Some manufacturers only offer their plug-in hybrid models in certain markets, even as hybrid models are now generally offered nationwide. Like electric cars, plug-in hybrid sales are sometimes limited to markets deemed suitably friendly to these types of vehicles by their makers. But Hyundai has a more ambitious strategy. DON'T MISS: 2017 Hyundai... Hyundai Ioniq, Sonata plug-in hybrids available anywhere in U.S.
Some manufacturers only offer their plug-in hybrid models in certain markets, even as hybrid models are now generally offered nationwide. Like electric cars, plug-in hybrid sales are sometimes limited to markets deemed suitably friendly to these types of vehicles by their makers. But Hyundai has a more ambitious strategy. DON'T MISS: 2017 Hyundai...
The Ford Transit Connect small van has proven popular among U.S. taxi drivers. In some cities, you're just as likely to find Transit Connect taxis plying the streets as traditional sedans—especially in taxi-rich New York City. But now Ford plans to put a new—and greener—spin on this workaday vehicle. DON'T MISS: Ford plans...
Today, Ford announces a slew of new electrified vehicles, the Chrysler Portal electric-car concept appears ahead of CES, and Tesla tests an Autopilot software update on a small number of cars. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Catch up on last week's news with our Week in Reverse feature. More solar-energy generating capacity was added in...
The annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas has become a major venue for automakers. Increased interest in connectivity and autonomous driving, as well as collaborations with tech companies, have led to a greater automaker presence at CES, held just before the annual Detroit Auto Show. Last year, General Motors chose CES, and not the auto...
Tesla Motors is now beginning to roll out upgraded software to accompany the more complex suite of sensors known as "Hardware 2" that launched in October. All Model S and Model X electric cars built since then have this array of eight cameras, 12 ultrasonic sensors, as opposed to the less-elaborate "Hardware 1" package used previously. But while...
The United Kingdom is increasing its use of low-carbon energy sources as it moves to phase out coal-fired power plants altogether by 2025. Renewable-energy sources such as wind and solar, combined with nuclear power and generating plants fired with renewable wood pellets, are displacing fossil fuels in the country's electricity-generation mix...
It appears that Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak—also known as "Woz"—is getting his 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV after all. In September, the car's chief engineer, Josh Tavel, showed Woz a pre-production version of the Bolt EV, and took him for a ride. Woz seemed to like what he saw. DON'T MISS: Woz got a Tesla, not a Chevy Bolt EV...
Of the new cars sold globally in 2020, what percentage will be electric? It's a simple question, but at the moment there doesn't appear to be a clear answer. Estimates of electric-car market share approximately three years from now vary widely, as do those for periods further beyond that. DON'T MISS: Electric Cars To Be 35 Percent Of Global Sales...
Renewable-energy growth has accelerated in 2016, but this may go down as a milestone year for one renewable-energy source in particular. Together, all renewable-energy sources are expected to account for 8 percent of U.S. electricity-generation capacity in 2017, according to the Department of Energy, and solar energy is responsible for most of...
Today, we drive the 2017 Kia Niro hybrid, Tesla uses data to develop self-driving cars, and President-elect Donald Trump's advisors may be against ethanol. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Tesla is just one of many companies working to develop self-driving cars, but could a trove of real-world data give it an advantage? Despite what...
As President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration draws closer, confusion still surrounds many of his possible energy policies. During the campaign, Trump indicated that he supported ethanol, even while he called for expansion of domestic fossil-fuel production. In January, he said he supported the Renewable Fuel Standard, which mandates that growing...
The Renault Zoe is the best-selling electric car in Europe, and it has just received a significant battery upgrade. Unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in September, the updated Zoe sports a 41-kilowatt-hour battery pack, up from 22 kwh in earlier versions. Renault says that capacity will allow a range of 300 to 400 kilometers (185 to 250 miles) on...
Lobbyists for big automakers, both domestic and foreign, make no secret about their desire for lower fuel-economy standards. One argument presented to support a lowering of standards is that the cost of compliance with current rules will be passed on to consumers in the form of higher new-car prices. Carmakers must implement efficiency-boosting...
In the automotive industry, Tesla is a leader in many respects—but it's hardly head-and-shoulders above the rest when it comes to self-driving cars. The Silicon Valley automaker is developing fully autonomous cars, but it's part of a crowded field that includes many other automakers and a handful of rich tech companies as well. Still...
Today, the outgoing Obama administration aims to quickly enact more green-car rules, the next Hyundai hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle may get a boost in range over the current Tucson Fuel Cell, and a second-generation Ford Fusion Hybrid autonomous prototype will begin testing in the new year. All this and more on Green Car Reports. The successor to the...
Last week, the massive Chinese elevated bus whose renderings had rocketed around the Internet made its first test run. The bus runs on rails embedded in the street, with room for cars to pass underneath it. Officially known as the Transit Elevated Bus, or TEB-1, it carried its first passengers on a stretch of street in the city of Qinhuangdao...
If you see a Ford Fusion Hybrid mid-size sedan cruising along with no apparent input from the driver, rest assured that you are not hallucinating. Since 2013, Ford has used modified Fusion Hybrid sedans to test autonomous-driving technology. The automaker is now rolling out an updated version, which will form the basis for a larger fleet of test...
When it comes to regulations governing the auto industry, the Obama administration does not plan to go gentle into that good night. The outgoing administration has pushed through a number of new regulations, some related to fuel efficiency, before President-elect Donald Trump takes office next month. The move is likely a hedge against the incoming...
The current Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell was the first of the recent crop of hydrogen fuel-cell cars to go on sale; its first U.S. deliveries started back in June 2014. Since then, The Toyota Mirai and Honda Clarity Fuel Cell sedans have also become available in the U.S., though all three makers limit sales to specific regions of California. Hyundai...