The most important green-car story of 2017 came on September 10, in a report by the Associated Press that covered articles in two Chinese state media outlets on a statement by a deputy industry minister. Speaking at "an auto industry forum," the AP wrote, Xin Guobin said his ministry has begun "research on formulating a timetable to stop... 2017’s most important green car story: internal-combustion engine ban in China
The most important green-car story of 2017 came on September 10, in a report by the Associated Press that covered articles in two Chinese state media outlets on a statement by a deputy industry minister. Speaking at "an auto industry forum," the AP wrote, Xin Guobin said his ministry has begun "research on formulating a timetable to stop...
Of all the Canadian electric-car news that rounds out 2017, the Vancouver suburb of Richmond’s new requirement that 100 percent of apartments and condominiums be ready for plug-in vehicles may be the most significant. Access to charging in multi-unit residential buildings, or MURBs, has long been acknowledged to be a weak link in the...
Struggling Faraday Future and its founding investor Jia Yueting are facing financial and legal woes that threaten the company's existence. Jia specifically has been placed on an official list of debt defaulters on a website run by the Chinese government after the LeEco founder failed to follow a court order stipulating he pay a debt of more than...
Emotions play a big role in purchases of passenger vehicles, but fleet decisions are generally driven by numbers, spreadsheets, and the almighty dollar. And it's in the equation of overall cost where early adopters of electric and other alternative-fuel semis could make a financial killing. Haulers first out of the gate with electric trucks could...
As we start to look toward the 2019 model year, it's worth noting that Ford hasn't introduced a single new hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or electric vehicle since 2013. In fact, the company is now clearing the decks and killing off old models. The C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid tall hatchback went out of production a few months ago, and its Hybrid sibling...
Volvo has confirmed its second electric car for the brand will be a version of the V40 compact hatchback it plans to unveil within the year. Much like the all-electric Volkswagen e-Golf version of the standard Golf, Volvo will roll out a conventional version of its V40 hatchback on the new compact platform, then follow it up with an all-electric...
Every automaker has its niche. Mazda builds a brilliant (and efficient) sports car in the MX-5 Miata. Toyota pioneered the mass production of hybrid-electric vehicles 20 years ago with its Prius. The Tesla Model S made battery-electric vehicles exciting and desirable. And Volkswagen has diesel. DON'T MISS: Volkswagen ID electric car production...
Tesla now offers roughly the same percentage of its model lineup with standard all-wheel-drive configuration as famed AWD proponent Subaru. The Silicon Valley electric-car maker has completely ditched rear-wheel drive in its Model S hatchback sedans and Model X crossover utility vehicles. Only its Model 3 smaller sedan remains available (at some...
A couple of weeks ago, we charged a 2018 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid 15 times within two days. It was part of a contest during a two-day press drive for the car—though we were beaten by the team that charged their Niro a stunning 31 times in little more than 30 hours. But our experience reinforced what many electric car drivers either knew going...
I try very hard to go into each review with an open mind, but in the case of the 2018 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive Cabriolet, I was prepared to dislike it. I expected an anemic driving experience in a vehicle that was somehow both small and cumbersome. I thought the Smart would be an automotive nerd, a vehicle too compromised to work on American...
A publicity stunt by Renault in the United Kingdom had Santa Claus delivering chocolate all over the country earlier this month in a highly energy-efficient way. The social media campaign featured Santa testing a Renault Zoe EV, as a possible replacement for his reindeer-drawn sleigh. In all, Santa delivered 1,000 boxes of Montezuma’s...
While prices for the Jaguar I-Pace electric car that launches next year haven't been announced for the U.S., figures appearing across the pond provide a good starting point for some guesstimation. According to Dutch website Autoblog.nl, the I-Pace electric SUV will get a starting price of 82,000 EUR when it goes on sale this summer, with "First...
Some of us are perpetually on the hunt for a bargain, yet sometimes our preconceived notions get in the way of saving money on big purchases. Take car buying for instance. Many buyers will opt for a used car because we believe a new car is too expensive, but the truth is many new cars can be had for less than 1 or 2 year-old used cars when you...
It's no surprise the majority of electric-car owners today own their own homes. When you own your property, it's much easier to install a changing station in your garage, car port, or even on the wall of your home by the driveway. You only need to get permission from yourself, and possibly your significant other, on the cost of the job. READ MORE...
Getting an opportunity to road test and review a Tesla Model 3 electric car has thus far proved a very difficult task. Since the Model 3 launched in July, Tesla has only been delivering them to employees, friends of the company, and a handful of prior Tesla owners—and most have been eerily silent about their cars. Though it’s been...
Another day, another electric vehicle from another startup carmaker in China enters the fray. The Chinese company Nio has now officially launched its first vehicle for the masses—an all-electric 480-kilowatt (644-horsepower) SUV to take on Tesla's Model X at just over half the price. The new model, called ES8, has a starting price of 448,000...
The national EV charging network in China is growing by leaps and bounds, but that expansion has not been as standardized as in the U.S. or Europe. According to an article in October by Electrek, the confusion may get a little bit easier to navigate because Tesla will adopt a two-adapter system for Model S and Model X electric cars to be sold in...
You have to hand it to BMW. When the German automaker set out to eclipse last year's sales of plug-in cars by delivering 100,000 electrified vehicles globally this year, it was an ambitious goal. But as of the end of November, the automaker has achieved its goal—and in so doing has sold nearly as many electrified vehicles this year as it did...
The tax reform bill likely to be voted on by the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives retained a number of provisions originally slated to be cut from the tax code. Among them was the federal income-tax credit for purchase of a plug-in electric vehicle. Three carmakers—General Motors, Nissan, and Tesla—have now used more than half...
Electric vehicles have the potential to upend energy markets as their adoption becomes more widespread. But how much of an effect will they have? And on which specific markets? According to a recent report by Wood Mackenzie, the global power grids are likely safe for quite a while, but another market may be turned on its head. DON'T MISS: Decline...