After Tesla’s federal tax credits expire, which electric car would you buy?

2018 Tesla Model 3Last week, we reported that Tesla is close to reaching the end of its allocation of federal tax credits for those who buy its cars. The credits amount to a $7,500 discount for most buyers. The credits were passed after the 2007 federal Energy Independence and Security Act to promote the sale of electric cars. They offered buyers a way to offset...

Study shows 23 percent cancelations on Tesla Model 3 deposits

2018 Tesla Model 3 Long Range electric car, road test in greater Atlanta area, Feb 2018Tesla has staked a lot on the number of reservation deposits it has received for the Model 3. When the company first opened reservations for the car two years ago, it said that more than 400,000 people had put down a $1,000 deposit for what Tesla billed as a $35,000 car. That number eventually rose to 450,000. The deposits are fully refundable...

Texas reinstates incentives for electric and alternative fuel cars

Texas VoltAfter a three-year hiatus, Texas has reinstated purchase rebates for plug-in electric and other alternative-fuel vehicles. Texans who buy electric cars after Sept. 1 can get a $2,500 rebate from the state, according to a report in the Dallas Morning News, in addition to the $7,500 tax credit from the federal government. Buyers of fuel-cell cars...

Even Wackier! Most bizarre green cars ever proposed, Part II

Scoot Quad (nee Renault Twizy) tested in San Francisco, Oct 2015Last week we listed seven of the most bizarre "green" cars (and some not-so-green) of the 20th century, most of which were rolled out in response to depression, war recovery, or out-of-control gas prices. This week, we'll look at seven more from the 21st century, which seems to have had a concentrated share of attempts at innovation in response to...

Report: Trump EPA plans to cancel California emissions waiver

Smog over Los Angeles, courtesy Flickr user steven-bussThe EPA is planning to cancel the special waiver that California has relied on since 1970 to set its own emissions standards, according to a Bloomberg report. As part of its plan to reverse a program to steadily tighten fuel economy standards that it coordinates with California and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the EPA has...