Volvo ditches diesel, but will half its cars be electric by 2024?

2017 Volvo S60 and V60 PolestarVolvo says it is going all-in on electric cars in an effort to turn the company into something of a Tesla alternative. To that end, the company has announced that half its cars will be battery electric models by 2024, according to a report in Road & Track earlier this year. It has also dedicated its high-performance Polestar brand to selling...

Report: Former VW CEO Martin Winterkorn criminally charged over dieselgate

Martin WinterkornFormer Volkswagen boss Martin Winterkorn was charged with defrauding the U.S. in a Michigan federal court Thursday for his role in the widespread VW diesel emissions scandal. The charges were first reported by Reuters. According to the report, the charges were filed secretly in March and made public Thursday. Winterkorn was CEO of Volkswagen when...

Ford releases fuel economy figures for new F-150 diesel

2018 Ford F-150 Power StrokeA full-sized pickup that can get 30 mpg sounds impressive, and it is. Ford has released the fuel economy ratings for the new F150 Powerstroke diesel, and that's the highway rating for the two-wheel drive model. In the city it's rated to get 22 mpg from its turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine, and gets a combined rating of 25 mpg in mixed driving. If...

Why diesel beats solar for disaster recovery in places like Puerto Rico

APR Energy's GE TM2500 Gen 8 mobile gas turbines in Puerto RicoCall it the Ikea mindset. On populated islands, space is at a premium, just like those stereotypical Swedish kitchens you see when you stroll through your local assemble-it-yourself retailer. That space restriction is a major reason fossil fuels remain a better power-generation option than renewables on populated islands that have just experienced...

VW CEO: European subsidies for diesel should end

Matthias MullerOne of the most powerful automotive CEOs in the industry at a company that once found monumental success in diesel-powered cars has delivered a commandment to European governments from atop his throne in Wolfsburg. Thou shalt not subsidize diesel. That commandment, from VW CEO Mattias Müller, is about as predictable as one might expect from...

VW Dieselgate exec Schmidt gets maximum jail sentence: 7 years

Oliver SchmidtA Volkswagen manager who pleaded guilty to deceiving regulators in the United States over the emissions of the company's TDI diesel engines has been sentenced to the maximum penalty of seven years in prison and the maximum fine of $400,000. "This crime ... attacks and destroys the very foundation of our economic system," said federal court judge...

Those fuel-efficient diesels? Actually worse on lifetime CO2, study says

Mercedes BlueEfficiency four-cylinder dieselDiesel-powered cars have enjoyed a comfortable market share in Europe for decades, but their decline in popularity continues following numerous diesel-emission cheating scandals and regulatory crackdowns. As if diesel cars hadn't already had enough negative press, a new study says "fuel-efficient" diesel vehicles actually produce more lifetime...

Regulators approve updates to some Audi, VW, Porsche 3.0-liter diesel SUVs

2015 Audi Q7 TDIState and federal environmental regulators announced Monday they had approved modifications to illegally polluting Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche SUVs fitted with VW Group's 3.0-liter V-6 TDI turbodiesel engine The EPA and California Air Resources Board sent a letter Friday to VW announcing the approved modifications for the 3.0-liter TDI models...