2020 Ford Escape Hybrid preview: gas-electric now, plug-ins later

2020 Ford EscapeBy spring 2020, the Ford Escape Hybrid will once again be the most important battery vehicle in the automaker's lineup. The 2020 Escape Hybrid goes on sale early next year, and with the C-Max departed from its lineup, the 2020 Escape will give Ford an electrified vehicle to appeal to drivers left in the lurch when the last Escape Hybrid was...

Porsche Taycan electric car: 2-speed could be first of many in EVs

Porsche Taycan 2-speed gearboxPorsche revealed its 2020 Taycan electric car Wednesday and at last confirmed one long-rumored detail: that it would have a two-speed gearbox for the rear wheels. The sports-car maker has said that the low gear is one of the secrets to consistency in the Taycan’s consistent off-the-line launches and reproducibility in acceleration...

VW and eClassics to offer classic Beetle EV kits

Volkswagen e-BeetleVolkswagen is partnering with eClassics to build electric conversions of the iconic VW Beetle, breathing even more life into an already-popular enthusiast platform and opening the doors to a whole new group of tinkerers. The foundation for the electric conversion is the production powertrain from Volkswagen's e-Up. The 14-module battery pack, with...

Tesla Model S vs. Porsche Taycan: How the two electric cars compare

2020 Porsche TaycanThe Tesla Model S was the first long-range premium electric car, and it’s been on the market for seven years. And yet just now, for the 2020 model year, arrives what some might see as its first formidable fully electric rival from Germany: the Porsche Taycan. Although when Porsche first showed its Mission E Concept, at the 2015 Frankfurt...

Ads from Ford tackle EV misconceptions, amid electric push

Ford F-Series electric truck prototypeFord executives this earlier this week stepped up the anticipated timeline for the upcoming electric Ford F-150 pickup. It’s now due in 2021, according to several reports. And it coincides with a concerted effort from Ford to promote electric cars. That includes a series of ads, coming soon—spending level undisclosed—based on an...