Colorado, Nevada, Utah to collaborate on electric-car charging network

Old cabin near Twin Lakes, along Colorado's Top of the Rockies Scenic BywayMuch of the U.S. innovation in electric-car incentives and infrastructure has come not from the federal government but from one or more states, especially California. With the decision years ago to let states either comply with national emission standards or adopt the stiffer California rules, both individual states and regional groups are...

Electric-car group buying programs spread into new states

2017 Nissan Leaf  Group-buying programs have proven to be a very effective tool to get more people to purchase and drive electric cars. These programs—typically partnerships between local governments and dealers, but sometimes undertaken by private groups—leverage collective buying power to lower vehicle prices for individual consumers. Similar to...

NHTSA delays penalty rise for carmakers who miss CAFE levels

Fuel gaugeCurrent Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards require automakers to achieve a fleet average of roughly 54.5 mpg by 2025. That's actually closer to 40 mpg in the real world, as presented on new-car window stickers, but it still represents a major increase over the next few years. The auto industry has argued that it is too large an...

Electric cars are on the market, so where are all the ads?

2017 Nissan Leaf  Anyone who watches even a little television knows that automakers take advertising seriously—and do a lot of it. The seemingly-never-ending stream of commercials keeps their brands in the public eye, and helps them sell cars to the subset of views in the market. But if you think that electric cars are generally not represented in that stream...

Electric VW Microbus-like concept to appear at Detroit Auto Show

Teaser photo for next Volkswagen I.D. electric-car concept, to be shown at 2017 Detroit Auto ShowThe original Volkswagen Microbus is an iconic design that is still instantly recognizable decades after the last ones were sold in the U.S. That might explain why rumors of the vehicle's return are so persistent. A new VW Microbus has been whispered about multiple times over the past few years, and now the automaker has teased us with photos of...