Plug-in electric car sales in Canada, Apr 2017: plus ça change…

2017 Chevrolet VoltThe Volt remains the undisputed king of the Canadian plug-in electric vehicle market. In April, the Chevy Volt enjoyed its 13th consecutive month as Canada's best-selling plug in electric vehicle, and its 46th month overall. While overshadowed by other vehicles in its home U.S. market, the Volt's leadership of the Canadian plug-in segment recalls...

Lighter, more fuel-efficient cars are safer, study says, ignoring safety rules

2017 Hyundai Elantra IIHS crash testIt was one of several common tropes used 10 years ago against proposed regulations to boost average fuel economy. "More efficient cars will have to be lighter-weight, and they'll be unsafe because in accidents, they'll crumple up like Kleenex." Logical conclusion: if you require higher fuel economy in cars, more people will die in crashes. DON'T...

China has licensed 9 electric-car plants, more than U.S. has today

BYD e6 electric taxi in service in Shenzhen, ChinaQuick trivia question: how many plants are there in the United States currently building electric cars? To be generous, we'll allow both battery-electric and plug-in hybrid models. Any idea? The answer turns out to be four. DON'T MISS: Shanghai auto show: China plugs into electric cars in a big way Meanwhile, China—which has a long-term goal...

VW to Tesla: ‘Anything you can do, we can do better’

2017 Volkswagen Beetle 1.8T Dune Auto GrilleWith a new book imminent that gives new details on its diesel-emission cheating scandal, Volkswagen Group continues to struggle for positive corporate PR. Yet the company publicly appears to be confident that it has weathered the worst of that storm. Moreover, while its first high-volume electric cars won't hit the market until 2019 or 2020, the...

What’s the lowest acceptable gas mileage for a compact SUV? Poll results

2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, Catskill Mountains, NY, Feb 2016We've driven a lot of compact crossover utility vehicles in recent months. It's a hot category in the new-car market, with all light trucks getting better fuel economy than in past years—and gasoline prices continuing below $3 per gallon in most of the U.S. So we wondered what readers felt would be acceptable fuel economy in a compact SUV...

Solar panels, EV chargers required in new homes in Fremont, CA

Tesla factory, Fremont, CaliforniaHalf a century ago, the General Motors assembly plant was the largest employer in Fremont, California, and the town was known for its dragstrip. Today, that plant makes Tesla electric cars and Fremont is a part of the San Francisco Bay Area's Silicon Valley, creating advanced technology for the world. The city has now taken another step into the...