U.S. planning to sue Fiat Chrysler over diesel emissions: report

2015 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel HFEThe U.S. Justice Department may be planning to file a lawsuit against Fiat Chrysler over allegations that the engines in its light-duty diesel trucks included equipment to defeat Environmental Protection Agency emissions tests. A report from Bloomberg last week cites unnamed sources who were briefed on the forthcoming suit. The equipment in...

Mercedes launches home energy-storage battery, echoing Tesla

Mercedes-Benz Energy BatteryAs Tesla regularly points out, the lithium-ion battery cells used in electric cars can also serve in home energy-storage units. Now, a Daimler company will go up against Tesla in that field under the branding of its most famous luxury-car make. Mercedes-Benz Energy announced yesterday that it is working with Vivint Solar to develop home...

Musk fires head of automation firm key to Tesla Model 3 factory

Elon Musk plugs a Tesla Model S into a Supercharger (Image: deanslavnich on Twitter)Tesla and Klaus Grohmann have parted ways. Reuters reports Tesla CEO Elon Musk ousted Grohmann over the executives concerns over how his company's legacy clients, including Tesla rivals like Daimler and BMW, would be served in the future. Grohmann's company, Grohmann Engineering, specializes in automation, and Tesla purchased the company last...

New all-electric Mini E to launch in 2019 as halo for brand

MINI E electric cars used in vehicle-to-grid test. Photo by University of Delaware/Evan KrapeThe first Mini E, cobbled together by putting a battery pack where the rear seat used to be, was BMW's very first attempt at building a modern electric car. Only a few hundred were built, back in 2009, but the quick project gave the German company real-world experience on how electric-car drivers used their cars, recharged them, and otherwise...

EPA’s Ann Arbor test lab threatened; emission tests in the balance

The White House, Washington, D.C.  [Creative Commons license by dcjohn]The 436 scientists who spend their days testing new vehicles and enforcing environmental rules at the National Fuel Emissions Lab in Ann Arbor, Michigan, face a very uncertain future. The lab sits in the crosshairs of President Trump's proposed budget, which eliminates 99 percent of its funding, as part of a 31-percent cut to the overall...

Used Tesla Model S values stay higher than expected

2017 Tesla Model SA new report from Autolist says the Tesla Model S is faring well as a used car when compared to other luxury models. On average, the electric car sells in around 87 days, which is about 5 percent faster than competitors. The report compared the Model S to the Audi A7, Porsche Panamera, BMW 6 Series, Mercedes-Benz CLS and Lexus LS 460. CHECK OUT...

Jeep Yuntu Concept for Shanghai may have plug-in hybrid powertrain

Jeep Yuntu concept, 2017 Shanghai auto show    [photo: Ronan Glon]The Jeep Yunto Concept made its debut Wednesday at the Shanghai auto show, and it appears to be a plug-in hybrid. The automaker has been tight-lipped about the concept's drivetrain, but the vehicle on display in China clearly shows "PHEV" badges on the front doors. No surprise there, as the Chinese government is currently pushing alternative fuel...

Ending tax credits would kill electric-car market, Edmunds says

2017 Nissan Leaf  The electric-car market may be in for a serious downturn when current federal tax incentives end, assuming the Trump administration declines to extend them, according to a new analysis. In 2010, the government began offering tax credits of $2,500 to $7,500 to the first 200,000 U.S. buyers of plug-in electric vehicles from each automaker. Those...

Most Fords will be hybrid or electric by 2025 … in China

2012 Ford Focus Electric launch, New York City, January 2011 - Nancy GioiaFord has aggressive electrification plans for China. In a recent announcement, the U.S. automaker said that 70 percent of the vehicles it sells in the country by 2025 will be hybrids—either plug-in or conventional—or fully electric. Ford builds vehicles in China through a joint venture with Chongqing Changan Automobile Company, and the...