Tesla plans major U.S. expansion of Supercharger fast-charging

Tesla Model S at Supercharger site in Ventura, CA, with just one slot open  [photo: David Noland]Tesla will undertake a major expansion of its Supercharger network of DC fast-charging stations this year. The Silicon Valley automaker is already one of the most committed to offering widespread DC fast charging, positioning the stations as a way for customers to complete longer journeys more easily. After expansion slowed in 2016, Tesla hopes to...

Coal industry hopes to don disguise as clean-power player via carbon capture

Coal, by Flicker user oatsy40 (Used Under CC License)As a presidential candidate, Donald Trump vowed to "bring back coal" as part of a larger program to encourage greater production of fossil fuels. But the coal industry believes it needs more than an ostensibly friendly administration in Washington to survive. With coal production down and electric utilities continuing to switch to lower-cost...

Volvo concept truck uses hybrid power to cut fuel use, emissions

Volvo Concept TruckBecause they cover significantly more mileage than the average passenger car, with much worse fuel economy, large commercial trucks are a major source of emissions. Last year, Volvo Trucks aimed to address this issue with a concept truck that demonstrated ways to improve fuel efficiency through aerodynamics and weight reduction. Volvo Trucks sells...

Biofuel, fossil-fuel lobbyists join to fight electric-car incentives

Big square baler harvesting wheat straw for production of cellulosic ethanolAs the old saying goes: the enemy of my enemy is my friend. The biofuel and fossil-fuel lobbies have argued in the past over the blending of biofuels with the general fuel supply. But now the two groups have found something they can agree on. DON'T MISS: Sierra Club to sue EPA over failure to report on ethanol A U.S. biofuel-lobbying group is...

Industry should standardize electric-car trip data, Ford says

2017 Ford Focus ElectricAs in other industries, "big data" is an increasingly common buzzword these days in discussions of electric cars. Last November, several research entities presented relevant data sets and advocated for their use at an electric-car "datathon" hosted by the White House. Putting theory into practice, Ford has now analyzed customer data to analyze how...

Tesla has become a U.S. Big Three carmaker (by market value)

2017 Tesla Model STesla Motors has spent more than 10 years beating the odds for startup automakers. Most new, independent makers barely survive long enough to produce a handful of vehicles, let alone sell more than 100,000 and garner praise from both customers and the media—as the electric-car startup has done. Now the Silicon Valley automaker can claim...

California local governments share how to prepare for electric cars

Record-breaking electric-car parade in Cupertino, California. Photo courtesy of Plug In America.California leads the way when it comes to electric-car adoption in the U.S. That's due in large part to a zero-emission vehicle mandate that requires the largest-volume automakers to sell cars without tailpipes, combined with a generous state purchase incentive that encourages residents to buy them. But local governments have also played an...

VW exec pleads not guilty on diesel cheating charges

2010 Volkswagen Golf TDIA Volkswagen executive appeared in a federal courtroom in Detroit on Thursday to be arraigned on charges related to the automaker's diesel-emissions cheating. Oliver Schmidt previously headed the VW Group's U.S. regulatory compliance group. He was arrested by the FBI in Florida last month, while attempting to return home to Germany from a...

Musk responds to Tesla line workers on wages, injuries, confidentiality

Tesla factory, Fremont, CaliforniaTesla CEO Elon Musk has responded vigorously to an employee's claims of low wages and commonplace on-the-job injuries. In an email to employees and statements to media outlets, Musk denied the claims and accused the employee who made them of being a paid union agitator. Earlier this month, Jose Moran said Tesla employees, "routinely work well over...

Sierra Club to sue EPA over failure to report on ethanol

FlexFuel badge on E85-capable 2009 Chevrolet HHRThe confirmation of Scott Pruitt as Environmental Protection Agency administrator was expected to rankle environmental groups. Pruitt is a climate-science denier who, in his previous position as Oklahoma attorney general, sued the agency he is now charged with many multiple times over its efforts to enforce environmental regulations. But what may...

‘Thousands’ of self-driving Bolt EVs to be deployed next year: report

Chevrolet Bolt EV self-driving prototypeThe 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV is a crucial car for General Motors in more ways than one. With an EPA-rated 238-mile range and $37,495 base price (before federal, state, and local incentives), the Bolt EV considered a groundbreaking electric-car game changer. But the Chevy hatchback is also GM's main platform for self-driving car development. DON'T...

Why liquid hydrogen may make sense for airplanes, replacing jet fuel

KLM biofuel-powered airliner (KLM)If you want to find a major source of transportation-related emissions, just look up. Aviation currently accounts for around 2 percent of global carbon emissions, and many analysts believe its share could triple by the middle of the century if projected growth in air travel occurs. But finding alternatives to fossil fuels has proven much more...

Honda WR-V: how to make a crossover from a small hatchback

Honda WR-V (Indian-market version)Crossovers are so popular right now that several automakers are even trying to pass off conventional hatchbacks as high-riding utility vehicles. The latest example of this trend is the Honda WR-V, a new pseudo-crossover for the Indian market. Despite the extra plastic body cladding and slightly-different front and rear fascias, the WR-V looks very...

Will GM or Tesla buyers lose electric-car tax credits first?

Tesla Model 3A major contributor to electric-car sales is the program under which buyers of new electric cars qualify for a federal income-tax credit of up to $7,500. But these tax credits are not unlimited. Once a manufacturer reaches sales of 200,000 plug-in electric cars (after December 31, 2009), the credits start to phase out for that company's cars...