AAA raises Tesla insurance rates 30 percent; company disputes analysis

2017 Tesla Model SIt's never a good day to learn one's insurance rates are rising, but AAA has decided the Tesla Model S and Model X warrant 30 percent increases. AAA combed through its own data and found Model S and Model X owners had abnormally high claim rates. The claim rates were also much costlier than competing vehicles in the Model S and Model X's respected...

Audi confirms (again) 3 electric cars on the market by 2020

Audi e-tron Quattro concept - 2016 Consumer Electronics ShowGerman automakers are beginning to play catch-up with electric vehicles, as Tesla continues to corner the market. Audi has once again reconfirmed its plans to bring three battery-powered electric vehicles to production by the year 2020. The German luxury brand reiterated the plan at the annual general meeting in Neckarsulm, Germany, and said it...

Lots of ways to get $10K off 2017 Nissan Leaf electric car by end of June

2017 Nissan Leaf  The 2017 Nissan Leaf might well be the hottest electric car deal on the market right now, with a slew of potential discounts. Nissan is working with numerous partners to provide $10,000 off a 2017 Leaf lease, which adds to the $7,500 federal income-tax credit, giving a total of $17,500 in incentives. Among the partners offering the $10,000...

From coal miner to wind-farm worker: Wyoming retraining program

Offshore wind farmPresident Donald Trump has announced his intention to pull the United States from the Paris Climate Pact, but private companies and other entities are taking on the challenge of clean energy themselves. Goldwind Americas, a subsidiary of a leading Chinese wind-turbine manufacturer, continues to expand in the United States and it has eyed Wyoming...

Why Havelaar founder wanted an electric pickup truck: Japan’s disaster

Havelaar Bison electric pickup truckA Canadian company by the name of Havelaar has tossed its hat into the electric pickup-truck ring with the reveal of its purpose-built Bison pickup. The launch underscores the potential many companies are trying to tap as the market for electric vehicles of various types continues to grow, slowly but surely. Havelaar's founder, 28-year-old Tony...

Hyundai Ioniq Electric: what happens when battery is run down to the end?

2017 Hyundai Ioniq Electric battery depletedOne owner has now run his 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Electric's battery down all the way to "empty" so other owners know what to expect. The Ioniq Electric is EPA-rated at 124 miles of range from the 28-kwh battery pack that powers an 88-kilowatt (118-horsepower) electric motor. The driver in the video tells viewers that his car has been returning 137...

NEVS reveals Chinese electric cars based on former Saab 9-3, 9-3X models

NEVS 9-3 concept, 2017 CES AsiaSwedish auto brand Saab may never return, but the company NEVS has officially debuted its electric cars adapted from Saab assets it acquired following the brand's fall from grace. NEVS (National Electric Vehicle Sweden) is, in fact, a Swedish company, though it's backed by Chinese investors. And the new 9-3 series is NEVS' first major production...

Havelaar Bison all-electric utility truck announced by Canadian company

Havelaar Bison electric pickupThe electric-vehicle market remains in infancy, but non-traditional automakers are beginning to explore and tap the potential market for multiple types of vehicles powered by batteries. Canadian company Havelaar is the most recent to try its hand at an electric vehicle; like a few other companies, it's proposing a purpose-built electric truck. The...

Lasting legacy of VW diesel scandal: EU gets serious about testing

Volkswagen Plant, Wolfsburg, Germany (photo by Richard Bartz)The Volkswagen diesel scandal left lasting imprints on the entire automotive industry, and may have changed the way regulators look at vehicles using the fuel forever. That's true not just in the United States, but elsewhere as well. The European Union is now increasing its efforts to make sure a scandal like Volkswagen's can never happen again...

Fuel-efficiency rules create jobs too, contrary to industry plaints

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV pre-production vehicles at Orion Township Assembly Plant, March 2016Fuel economy and emission standards have been a contentious issue in recent months as the auto industry and government officials clash over regulations and their potential benefits. Earlier this year, one of the largest pieces of evidence against more stringent fuel economy regulations came from former Ford CEO Mark Fields. Fields told President...