Autopilot or not, Tesla adds two more levels of lane assistance

2019 Tesla Model 3 PerformanceOn its way to rolling out full self-driving, Tesla will use the technology to add two more basic safety features to all its cars, the company announced on Thursday. Tesla's Autopilot system can often track lanes better than most other self-driving systems—and occasionally not. But the cars have to be equipped with Autopilot and drivers have...

Electric car hopeful Nio closes California office amid layoffs

Nio ET Preview conceptChinese electric-car startup Nio announced Thursday that it will close an office in California and lay off 70 workers, according to a report in The Verge. The report cites a filing with the California Employment Development Department. After introducing two new SUVs alongside its high-performance electric sports car, Nio unveiled a new concept for...

2020 Toyota Prius Prime gains seating for 5, Apple CarPlay, revamped lineup

2017 Toyota Prius Prime PremiumThe 2020 Toyota Prius Prime plug-in hybrid gains some important functionality, even though some of the key specifications for range and efficiency haven't changed. The most important improvement, perhaps, is that the Prime now offers a third seat in the center-rear, making it a five-passenger car. Previous versions had only four seats. The second...

Polestar will qualify for $7,500 electric-car credit separately from Volvo

Polestar 2The 2021 Polestar 2 will look and feel a lot like a Volvo, but federal and state regulators won't treat it like one in the U.S. when it comes to qualifying for various green-car incentives. The biggest incentive is the $7,500 offered as an Internal Revenue Service tax credit for the first 200,000 electric cars sold by an automaker. READ MORE: 2020...

Tesla raising cash after sluggish start to 2019, and Elon Musk is buying big

Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Tesla announced Thursday that the company would offer $650 million in stock and $1.35 billion in bonds in a bid to boost the automaker's coffers after disappointing first quarter results. CEO Elon Musk said he would buy $10 million of the company's shares in an effort to boost confidence among investors in the flagging automaker. Stock in Tesla...

2020 BMW 7-Series plug-in hybrid rated just 16 electric miles

2020 BMW 745e xDrive iPerformanceAlthough the gigantic new twin-kidney grille might be the most eye-catching addition to BMW’s flagship luxury sedan, the 7-Series, the model in the lineup that’s gone through the most change might well be the one with a charge port: the 745e xDrive plug-in hybrid. The 2020 BMW 745e xDrive iPerformance can go 16 all-electric miles...