Have Tesla Model S and Model X electric-car sales plateaued?

Tesla Model 3 teaser image with Model S and Model X, March 2016Is there no middle ground in discussing electric-car maker Tesla Motors? The challenge of reading large volumes of Tesla coverage is that it tends to be either rabidly positive or sharply negative. And the company's stock is so obsessively analyzed both by supporters and detractors that sober analysis is often hard to come by. DON'T MISS: Tesla...

Photos reveal how polluted the U.S. was before EPA was founded

Smog obscures George Washington Bridge, 1973 [From EPA Documerica series]It can be argued that the current presidential administration appears to lack interest in the traditional mission of the Environmental Protection Agency. As a candidate, Donald Trump advocated wholesale repeal of environmental regulations and increased production of fossil fuels. He has also called climate science a "hoax" created by China to hurt...

Tesla Model 3 prices: reader makes his guesses, via spreadsheet

Tesla Model 3 design prototype  -  reveal event  -  March 2016Since more than 350,000 people around the world put down $1,000 deposits to reserve a place in line, the Tesla Model 3 electric car has assumed larger-than-life status. Its maker, Silicon Valley-based Tesla Motors, recently reaffirmed that series production will start in June and that Model 3 deliveries will begin in the second half of the year...

Will plug-in hybrids catch on faster than electric cars? Poll results

2017 Toyota Prius Prime PremiumThere are essentially two types of electric cars on sale today. Battery-electric vehicles are powered only by a battery, while plug-in hybrids have an engine to supplement a more limited battery range. Which type will ultimately predominate isn't clear; each has advantages and disadvantages. DON'T MISS: Plug-in hybrids to catch on more quickly...

Overall U.S. vehicle fleet gas mileage rose only slightly over last 25 years

1991 BMW M5The average fuel economy of the new cars and light trucks sold in the U.S. is appreciably higher than it was 10 years ago. The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute has demonstrated that in its regular reports calculating new-car average fuel economy since October 2007. But researchers Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle found...

Tearing down the Tesla Model S battery pack (video)

Tesla Model S battery pack teardown: frame from YouTube video by JehuGarcia, Feb 2017The lithium-ion battery pack is at the heart of any electric car. Its cost, energy density, and safety features do as much as any other feature of an electric car to determine its success. And battery packs from Tesla Motors differ from those built by virtually any other electric-car maker in at least one key aspect. DON'T MISS: Tesla Model 3...