Another tiny SUV? No AWD for 2018 Toyota C-HR subcompact crossover

2018 Toyota C-HRThe 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show was awash in crossover utility vehicles, including a new model from Toyota that stretches the definition of that category. The 2018 Toyota C-HR features the high driving position of a crossover, but in a vehicle with decidedly car-like styling, and without an all-wheel drive option. Adding to the confusion, the...

2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell to lease for $369 a month

2017 Honda Clarity Fuel CellThe clock is ticking, but we may still see a third hydrogen fuel-cell car go on sale in certain regions of California—alongside the Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell and Toyota Mirai—before the end of the year. The 2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell will be available through certain California dealerships before the year is out, its maker says. Honda...

European electric and plug-in hybrid sales for Jan-Sep 2016

2016 Renault Zoe electric carThe Renault Zoe again maintained the title of best-selling electric car in Europe for another month. The Renault hatchback was leading European electric-car sales in August, and we now know that it kept the lead through September, the most recent month with available data. As has been the case all year, the Zoe's main competition was the Nissan...

Why the Tesla Model S became America’s ‘most-loved vehicle’

Tesla Model S at Supercharger site in Ventura, CA, with just one slot open  [photo: David Noland]It's no secret that many Tesla Model S owners are very enthusiastic about their cars. A chance encounter with one can easily turn into a discussion of the virtues of Tesla's electric sedan—and of electric cars in general. That passion is reflected in a recent survey of owners conducted by market-research firm Strategic Vision. DON'T MISS...

2017 Jeep Compass launched in LA, new small SUV for growing Jeep lineup

2017 Jeep Compass LimitedJeeps are no longer exclusively classic SUVs (and actually haven't been for a while now). Despite some grumbling from fans, the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) division has embraced crossovers with car-like features as it aims to fill every conceivable utility-vehicle niche. Debuting at the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show, the 2017 Jeep Compass...

Faraday Future halts factory work, hopes to resume early 2017

At the groundbreaking for Faraday Future's production facility in North Las Vegas (April 13, 2016)Faraday Future's ambitious plans to launch a production electric car in less than two years appear to have hit a snag. Before the Chinese-backed startup can begin production, it needs to complete a new factory in North Las Vegas, Nevada, which has a stated cost of $1 billion. Last month, lead contractor AECOM warned Faraday that it was late on a...

BMW crosses sales of 100,000 plug-in electric cars

2017 BMW i3Almost exactly three years after the European launch of the i3 electric car in November 2013, BMW has reached a notable milestone in its electrification efforts. The German automaker says it has delivered 100,000 plug-in cars over the past three years. That figure encompasses both battery-electric cars and plug-in hybrids. DON'T MISS: New 2017...