It's been almost six years since the Nissan Leaf electric car debuted in December 2010, as a 2011 model. That makes the current-generation Leaf fairly old by industry standards. Nonetheless, the Leaf rolls into the 2017 model year all but unchanged as Nissan prepares a redesigned second-generation model for launch at some future date. DON'T MISS... 2017 Nissan Leaf specs: all 30-kwh batteries, otherwise unchanged
It's been almost six years since the Nissan Leaf electric car debuted in December 2010, as a 2011 model. That makes the current-generation Leaf fairly old by industry standards. Nonetheless, the Leaf rolls into the 2017 model year all but unchanged as Nissan prepares a redesigned second-generation model for launch at some future date. DON'T MISS... 
General Motors insists on calling its 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV a crossover utility vehicle. That's despite the fact that its award-winning 238-mile electric car isn't available with all-wheel drive, and has no more ground clearance than an average passenger car. But hey, if the Bolt EV can be an SUV, then why not the Chevy Spark subcompact hatchback... 
Today, we name our Green Car Reports Best Car To Buy 2017, preview green cars for the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show, and see why Volkswagen may have a difficult time settling pending criminal charges. All this and more on Green Car Reports. See how Vanderbilt University researchers made a working battery from scrap metal and household chemicals. Say... 
The 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show gets underway this week, and a few notable green cars are expected to debut there. The current popularity of crossover utility vehicles is evident in the numerous new or redesigned crossover models lined for the L.A. show. A smattering of other models will debut as well, but crossovers could very well represent the... ![BMW ActiveE electric car in front of old gas pumps, Belvidere, NJ [photo: Tom Moloughney]](http://images.hgmsites.net/tmb/bmw-activee-electric-car-in-front-of-old-gas-pumps-belvidere-nj-photo-tom-moloughney_100412542_t.gif)
Critics of electric cars often use the argument that, because electric-car drivers don't pay gas taxes, they don't contribute their fair share of road-maintenance costs. But state gas-tax revenue don't necessarily go toward funding infrastructure, or at least not all of it. In last Tuesday's election, voters in one state ensured that their... 
The Volkswagen 2.0-liter diesel settlement was approved in late October, but the company's troubles are far from over. VW still needs to reach a settlement with regulators over a smaller number of TDI models equipped with 3.0-liter V-6 engines, and it faces multiple additional lawsuits. It hopes to address most of those issues before... 
The increasing importance of batteries for electric cars, renewable energy, and consumer electronics has researchers looking for alternatives to the currently-dominant lithium-ion chemistry. But could one of those alternatives be a combination of junkyard scarp metal and household chemicals? That's what a group of researchers are proposing, in the... 
Today, a proud climate-science denier will head President-elect Donald Trump's EPA transition team, we recap past winners of our Green Car Reports Best Car To Buy award, and Workhorse announces an extended-range electric pickup truck. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Commercial-truck manufacturer Workhorse announces an extended-range... ![The White House, Washington, D.C. [Creative Commons license by dcjohn]](http://images.hgmsites.net/tmb/white-house_100170583_t.gif)
It didn't take long for the country to get its first indication of what a Donald Trump Administration could mean for U.S. climate policy. Trump has repeatedly denied the science of climate change, calling it a "hoax" at times. Prior to his Tuesday election victory, he also named a top climate-science denier to head his Environmental Protection... 
The debate over U.S. energy policy took a dramatic turn last month when Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk squared off against the CEO top privately-owned U.S. coal producer Murray Energy. In an interview for the CNBC show "Squawk Box," Robert Murray called Tesla and its electric cars a "fraud." He criticized the automaker for failing to turn a profit... 
It's once again time to look at the best deals on green cars. As we get further into the 2017 model year, manufacturers are becoming more eager to eliminate leftover inventory of 2016 models, creating some good opportunities for bargain-hunting car shoppers. As always, our list spans hybrids, plug-in hybrids, electric cars, and fuel-efficient... 
Last year, Amp Electric brought the Workhorse truck group from Navistar (formerly International), with the goal of developing electric commercial vehicles. Since then, Workhorse has delivered 125 electric delivery vans to United Parcel Service (UPS). Now it plans to expand into the pickup-truck market as well. CHECK OUT: Amp Electric's Workhorse... 
Today, we take a close look at Tesla Autopilot crash data, the Department of Energy indicates U.S. renewable energy use will grow in 2017, and the 2017 Nissan Versa Note appears ahead of the 2016 Detroit Auto Show. All this and more on Green Car Reports. A look at Tesla's own statistics shows that Autopilot has a higher crash rate than human... 
The 2017 Nissan Versa Note subcompact hatchback will appear at the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show later this year with minor updates. Introduced to the U.S. as a 2014 model alongside the Versa sedan, the Note hatchback has never made as much of an impact here as it has in other markets. For 2017, the current-generation model will remain mostly... 
Individual dealers and several competitor automakers have already tried to cash in on the Volkswagen diesel settlement, but VW itself hasn't offered any notable incentives since the settlement was approved. The settlement applies to 2.0-liter 4-cylinder TDI diesel cars found to have illegal "defeat device" software. It gives owners the options to... 
U.S. renewable-energy generating capacity is not only growing, but it is beginning to erode coal's share of the electricity-generating mix, according to new data from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The agency predicts renewable energy—particularly solar power—to continue growing. At the same time, a combination of renewable... 
Over the past decade and a half, Audi has built a racing dynasty. The German luxury automaker has dominated the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race, one of the most prestigious events in motorsports. But that dominance is coming to an end. DON'T MISS: How to promote a Porsche hybrid? Bring its Le Mans sibling into rush-hour traffic Audi will pull... 
As low oil prices remain steady, many oil companies have been forced to write down the value of their reserves. It's something oil giant ExxonMobil has resisted, even as its revenues have dropped. But the company is now expected to reassess the value of 3.6 billion barrels of oil-sand reserves, and 1 billion barrels of other North American oil... 
Today, Shell predicts oil demand could peak by 2020, automakers use the loose definitions of different SUV categories to make meeting fuel-economy standards easier, and Faraday Future backer LeEco runs out of cash. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Faraday Future backer LeEco is running out of cash, the company's CEO recently admitted in a... 
China is known for having some of the most polluted air in the world. But officials in one Chinese city found a way to at least make that air appear cleaner, for awhile. Like many Chinese cities, Xi'an, the provincial capital of Shaanxi, in the northern part of the country, has air-monitoring equipment. DON'T MISS: Coal in China: huge problem for...