It'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... Electric Mini officially confirmed by BMW CEO, also electric BMW X3
It'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...
Today, the Nissan Leaf S base model gets the same 30-kilowatt-hour battery pack previous offered only on higher trim levels, Germany contemplates a ban on sales of new internal-combustion cars after 2030, and automakers show more interest in the Formula E electric-car race series. All this and more on Green Car Reports. The Nissan Leaf S quietly...
The 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...
One 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...
Three seasons in, the Formula E electric-car racing series is finally starting to attract major attention from large carmakers. As the season's opening race got underway in Hong Kong over the weekend, Formula E boasted new entries from carmakers and promises from several more to expand their participation or to launch new teams. The Hong Kong race...
Electric-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...
Today, we have efficiency ratings for the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime plug-in hybrid, Consumer Reports' opinion of Tesla's updated Autopilot system, and General Motors makes its first allocations of 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric cars to dealers. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Check out our first drive of the Toyota Prius Prime, electric...
The 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...
Back 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...
After 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...
The 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...
Cars 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...
Today, we have a report from an electric motorcycle road trip to the four corners of the U.S., opinions on the Toyota Prius hybrid's styling, and the possibility of the Volkswagen Beetle going electric in an upcoming redesign. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Read about lessons learned from a trip across the U.S. on an electric motorcycle...
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...
The 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...
Electric-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...
With 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...
Today, California considers restricting use of the term "auto-pilot," the 2017 Ford F-150 full-size pickup truck gets a slight bump in fuel economy with its new 10-speed automatic transmission, and Henrik Fisker says his proposed electric car will use graphene batteries. All this and more on Green Car Reports. A Tesla owner weighs in on...
The 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...