Stricter global emissions standards are putting significant pressure on carmakers to improve fuel efficiency and make greater use of electric powertrains. But that may not be the sole force driving automakers toward reduced carbon emissions. Cutting emissions is also a priority for at least some of their investors, it seems. DON'T MISS: India, EU... Carmakers must cut carbon rapidly to evolve, shareholders say
Stricter global emissions standards are putting significant pressure on carmakers to improve fuel efficiency and make greater use of electric powertrains. But that may not be the sole force driving automakers toward reduced carbon emissions. Cutting emissions is also a priority for at least some of their investors, it seems. DON'T MISS: India, EU... 
We've known for sometime that Audi will launch an all-electric utility vehicle in 2018, but there has been some confusion about what it will be called. It was widely believed that the SUV would carry the Q6 e-tron name, stemming from both its position in the Audi lineup and its use of an electrified powertrain. But now it appears the electric SUV... 
Today, the upcoming Mini Countryman plug-in hybrid gets teased, a convertible BMW i8 Spyder will arrive in 2018, and the Paris climate agreement is set to take effect next month. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Catch up on recent news with our Week in Reverse feature. How much is a prototype Tesla Roadster worth? See the price one seller... 
A convertible version of the BMW i8 plug-in hybrid coupe was teased as far back as the 2012 New York Auto Show, when the i8 Spyder concept first debuted. But while the i8 coupe went into production as a 2014 model, BMW has been unusually slow to approve a convertible version for production. BMW mentioned an i8 convertible during a March press... 
Suppose you're one of the world's three largest automakers. You don't offer a type of vehicle that a relatively small but highly visible customer in your home market wants. Do you have the right to be annoyed if that customer designs those vehicles itself? DON'T MISS: USPS picks AM General to help build next-generation mail trucks Only... 
The next generation Mini Countryman crossover utility vehicle will be the brand's first model to offer a plug-in hybrid powertrain. Its parent company BMW has released teaser images confirming an upcoming production plug-in hybrid. While it did not specifically say the model was a Countryman, the camouflaged prototype being driven by Mini... 
Last December, representatives form 195 countries met in Paris to negotiate an agreement to address climate change on a global scale. Almost a year later, enough countries have now formally ratified that agreement in order that it can officially take effect. The tipping point was reached when India and the 28 members of the European Union ratified... 
The Renault Zoe once again maintained its position as the best-selling electric car in Europe, at least through August. As has been the case all year, the subcompact hatchback's main competition for that title was the Nissan Leaf—built by Renault's Japanese alliance partner—which once again earned the second-place spot. The Leaf... 
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) loan program that became a lightning rod during the 2012 presidential election is now turning a profit. The program became infamous for backing solar company Solyndra, which later went bankrupt. Three years after Soyndra's failure, though, the program is now in the black. DON'T MISS: Carbon emissions from U.S...