Ford’s future hybrid, electric-car lineup: 5 things to know

Ford's upcoming small off-road crossover SUVThe "Ford Uncovered Future Product Forum" held Thursday for journalists was a break in recent tradition for Detroit's second-largest automaker. The abrupt firing of CEO Mark Fields last May was an indication that Ford's board of directors wasn't happy with progress in preparing the company for a turbulent and uncertain automotive future. But the...

Why the future of electric cars depends on China’s war on pollution

Woman with smog mask (pic by Nicolò Lazzati on Flickr)Roughly half of everyone alive in the U.S. today has never experienced really bad smog. Those over, say, age 45—big-city residents and Angelenos especially—may recall hazy days in which the sun was barely visible, and air that actually tasted metallic. It's a memorable experience, and it's why the future of electric cars increasingly...

VW Group has nailed down $25 billion of battery supply, it said today

Volkswagen ID electric car concept, 2016 Paris auto showFor a company that has only two battery-electric models in production, both several years old, VW Group spends a great deal of time talking about electric cars. The company has plans to launch 30 new electric vehicles by 2025, and has released four Volkswagen ID concepts, the first of which will enter production in November 2019. At its annual...

Mercedes-Benz takes the electric car plunge, but diesel is here to stay

Mercedes-Benz EQA concept, 2017 Frankfurt auto showDaimler AG executives said Tuesday that diesel power for Mercedes cars is here to stay, even as electric cars and electrified mobility spreads throughout its passenger and commercial vehicles, and even its global partnerships. Electrified vehicles include everything from 48-volt mild hybrids through plug-in hybrids to battery-electric cars. At the...

Honda CR-V Hybrid to launch in Europe; still no word on US or Canada

Honda CR-V Hybrid introduced at 2017 Shanghai auto showThe Honda CR-V Hybrid, a more fuel-efficient version of the company's best-selling compact crossover, has been around for almost a year now. It's on sale in China, announced for Japan, and now, as of Tuesday, it's slated to arrive in European markets early in 2019. As for North America? The company offers radio silence, saying only it will offer...

China’s BYD tops global electric-car production for third year in a row

BYD Yuan. Photo by Indian Autos Blog.Try asking any electric-car owner or advocate, or for that matter any member of the public, which automaker sold the most electric cars last year. In North America, the answer will likely be Tesla, or possibly Nissan or Chevrolet. But we'd bet you hear Tesla most often. The correct answer for global sales of plug-in electric cars, however, was the...

Where will we see the most electric-car innovation? Take our Twitter poll

Chevrolet Bolt EV being charged outside Go Forth electric-car showroom, Portland   [photo: Forth]It hasn't emerged much into the public eye, but some advocates and auto-industry sources have had quiet discussions on whether the U.S. will continue to lead the world in electric-car technology in a new decade. California remains the epicenter of plug-in car adoption, with roughly half the country's electric-car sales over seven years recorded...