Toyota Prius Prime buyers misled by dealers; more education needed

2017 Toyota Prius Prime PremiumThe Toyota Prius Prime is a far better car than its plug-in hybrid predecessor, and it seems likely to become one of the higher-volume plug-in electric cars on the U.S. market. If, that is, Toyota's own dealers prove willing to sell it—or even find out that it exists. After three separate complaints by readers in different areas of the U.S...

Best deals on hybrid, electric, fuel-efficient cars for January 2017

2016 Kia Soul EVIt's a new year, and that means a new crop of buyer deals on green cars. The 2017 model year is now well underway, but older 2016 versions of certain vehicles still sit on dealer lots. As dealers get more anxious to clear this older stock, look for more aggressive incentives on these models. DON'T MISS: Plug-in electric car sales in Dec: Bolt EV...

China’s five-year budget for renewable energy: $360 billion

ChinaDespite a recent downturn, the Chinese government is moving full-speed ahead to invest heavily in renewable energy. The country's national regulators have already promoted renewable energy as a possible cure for the country's notoriously-bad air pollution. But China has placed more emphasis on renewable power in its latest five-year economic plan...

Why Faraday Future’s luxury electric car is named FF 91

Faraday Future FF 91Faraday Future unveiled its FF 91 electric car at a special event held during the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week. It's a crossover-utility vehicle with a claimed 1,050 horsepower and 378-mile range, the latter courtesy of a 130-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. Aside from those ambitious performance claims, the FF 91...

Real-world new-car fuel economy in 3-year plateau

Fuel gaugeFor nearly a decade, the average fuel economy of new cars sold in the U.S. steadily increased—but that moment has stalled in recent years. Low gas prices and increased consumer interest in SUVs has caused new-car average fuel economy to plateau and, in the case of 2016's figures, decline slightly. The average fuel economy of new cars sold in...

Samsung lithium-ion cell to recharge to 80 percent in 20 minutes

Samsung SDI battery plant in Xi'an, ChinaThe limitations of current lithium-ion battery-cell technology pose a hindrance to more widespread adoption of plug-in electric cars. Relatively short ranges and long charging times accorded by current lithium-ion cells still limit the appeal of electric cars in the minds of many new-car buyers. Now Samsung SDI—the South Korean electronics...