What Trump’s ‘Energy Week’ policies actually mean

Donald TrumpThe White House declared this past week "Energy Week" and offered up a few key points on which the Trump administration plans to focus to unleash what it calls a new American dominance in energy. However, neither the initiatives nor the proposed policy changes hone in on where the world is heading: renewable energy, free of fossil fuels. Instead...

Better electric motors can boost electric-car efficiency

Electric motor, shown in 'How Does an Electric Car Work?' video by PatreonOne of the greatest challenges faced by modern electric cars is the vehicle's range, which is largely proportional to the energy capacity of the battery. Range anxiety often keeps buyers out of electric cars and in their fossil-fuel powered counterparts. Most of the attention given to solving the range dilemma has focused on the battery, but one...

To honor Energy Week, lease an electric car: 10 lessons from new EV driver

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EVThe White House has declared this week the inaugural "Energy Week," and what better way to mark the occasion than by driving electric cars? Cars that plug in to use grid energy for travel are a great catalyst for reducing energy consumption and reducing our use of fossil fuels. Now one reporter who took the plunge and leased a 2017 Chevrolet Bolt...

IIHS says Tesla electric cars have higher miles, more costly repairs

2017 Tesla Model SThe Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Highway Loss Data Institute has once again confirmed the Tesla Model S electric car is an outlier. While the Model S gets high ratings for its crash safety, it also seems to incur higher insurance losses than competing conventional cars. Higher claim frequencies, more costly repairs, and higher...

Utility V2G test with BMW shows electric cars can aid the grid

BMW i3 electric car charging in 'EV Charging Only' space, Santa Clarita, CA  [photo: Steve J. Myung]As the demand for electric cars grows, utility companies are considering their effect on local power grids—both positive and negative. Recently, California's PG&E and BMW recently wrapped up a pilot program testing experimental vehicle-to-grid technology to see if electric cars could actually aid the grid—and they did. The program...

Renault Kangoo ZE small electric van now on sale with longer range

2017 Renault Kangoo ZE           [photo: Yannick Brossard for Renault]French automaker Renault has given its small light commercial electric vehicle a handful of upgrades, including a significantly longer battery range. The Renault Kangoo ZE is now officially on sale with a longer rated range, a more powerful charging system, and a heat pump to keep the little van efficient in the coldest temperatures. Renault...

Tesla Hardware 2: so what functions work in Autopilot and what don’t?

Tesla Enhanced AutopilotThe expanded collection of sensors known as Hardware 2 continues to bring new and revamped features to the Tesla Model S and Model X electric cars. But how do the latest features offered by Autopilot stack up against those offered until last fall by the superseded Hardware 1 setup? One owner has gone through the trouble of laying everything out as...

Bizarre Swedish study claims electric cars are worse for the environment

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car at EVgo fast-charging station, Newport Centre, Jersey City, NJElectric vehicles shouldn't be considered all-out carbon footprint saviors, but they can legitimately be viewed as the great minimizers. The benefits of electric vehicles over those with internal-combustion engines are vast, but a strange new study is making rounds that claims electric cars are worse for climate-change emissions. The study...

Ubitricity LED street lamp offers electric-car charging circuit

Ubitricity street lamp charging stationA German company has brought forth its idea of how to provide convenient, cost-effective electric-car charging and now it has made its way to the United Kingdom. Ubitricity rolled out its streetlight car charging ports two years ago, but the German company has now spread its innovation to the UK. In a recent video, the Fully Charged Show takes a...

Ubitricity street lamp socket provides electric-car charging

Ubitricity street lamp charging stationA German company has brought forth its idea of how to provide convenient, cost-effective electric-car charging and now it has made its way to the United Kingdom. Ubitricity rolled out its streetlight car charging ports two years ago, but the German company has now spread its innovation to the UK. In a recent video, the Fully Charged Show takes a...