Electric Mini Rocketman to take to Chinese city streets

MINI Rocketman Concept MkIIIn case the new electric Mini Cooper SE isn't small enough for some buyers, Mini plans to build an even smaller electric car in China, based on its 2011 Rocketman concept. British auto magazine Autocar learned that the company plans to team up with Chinese automaker Great Wall Motors to build an electric city car smaller than the Cooper SE. The...

2019 Tesla Model 3 crash test secures 5-star safety for entire lineup

2019 Tesla Model S Dual Motor Long Range  -  NHTSA frontal crashThe federal government has crashed another Tesla Model 3. And once again, the results are something that Tesla, its owners and acolytes, and anyone considering one of these electric cars can agree is good news. With tests newly posted for the 2019 Tesla Model 3 Long Range Dual Motor (all-wheel drive) version, the entire Model 3 lineup now earns...

23 states now oppose EPA fuel economy freeze

Smog over Los Angeles, courtesy Flickr user steven-bussThe number of states that oppose President Trump's efforts to freeze emissions and fuel economy standards is growing. In June last year, 16 states and Washington, DC, sued the federal government over the proposal before it was even released. On Tuesday, governors of 23 states plus Puerto Rico released a joint statement urging the Trump...

Tesla Model 3 earns top safety scores in Europe

Euro NCAP front crash test of 2019 Tesla Model 3European tests have demonstrated safety levels in the Tesla Model 3 beyond those yet tested in the U.S. The European New Car Assessment Program announced results last week from its full round of testing on a 2019 Model 3, and it gave the Model 3 its highest overall score in 2019 for the full collection of tests—in crash protection for its...

Volkswagen tests AI-informed design process to cut weight—and flaunt it

Volkswagen Type 20 Microbus conceptElectric vehicle makers face a weight dilemma. Shoppers want more range, and each extra kilowatt-hour of lithium-ion battery-pack capacity adds as much weight as carrying 2 or 3 gallons of extra gasoline around all the time. Yet the more a vehicle weighs, the more energy it takes to move it and its occupants from place to place. Without the extra...