of sales

BYD Qin EV300Chinese automaker BYD was the world's largest producer of plug-in electric cars last year, and the outlook for new markets in its home country are quite healthy, suggesting strong continued growth. BYD plans to tackle the country's inland cities, viewed as a new frontier for automakers, with a small and very affordable electric car. The industry...

2018 Lexus NX Hybrid gets more safety equipment at lower price

2018 Lexus NXDrivers shopping the luxury crossover market have a new proposition to consider, and it comes with hybrid power. The updated 2018 Lexus NX 300h hybrid crossover will go on sale with a recommended price that's actually lower than the outgoing 2017 model. Despite the price drop, this year's hybrid NX 300h actually boasts more standard equipment...

2018 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid goes on sale in UK

Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid (U.K. version)The Kia Niro Hybrid has been on sale in the United States since early 2017, but at its launch, the brand promised a plug-in hybrid version would arrive by the end of this year as well. Ahead of its U.S. launch, the Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid has now arrived in the United Kingdom with a 36-mile rated range on battery power alone on the optimistic NEDC...

CA legislators propose $1 billion to remove dirtiest diesel trucks

California state capitol, SacramentoThe state of California has officially launched its legislative push for stricter heavy-duty truck and bus emission regulations. Following calls for the state to use its recently-extended carbon cap-and-trade program to fund updates to fleets of semi trucks and other commercial vehicles, four state senators have stepped forward with an official...

Big oil firms fear Trump rules rollback: not for environment but for PR

Oil field (Image: Flickr user johnny choura, used under CC license)Efforts to loosen regulations on the oil industry now underway have met with public approval from fossil-fuel companies. But while the Trump administration has moved swiftly to create a more friendly regulatory environment for big oil, some executives have urged a slowdown behind the scenes. That's not for environmental reasons, but due to worries...

Dethleffs solar-assisted electric motorhome concept unveiled

Dethleffs e.home electric motor homeThe notion electric cars will become a standard transportation option is slowly being accepted across multiple industries. It hasn't penetrated quite as much in the motorhome world, but now a German company has shown its interpretation of what the future of plug-in motor homes could be. It's called the Dethleffs e.home concept and it envisions a...

Chanje electric delivery truck from China to go on sale this year

Chanje medium-duty electric truckA new electric-vehicle company called Chanje isn't focused on cars; instead, has set its sights on what it believes is a prime market for electric vehicles. That market is medium-duty delivery trucks, of which there are 7 million in the United States. About 500,000 new commercial-delivery trucks are sold each year. Chanje's electric truck, its...

Cummins electric semi truck: traditional maker takes on Tesla

Cummins Urban Hauler Tractor conceptThe well-established Cummins company chose an appropriate time to reveal its all-electric semi tractor concept: just before Tesla prepares to reveal its own electric semi next month. The traditional diesel-engine maker debuted its Urban Hauler Tractor, a Class 7 semi truck with a 44,000-pound payload. Notably, the company called the semi truck a...

Green car concepts, production models at Frankfurt auto show

Honda Urban EV concept teased ahead of Frankfurt auto showAlthough a handful of automakers have opted to skip the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, there are still plenty of new green concept cars and production models confirmed to make their debut. Leading up to the media days of the 2017 Frankfurt show, we will continue to update this running list of what is confirmed and what potentially may make its debut...

Cadillac XT5 crossover gets mild-hybrid system in China

Cadillac XT5 Hybrid ChinaCadillac revealed its latest addition to the XT5 crossover range in China at the Chengdu auto show—and it has fuel efficiency in mind. General Motors' luxury division introduced the Cadillac XT5 Hybrid, which replaces two trim levels solely powered by gasoline engines. The Cadillac XT5 Hybrid is, in fact, the first mild hybrid ever offered...

Used Renault electric-car batteries provide DC fast-charging on highway

Renault Connected Energy charging station powered by second-life batteriesRenault hasn't tackled the home-energy storage market to the degree its alliance partner Nissan has, but it has found another use for "second-life" batteries. The French brand has worked with UK-based Connected Energy to install two electric-car DC fast-charging stations powered by second-life batteries. Once the energy capacity of lithium-ion...

China’s electric-car sales now twice those in US for Jan-June 2017

2016 BYD Tang plug-in hybrid SUV, made in ChinaHard numbers provide the latest evidence that shows China is by far the world's largest market for plug-in cars—or new energy vehicles, as they are referred to locally. The latest round of sales figures show the Chinese bought almost exactly twice the number of plug-in vehicles as car buyers in the United States did. Despite the high...

Tesla wins Michigan court fight to get e-mails by lobbyist, lawmaker

Tesla Store Los Angeles [photo: Misha Bruk / MBH Architects]As a Tesla lawsuit over the state of Michigan's dealership franchise law grinds on, the Silicon Valley automaker scored a recent legal victory. A federal magistrate has ordered two Michigan lawmakers to turn over their communications to the company's lawyers, including emails they sent to lobbyist groups. State Senator Joe Hune and State...

Used diesel demand drops in Germany over fear of software upgrades

Volkswagen TDI diesel vehicles owned by Phil Grate and family, Seattle, WashingtonDiesel-powered cars, long a staple on European roads, are starting to lose favor as million of dollars of inventory begins to pile up in used diesel models. The inventory, largely recent models certified under the superseded Euro-5 emission standards, has boomed recently over the possibility the cars will not meet future emission limits to be...

Transparent solar cells to let Audi capture energy from glass roofs

Audi and Chinese firm Alta Devices team up to develop a glass solar roof panelSolar energy has long generated electricity both on building roofs and in huge "solar farms" for utility companies, but only a few cars have had solar panels on their bodies. Solar roofs aren't a new concept, but Audi and Alta Devices' solution would be the most transparent photovoltaic solar roof implementation yet—literally. The German...