Baojun E100: GM’s tiny, two-seat electric car for China

Baojun E100 electric carMost North Americans and Europeans will likely never have heard of Baojun, but it's one of many brands operated under General Motors' SAIC-GM-Wuling joint venture in China. Its portfolio is mostly made up of small sedans, multi-purpose vehicles (small minivans), hatchbacks, and a crossover utility vehicle, but the brand recently undertook its...

Senate panel rejects clean-energy cuts, boosts DoE funding instead

Offshore wind farmThe Senate Committee on Appropriations recently exhibited a quality somewhat rare in U.S. politics these days: bipartisanship. The committee released a lengthy report on the 2018 fiscal year budget for the Department of Energy that walks away from the Trump Administration's efforts to defund clean energy. In fact, the committee voted on a...

Electric cars after 46 years: Chevy Bolt EV vs lunar rover

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV vs Lunar RoverPresident John F. Kennedy challenged the United States to put a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s, and the country's space agency met his challenge with five months to go. However, in 1971, NASA sent a remarkable piece of equipment into space with astronauts—the Lunar Rover—which was actually designed and built by General Motors...

Another ‘electric highway, 1,250 miles along Australia’s coast

Prototype EVgo 350-kw fast-charging station Fremont, CAThe country of Australia is poised to build one of the world's longest "electric highways," which will span 1,250 miles (2,000 kilometers). Specifically, the Northwest region of the country will see the electric highway open through the state of Queensland. In total, 18 stations will be installed along the route, which spans the east coast from...

Another ‘electric highway, 1,250 miles along Australia’s coast

Prototype EVgo 350-kw fast-charging station Fremont, CAThe country of Australia is poised to build one of the world's longest "electric highways," which will span 1,250 miles (2,000 kilometers). Specifically, the Northwest region of the country will see the electric highway open through the state of Queensland. In total, 18 stations will be installed along the route, which spans the east coast from...

Electric-car discovery, education centers are now a thing

Plug'n Drive Education Center TorontoBreaking with routine and tradition is never easy, especially when it comes to buying, owning, and operating a vehicle powered by an internal-combustion engine. Around the world, roughly 1 billion vehicle owners stop at fuel stations and keep cars powered by fossil fuels running—and have done for a century now. Inevitably, it will take more...

Better alkaline batteries, made rechargeable, to power electric cars?

Tesla Motors - Model S lithium-ion battery packAlkaline batteries have been a staple energy source for decades, but their potential has been capped by their chemical properties. Notably, alkaline batteries cannot be recharged, which means their application is often limited to single usess in small devices such as flashlights and remote controls. An alkaline battery finding its way to an...

Tesla Model 3 Performance version coming, after ‘production hell’ ends

2017 Tesla Model 3, in photo tweeted by Elon Musk on July 9, 2017Now that the Tesla Model 3 has officially entered production, the electric-car maker's main goal will be to ensure the manufacturing process ramps up smoothly. With 1,800 new reservations reportedly placed each day for the affordable electric sedan, Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to Twitter to confirm the company needs to get through six months of...

Best deals on hybrid, electric, fuel-efficient cars for August 2017

2013 Toyota Avalon HybridAs North America rounds out the final weeks of summer, plenty of discounts and deals remain on fuel-efficient, hybrid, and electric cars. The month of August sees a number of familiar nameplates remain as best buys, while a few newcomers arrive to represent excellent new values. Below are August's best deals on hybrid, electric, and fuel-efficient...

New engine development at German makers to end by 2025, says supplier

BMW engineContinental, a major supplier for automakers around the world, has come out with a bold prediction: internal-combustion engine development by German automakers will essentially end by the year 2025. The supplier, which makes exhaust-gas-cleaning systems for diesel cars and nitrogen oxide-measuring sensors, lists several factors contributing to its...

Faraday Future gets $14 million; factory moved to CA from Vegas

Artist’s impression of Faraday Future’s proposed plant in Hanford, CaliforniaElectric-car maker Faraday Future has received an emergency injection of $14 million to move its FF 91 luxury electric car closer to market. The rescue funds come in the form of a loan from Innovatus Capital Partners, after Faraday Future pledged its California-based headquarters as collateral. For now, the $14 million will keep the company afloat...

Nissan Leaf electric car platform to spawn more models, SUV included: report

Teaser for 2018 Nissan Leaf debuting on September 6, 2017The 2018 Nissan Leaf apparently won't be the brand's lone electric car for much longer, if a new report with details on plans to expand the electric car's underpinnings to additional models proves accurate. Following the introduction of the second-generation 2018 Nissan Leaf, the electric car's platform will spawn multiple models, and an electric...

Smallest SUVs most popular in US Midwest, less so in west, south

2018 Buick EncoreThe small SUV segment has ballooned into a hugely important market for many automakers, as consumers continue to shift from traditional sedans to crossovers and other utility vehicles. The smallest of the expanding array of SUVs on the market offers the flexibility of a hatchback or wagon, combined with the higher driving position many Americans...

Carmaker lobbyist urges fuel-economy deal that keeps CAFE requirements

Gas pumpAutomakers have united behind a somewhat surprising position: reviews of corporate average fuel economy rules should not involve scrapping the current standards. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a lobbying group that represents automakers building cars in the U.S., has asked the Trump administration to solidify a deal that keeps higher...

VW exec to plead guilty to diesel cheating charges after jail, house arrest

2015 Volkswagen Golf TDI SEIt has been almost two years since Volkswagen changed the prospects for diesel-powered cars when it admitted to eight years' worth of cheating on emissions tests for its so-called clean diesel vehicles. The effects of the German automaker's diesel scandal are still unfolding today, not only in the United States, but in Europe as well. Another...

Tesla Model S, Model X electric cars updated with new features

2017 Tesla Model SBefore the Tesla Model 3 officially entered production, the electric-car maker shuffled features on its Model S to provide a clear distinction between the two sedans. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has often said those looking for luxury will be happiest in a Model S, while the Model 3 remains a much more straightforward piece of transportation. The updates...

BP follows other gas-station brands, adds electric-car charging

Highway sign for electric-car fast-charging station at BP in Metrolina area of Charlotte, NCMajor oil companies are beginning to take the threat of electric cars seriously, and the latest evidence comes from British Petroleum. BP has begun discussions with electric-vehicle makers to partner on a network of charging stations. The move comes as many European countries announce plans to ban the sale of fossil-fuel powered cars in coming...

Decline of oil: Bloomberg suggests what it could look like

Oil well (photo by John Hill)Predictions on the future of global energy vary greatly, but many analysts largely believe that peak demand for the oil industry is coming relatively soon. The world's largest oil companies, however, see it differently: they say their business will only continue to grow through the year 2040. Exxon and OPEC each believe more than 100 million...