Early Tesla Model 3 Performance reviews are positive

2018 Tesla Model 3The first reviews of the Tesla Model 3 Performance are in, and they are positive—even occasionally glowing. Tesla has trickled out cars for review to a handful of outlets so far, including the The Wall Street Journal (and its affiliated website, Market Watch), CNET, CleanTechnica, Motor Trend, and Autoweek. Reviewers say that in most...

2019 Mercedes-Benz A-Class sedan sets wind-cheating record

2019 Mercedes-Benz A-Class aerodynamic testingEfficiency comes in many automotive forms: electric powertrains, continuously variable transmissions, smaller-displacement engines. More aerodynamic designs help efficiency, too. With the 2019 A-Class, Mercedes-Benz says it's raised the aerodynamic bar. Mercedes-Benz claims that the new 2019 A-Class sedan has the lowest aerodynamic drag of any...

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne dies suddenly

Sergio MarchionneSergio Marchionne, the man who engineered a historic merger between Fiat and Chrysler to rescue the Detroit automaker from financial collapse, died Wednesday in Switzerland. He was 66. Marchionne died after complications from surgery last week. On Saturday, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles quickly replaced him as CEO with Mike Manley, who most recently...

Chinese Gyon to bring another luxury electric car to market in U.S.

Gyon electric car brand launches August 8, 2018Add one more to the ranks of boutique luxury electric carmakers. The latest, Gyon, comes from Asia as an offshoot of from the Sitech luxury division of one of FAW Group, one China's largest automakers. The brand said Wednesday that it will debut its latest model in Los Angeles on August 8. Presenting the Gyon concept will be Sitech CEO Jacky Xian...

ExxonMobil leaves conservative anti-climate lobbying group

ExxonMobil oil refinery, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, by WClarke [CC BY-SA 4.0]Following a public spat over climate change legislation, oil giant ExxonMobil has pulled its membership from the Koch brothers-backed anti-climate-change lobbying group, American Legislative Exchange Council. Neither ExxonMobil nor ALEC has commented publicly on the reasons for the company's departure, but the move comes after ExxonMobil had an...

Tesla Model 3 Performance to get new “track mode”

2018 Tesla Model 3Tesla is developing a new track mode for performance versions of the Model 3. YouTube reviewer Marques Brownlee posted a video on Instagram showing a development version of the "track mode" in action. Green Car Reports reached out to Tesla for comment, and the company confirmed in a statement that it is developing the track mode to allow more...

2018 Kia Niro PHEV gas mileage review: outrunning expectations

2018 Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid Competition improves the breed. And that’s exactly what the Kia Niro brings to hybrids like the Toyota Prius and Prius Prime. Compared with the Prius, the Niro is taller and roomier. Likely to its benefit, it looks like a small crossover SUV, though with only front-wheel drive, it's no kind of SUV. It does offer the crossover advantages of...

Tesla asks suppliers for money back on Model 3 parts

Tesla Model 3 all-wheel drive Performance rolls off a new assembly line in a temporary structureIn its ongoing effort to reach profitability by the end of this year, Tesla has asked several of its suppliers to lower prices retroactively on components of the Model 3, including some contracts that date back to 2016. In a memo sent to the suppliers last week and reviewed by The Wall Street Journal (subscription required), the company reportedly...