Electric Mini officially confirmed by BMW CEO, also electric BMW X3

2016 MINI Cooper S Convertible  -  First DriveIt's increasingly evident that BMW will offer all-electric versions of existing models, departing from its previous strategy of building dedicated plug-in models under the "i" sub-brand. The carmaker has said it would add all-electric versions of the next-generation X3 crossover, as well as an unspecified Mini model. The move comes as BMW seeks to...

Best deals on hybrid, electric, fuel-efficient cars for October 2016

2017 Mitsubishi Mirage G4The leaves are beginning to change, and so are the deals on green cars. Our monthly survey of best deals on hybrid, plug-in electric, and fuel-efficient cars includes some new models, as well as some with incentives retained from previous months. As we get further into the 2017 model year, carmakers are getting more eager to rid themselves of...

Why lithium-ion cells with hollow cores matter (Apple Car or not)

Apple storeOne of the biggest news stories in the automotive industry has been a car that still isn't officially confirmed to exist. It's "Project Titan," Apple's much-discussed project to allegedly develop an electric car. Now, reports out of South Korea indicate that the most unusual feature of this rumored electric car—if it exists—could very...

Hydrogen fuel-station finder app launched by Air Liquide

Air Liquide hydrogen fueling stationElectric-car drivers can rely on several different locator apps to find nearby public charging stations as they travel. While only a handful of public hydrogen fueling stations are operational at the moment, drivers of fuel-cell cars now have their own station-tracking app as well. Hydrogen-infrastructure company Air Liquide launched the new app...

Tesla Autopilot 8.0 better, still needs improvement, says Consumer Reports

2016 Tesla Model SThe magazine Consumer Reports has been one of the most vocal critics of Tesla's Autopilot driver-assistance system. It has called for Tesla to disable Autopilot's automated-steering feature, calling the technology "too much, too soon." It also called on Tesla to stop using the "Autopilot" name, claiming it could be misleading. DON'T MISS: Consumer...

EPA proposes to add more ethanol blends to ‘Flex Fuel’ category

FlexFuel badge on E85-capable 2009 Chevrolet HHRBack in 2007, the Energy Independent and Security Act included a Renewable Fuel Standard intended to boost adoption of lower-emission alternative fuels. It mandated increasingly-large amounts of ethanol to be blended with the U.S. fuel supply. Just under a decade later, the legislation has attracted criticism from both opponents of ethanol and the...

UN deal reached to limit, offset global aviation emissions

Airbus A320After much discussion, the United Nations' aviation agency plans to set limits on emissions from international airline flights. The agreement ratified by members of the UN International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) sets airlines' carbon emissions in the year 2020 as the ceiling of the total amount that will be legally allowed. Airlines that...

2018 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive preview

2017 Smart ForTwo Electric DriveThe redesigned 2018 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive debuted just before the recent the 2016 Paris Motor Show. It switches over to the current-generation ForTwo platform, introduced as a gasoline-powered coupe version for the 2016 model year. As with the outgoing-generation model, the 2018 ForTwo Electric Drive will be available as either a coupe or...

LNG-powered cruise ships to enter service in 2019

Costa Fortuna cruise shipCars and trucks aren't the only source of transportation-related carbon emissions. The massive ships that ply the world's oceans are major sources of pollution as well, but generally receive less attention from regulators. But one cruise line is now taking steps to reduce the environmental impact of its fleet. DON'T MISS: Cruise ships start to...

Hydro-power reservoirs emit methane, a greenhouse gas: no free lunch?

Hoover Dam by Flickr user Airwolfhound (Used under CC License)The energy sources used to generate grid electricity can be a major source of greenhouse-gas emissions, and thus they affect the environmental impact of electric cars. The cleaner the electricity used to charge an electric car, the cleaner that car becomes in operation. And among potential energy sources, hydroelectric power from dams would seem...

2017 BMW i3 preview

2017 BMW i3The 2017 BMW i3 represents the first significant update of BMW's electric car since it went on sale in the U.S. back in May 2014. This mid-cycle refresh includes several updates, most notably a much larger battery pack and a corresponding increase in its EPA-rated range. Battery capacity rises 50 percent, from 22 to 33 kilowatt hours, and BMW says...

Tomorrow is National Hydrogen Day, and Honda Clarity is there

2017 Honda Clarity Fuel CellElectric-car advocates have National Drive Electric Week, an annual event dedicated to the promotion of cars with plugs that has actually gone international. Now, advocates of hydrogen fuel-cell cars have their own awareness event too. It's called National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day, and it's being held tomorrow—a Saturday—for a very...

Toyota Prius design, popular in Japan, not a hit in U.S.

2017 Toyota PriusWith the fourth-generation Prius hybrid, Toyota focused not only on improving efficiency, but on making its halo car more appealing to a wider range of consumers. Part of that strategy involved adopting a highly-stylized exterior that differed radically from that of previous models. But could the new styling of the fourth-generation Prius actually...

Toyota Prius design, popular in Japan, not a hit in U.S.

2017 Toyota PriusWith the fourth-generation Prius hybrid, Toyota focused not only on improving efficiency, but on making its halo car more appealing to a wider range of consumers. Part of that strategy involved adopting a highly-stylized exterior that differed radically from that of previous models. But could the new styling of the fourth-generation Prius actually...

2017 Ford F-150 pickup gas mileage rises to 21 mpg combined

2017 Ford F-150The 2017 Ford F-150 full-size pickup truck get sa slight fuel-economy bump this year, via the addition of a new 10-speed automatic transmission and an updated 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V-6 engine. Equipped with this powertrain, the 2017 F-150 is rated at 21 mpg combined (18 city, 25 highway) with rear-wheel drive, and 20 mpg combined...