The number of plug-in electric cars on North American roads grows every year, and with them come new buyers. Each new electric-car driver will have a few things to learn, so we've rounded up some tips on how, where, and when how to charge up that new plug-in vehicle. Whether you're already an owner, considering the purchase of a new or used... Electric car charging: the basics you need to know (updated)
The number of plug-in electric cars on North American roads grows every year, and with them come new buyers. Each new electric-car driver will have a few things to learn, so we've rounded up some tips on how, where, and when how to charge up that new plug-in vehicle. Whether you're already an owner, considering the purchase of a new or used... 
Unlike most automakers, Tesla doesn't schedule redesigns, updates, and new features for its cars to coincide with traditional model years. Aided by the fact that most of its new features are software-related, Tesla takes a more flexible approach. Many new features are pushed to its electric cars whenever they're ready, in the form of over-the-air... 
Those unfamiliar with electric cars often don't know that several different types of battery charging exist. Overnight recharging at home can be done either with 120-volt household current or, for longer-range cars, with a 240-volt charging station installed by the car owner. Then there's DC fast charging, which generally provides an 80-percent... 
Two days ago, BMW and Nissan announced the latest expansion of their jointly funded DC fast-charging sites for electric cars, which is operated by the EVgo charging network. Those sites now cover more than 50 metropolitan areas in 33 states. This morning, BMW announced that its ChargeNow by EVgo program for owners of its plug-in cars would... 
At the end of 2015, BMW and Nissan announced that the two companies had partnered to fund the installation of 120 DC fast-charging stations for electric cars across 19 states. All the sites had one or more 50-kilowatt stations with a pair of charging cables: one with the CHAdeMO connector that accommodates the Nissan Leaf electric car, the other a... 
California continues to lead the United States, and in some ways the world, in efforts to reduce and eliminate harmful emissions from road vehicles. Following the lead of Governor Jerry Brown, the state legislature and regulatory agencies have set aggressive goals to reduce emission of climate-change gases, primarily carbon dioxide. That will be... 
How do you advertise new and innovative zero-emission vehicles, whether they're electric or fuel-cell cars? It's a question that's bedeviled carmakers and their marketers, who continue to experiment with messaging, different audiences, and programs to get people into the cars. The challenge is likely even greater for hydrogen fuel-cell cars, since... ![Electric Avenue charging stations in Portland, Oregon [photo: Portland General Electric]](http://images.hgmsites.net/tmb/electric-avenue-charging-stations-in-portland-oregon-photo-portland-general-electric_100532762_t.gif)
It's clear that after several years of electric-car sales, electric utilities see a role to be played in providing the infrastructure to make them practical. Two weeks ago, California utility PG&E received approved to install 7,500 public charging stations for plug-in vehicles. Now, Oregon's two largest utility companies have filed plans to... 
With any new presidential administration comes a certain degree of legislative uncertainty. Conflicting statements on many issues by president-elect Donald Trump have produced more questions than usual about what policies he and his administration may pursue. But for present and future electric-car owners considering the purchase of a home... 
Yesterday, federal judge Charles Breyer signed the final agreement committing Volkswagen to buy back or modify the 465,000 TDI 2.0-liter diesel vehicles that are the main focus of the VW diesel scandal. As part of that settlement, Volkswagen has also committed to providing $2 billion in funds to install charging or fueling infrastructure for... ![2015 Nissan Leaf at evGo fast charger at Livingston Mall, Livingston, NJ [photo: John Briggs]](http://images.hgmsites.net/tmb/2015-nissan-leaf-at-evgo-fast-charger-at-livingston-mall-livingston-nj-photo-john-briggs_100558580_t.gif)
As electric-car adoption expands past early adopters into more general buyers, it may be difficult for public charging infrastructure to grow as fast as the number of electric vehicles on the road. Here in the U.S., every month roughly 10,000 new plug-in vehicles are sold or leased—and that number could rise dramatically once the highly... 
New Orleans has a hot-and-cold relationship with environmentally friendly technology. Last week, however, the two were definitely on good terms as the city council voted unanimously to make life easier for current and future electric car owners. Crescent City crises Given the New Orleans' tenuous location--sandwiched between Lake Pontchartrain and...