Will climate talks bring real progress? Twitter poll results

Smokestacks pollution air qualityLast month, world leaders met in Poland to agree on the next steps in measuring and limiting climate change. Despite the U.S., Australia, Russia, Saudi Arabia and others meeting on the sidelines to promote burning coal, the leaders reached some agreements on how the Paris Climate Accords will be implemented when it goes into effect in 2020: Each...

Tesla Model 3 now in the running for IIHS Top Safety Pick+

2018 Tesla Model 3 Long-Range RWDMost cars these days perform really well on crash tests. Where they fall down in ratings from the IIHS is usually in either headlight performance or underperforming active safety features. The IIHS confirmed on Wednesday via Twitter that updated headlights on the Tesla Model 3 received the Institute's highest "Good" rating, as first reported last...

Electric towing, Lexus electric, sharing chargers: Today’s Car News

2019 Lexus UX (UX250h E-Four hybrid)Electric SUVs and pickups could be just the thing for those who tow. Lexus trademarks a name for a possible upcoming electric SUV. ChargePoint signs another sharing agreement, this time with the Greenlots network. And our Twitter poll asks what readers' hopes are for electric cars in the New Year. All this and more on Green Car Reports. People who...

What are your hopes for plug-in cars in 2019?

2019 Chevrolet VoltPeople wish for all kinds of things. When it comes to electric cars, there are several types of things green car fans may wish for to get more such cars on the road, from easier charging to more tax credits, to more types of models. Our Twitter poll for this annual time of reflection between Christmas and New Year's asks respondents to weigh which...

Chargepoint partners with Greenlots to expand access for drivers

2018 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid charging at ChargePoint station, Santa Cruz, California, Dec 2017Forget five-minute fill-ups. What seems to drive many electric car drivers crazy is making sure the charger they find has the right connector, how fast the charger is (in kilowatts), and whether they have the right credentials to activate it. Without a single one of these parameters, you may not be able to charge. (With most charging done at home...

Hackable home chargers, Tesla tax credits: Today’s Car News

ChargePoint Home wifi-connected chargerWith a short holiday week and both readers and editors working to focus more on family time than glowing screens, we have a smaller deck of news pieces this morning here on Green Car Reports. In an announcement that should grab the attention of most electric-car owners, electronic security firm Kaspersky Labs released a report showing that the...

Report: Home electric-car chargers vulnerable to hackers

Trinity, professional hacker [from The Matrix]Connected home chargers can bring a higher level of convenience to the electric-car ownership experience, allowing more flexibility with remote access, charge scheduling, power-output adjustment, and even data displays. But according to the cybersecurity company Kaspersky Lab, they can also bring a higher level of vulnerability to your home...

All-electric helicopter makes record flight

Guinness record-setting electric helicopter by Tier 1 EngineeringElectric transportation is about more than cars. Trucks and buses are also moving toward electric propulsion. Planes, with their long ranges and high power demands seem to be harder. Where electric power does seem to be making progress in the skies is in helicopters. An independent engineering company in California this month set the Guinness...

Future Tesla Autopilot chips may come from Samsung self-driving push

2017 Tesla Model S testing at Consumer ReportsThe race to build self-driving cars is heating up, with Google (Waymo), Tesla, Uber, Lyft, Ford, GM (Cruise), and others all vying to build the first reliable self-driving system. Now add Korean electronics giant Samsung to that list—with a twist. Its first client could be one of the major competitors in the business, Tesla. Tesla once had a...

A million electric cars sold in the U.S., led by California

EVgo charging station in Union City, California with resused BMW i3 battery backupDrivers are buying electric cars, and advocates are keeping track. Last month, Veloz, an electric car advocacy organization consisting of regulators, automakers, charging manufacturers and networks, utilities and others, announced that the U.S. had surpassed 1 million electric car sales. That's still less than 1 percent of the approximately 270...

Honda presents new battery chemistry that could succeed lithium-ion

Honda Clarity Electric at Honda R&D Center, Tochigi, Japan, June 2017Researchers from around the world are looking for the successor to the lithium-ion battery for electric cars, power tools, and electronics—one that will store more energy with less size and weight, charge more quickly, and have improved safety. All battery chemistries come with tradeoffs. The challenge for researchers is to figure out how to...

VW releases video of electric I.D. hatchback testing in South Africa

2020 Volkswagen ID Neo spy shotsVolkswagen has heard the naysayers. After being caught cheating on emissions tests with its diesels and being forced to promote electric cars through various legal settlements around the world, the company clearly realizes it has a steep climb to convince consumers it is serious about selling a wide range of electric cars it has planned. DON'T...

Tesla Model S catches fire–twice–after flat tire in California

2018 Tesla Model SA day after Tesla claimed it found a bullet hole, shot from inside the car, in the battery of a Tesla that caught fire in 2014, another brand new Tesla Model S caught fire in California. The owner told local news crews that he was driving on Highway 17, which runs from San Jose to Santa Cruz, California when the low tire pressure warning suddenly...