Shell fuel stations in U.K., Netherlands to add electric-car charging

Shell logoElectric cars are often touted as a way to avoid gas stations. But electric-car drivers in certain European countries will soon be going to them to charge. That's because a pair of European oil companies plan to add electric-car charging at certain fuel stations. CHECK OUT: Electric-Car Charging Station At Gas Station In Tar-Sands Land (Nov 2014)...

EU cracks down as diesel scandal exposes lax tests country by country

Portable Emissions Measurement Systems (PEMS) on a Peugeot 308The Volkswagen diesel scandal has led to much greater scrutiny on the methods regulatory agencies use to test vehicle emissions, particularly in Europe. Even before news of Volkswagen's diesel "defeat device" software broke, the European fuel-economy testing cycle was known to be overly optimistic, producing results that buyers could not replicate...

Offshore wind energy in U.K. far ahead of lower-cost target

Offshore wind farmThe winds of change are blowing harder in the U.K. The price of energy generated by offshore wind farms has been falling steadily, and ahead of schedule too. Costs have fallen 32 percent since 2012, bringing them below a target of £100 per megawatt-hour previously set by the U.K. government and utilities. DON'T MISS: When lauding renewables...

Even top German minister for environment prefers Tesla

2016 Tesla Model SGovernment officials in Germany seeking to express national pride in their choice of vehicle have no shortage of options. The established German luxury brands offer many models that frequently serve in the capacity of official vehicle for an elected official. Indeed, given Germany's considerable investment in its auto industry, using a German car...

Ford to test plug-in hybrid Transit Custom van in London

Ford Transit Custom plug-in hybridEarlier this month, Ford announced a host of new electrified vehicles, including prototype and production hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery-electric models. Before its planned 2019 production launch, one of those vehicles will soon begin testing in London. It's a plug-in hybrid version of the Ford Transit Custom van, designed for commercial use...

French target Renault, Brits query Fiat, over diesel emissions

New Renault TwingoThe past week has not been a particularly pleasant one for advocates of diesel cars. Volkswagen agreed to plead guilty to criminal counts related to its diesel-emissions cheating and pay $4.3 billion in fines, while U.S. prosecutors arrested one of the company's executives and indicted five more. Fiat Chrysler was accused by the EPA of using...

European electric and plug-in hybrid sales for Jan-Nov 2016

2016 Renault Zoe electric carIn the waning months of 2016, no dramatic changes occurred in European plug-in electric car sales. The established players remained on top of the sales charts, in virtually the same sequence seen in previous months. The Renault Zoe was again the best-selling electric car in Europe between January and November, the most recent month with available...

All Dutch electric trains now running on 100-percent renewable energy

Dutch NS Sprinter electric train by Flickr user kismihok (Used under CC License)While modern electric cars have only been available in large numbers for a few years, electric trains have been commonplace for some time. As with electric cars, the source of the electricity used to power these trains impacts their overall carbon footprint. The cleaner an energy source, the cleaner the vehicles it powers. DON'T MISS: Alstom...

UK moves ahead on lower-carbon power to end coal use by 2025

Coal, by Flicker user oatsy40 (Used Under CC License)The United Kingdom is increasing its use of low-carbon energy sources as it moves to phase out coal-fired power plants altogether by 2025. Renewable-energy sources such as wind and solar, combined with nuclear power and generating plants fired with renewable wood pellets, are displacing fossil fuels in the country's electricity-generation mix...