With headlight tweak, Chevy Bolt EV is a Top Safety Pick

2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV  -  IIHS passenger-side small overlap front testThe 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV has just been given a significantly better assessment of its safety from the IIHS. On Wednesday it was named an IIHS Top Safety pick, with a retest of its headlamps, which had previously been rated “poor.” GM reported to IIHS in September that it had adjusted the Bolt EV’s headlight aim, versus what had...

Volkswagen breaks ground on plant expansion for US-made electric cars

Volkswagen Chattanooga EV expansionVolkswagen has broken ground on an $800 million expansion of its Tennessee production facility that will eventually house assembly lines for electric vehicles. The Wednesday announcement marks the beginning of a shift toward battery-electric vehicles for the U.S. market. While Americans will not see this generation of VW's new ID 3...

Ford electric SUV gets a pony-car name: Mustang Mach-E

Ford Mustang Mach-E logoThe fully electric Ford Mustang concocted for the annual SEMA show and revealed last week turned out to be quite the harbinger. With an announcement this morning, a fully electric Ford Mustang will be available at dealerships by the end of 2020. Hold your horses. It’s not quite that Mustang...but one that definitely bears the Mustang badge...

At $79 a month, is this the best electric-car lease deal of 2019?

2019 Hyundai Ioniq ElectricAlthough upmarket electric-vehicle startups seem to think that there will be an unlimited market for luxury EVs, it pays to remember that going electric isn’t reserved for the rich. It might actually dramatically reduce your commuting costs. Such is the case if you’re in certain Northeast or Mid-Atlantic markets. You could land a lease...

EPA wants to limit the studies behind environmental regulations

EPA Acting Administrator Andrew WheelerIn a move ostensibly aimed at increasing regulatory transparency, the EPA has proposed new rules that would require extensive disclosure of the data gathered in the research behind public health regulation—including confidential health records. While improving transparency sounds reasonable at face value, this is actually a calculated move...

Tesla picks Berlin for European Gigafactory

Tesla CEO Elon Musk introducing Model YTesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed Tuesday night that the company would be building its so-called “Gigafactory 4” in Berlin, Germany. Musk had already been in Germany to accept a Golden Steering Wheel, an award made by Auto-Bild group publisher Axel Springer, for the Tesla Model 3. "Everyone knows that German engineering is outstanding and...

2020 Volvo plug-in hybrids: Bigger battery boosts EPA range, mpg

2020 Volvo XC90Volvo earlier this year announced that it was adding a little more spark to its plug-in hybrid systems in its XC60 and XC90 T8 plug-in hybrids: by boosting their electric range. Both models step up to an 11.6-kwh battery pack, from the previous 10.4 kwh pack (and 9.2 kwh just a couple of years prior). With recently released EPA ratings, that...

Green group nudges Ford to put some “eco” in its Ecosport

2019 Ford EcosportOne watchdog group argues that Ford isn't doing enough to make its smallest vehicle for the U.S., the Ecosport, as "eco" as it could be—and that holds true whether the name nods to efficient or economical. The Union of Concerned Scientists is trying to light a fire under Ford, calling out its Ecosport for being a little light on that first...

GM reveals the Chevy Menlo electric car to China

2020 Chevrolet MenloGeneral Motors officially unveiled its new Menlo EV Friday, giving the Chinese market its first real look at the car that will spearhead the company's local electrification efforts. The Chevrolet Menlo likely would weigh in at 200 miles or less by EPA estimates (410 km NEDC). It will also feature MyLink infotainment with smart-enabled features...