If Toyota and Mazda make electric cars together, where’s Subaru?

2018 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited Tail LightAt the end of September, Toyota and Mazda announced they would form a joint venture with parts maker Denso to design, test, and build components for a shared electric-car platform. Earlier interviews with Mazda indicate that the small Japanese maker will create its first all-electric model for volume production by putting a unique body on top of...

Nissan e-NV200 electric van gets longer-range battery; still no U.S. plans

2018 Nissan e-NV200 electric delivery van (European version)While U.S. buyers eagerly await the arrival of the 2018 Nissan Leaf electric car at dealerships early next year, the company has updated another of its electric vehicles as well. Unfortunately, it's one that the company has no current plans to sell in North America. That's the new longer-range version of the Nissan e-NV200 small delivery van...

Electric trucks to grow fast from now through 2030: report

Cummins Urban Hauler Tractor conceptIn the coming years, the world's auto industry will continue to shift its product mix to electric and electrified vehicles to meet growing concerns over carbon emissions and stringent fuel-economy regulations across the globe. However, the passenger-car segment isn't the only area that will see electric powertrains implemented. A new study...

New York, New Jersey get serious about electric cars

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car at EVgo fast-charging station, Newport Centre, Jersey City, NJWhile parts of the federal government focus on sustaining fossil-fuel energy, numerous states are enacting new policies and programs to boost electric cars. California tends to steal most headlines about electric vehicles and climate-change policy, but two other U.S. states have started to take electric cars more seriously. New York and New Jersey...

Plug-in electric car sales for Sep: Bolt EV hits new high

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EVThe world has changed since last month's report on U.S. sales of plug-in electric cars. China has officially said it is considering dates for ending sales of new vehicles with gasoline or diesel engines. Even if that date proves to be 15 or 20 years in the future, the country's government has spoken—and the world's carmakers will have to...

Tesla Q3-2017 deliveries: Model S, Model X strong; Model 3 misses goal

2017 Tesla Model S 100D   [photo: David Noland, owner]The quarterly delivery and production figures from Silicon Valley electric-car maker Tesla are eagerly followed when they emerge a few days after the end of a quarter. On Monday, Tesla said it had delivered 26,150 electric cars, its best quarterly total yet and 4.5 percent higher than the third quarter of 2016, its previous best quarter. Of those...