2019 Kia Niro EV: first drive of 239-mile electric crossover

2019 Kia Niro EV first drive  -  Santa Cruz, CA  -  February 2019Just before reaching a tight series of esses on the Monterey Peninsula’s famous 17 Mile Drive, I clicked the left steering-wheel paddle to bump the Niro EV up a regeneration level—a motion that mimics downshifting in a gasoline vehicle—then clicked the right paddle to ease things for my passenger as we breezed slowly by a quiet...

EPA adds climate skeptic to science board

EPA Acting Administrator Andrew WheelerScience at the EPA has been a topic of much debate, and a lot of turmoil since President Trump took office. In that way, the addition of eight new members to the agency's much discussed Science Advisory Board isn't surprising. What may more surprising to some is the makeup of the new members announced Thursday. Most of the new members are...

Forget light poles, British firm to build chargers from cable boxes

Ubitricity electric-car charging cordThe future of electric-car charging may be down in the trenches. At least British broadband provider Liberty Global hopes so. The company, which owns Virgin Media, plans to start a pilot project using Virgin Media's cables and trenches that run to thousands of neighborhoods around Britain. Since they already have power, Liberty Global says they...

Tesla revamps Model S and X lineups without battery size numbers

2017 Tesla Model SAs Tesla struggles to balance prices to maintain profitability in the face of lower tax credits for its cars, the company is simplifying its Model S and Model X lineups. After Tesla cut prices across the board to make up for a reduction in the federal tax credits and CEO Elon Musk announced earlier this month that the company would stop taking...