Volvo announced on Friday that it is updating its lineup with two new "mild-hybrids" and more electric range for its existing T8 plug-in hybrid models. The XC60 and XC90 T8 plug-in hybrids will get up to 15 percent more range, according to Volvo's European announcement, which could boost their range estimates from 17 miles to about 20 miles. DON'T...
The federal government has given initial approval for the Chinese electric car manufacturer Kandi to import two electric cars to the U.S. in coming years, the company announced to investors last week. The company, which is owned by Geely, and is known as Zhejiang Kangdi Vehicles Company in China, is publicly traded on the NASDAQ under the ticker...
At the moment, there are more Nissan Leafs on the world’s roads than any other electric car in history—closing in on 400,000. As of Jan 1, Nissan had delivered 380,000 Leafs globally, 130,000 of them in the United States. Nissan is entirely aware that honor may not last long. It all depends on sales of the pricier but undeniably more...
Electric-car batteries need to get recycled or reused at the end of their road. And campers are always in need of more batteries to stay out longer and run more things without resorting to gas power. Combine the two needs and you get the Nissan x Opus, an inflatable, folding camping trailer that relies on second-life batteries from used Nissan...
Which electric car gets great satisfaction but subpar reliability ratings? What did a bill in California propose instead of the high-speed rail project from San Francisco to LA? This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending Feb. 22, 2019. The biggest news this week came with new...
Ford opened an investigation into the way it conducts fuel economy tests. The EPA quit speaking to California in their dispute over emissions rules. Half of Consumer Reports top picks for 2019 include hybrids or plug-in cars. And Audi makes good on advertising the performance benefits of an electric car. All this and more on Green Car Reports...
You asked, now you've received. In our Twitter poll last week, readers told us that they think automakers should quit focusing on electric cars' green credentials in ads and start advertising their performance. Apparently Audi was reading their thoughts. After spending as much as $5 million (or more?) on a somewhat ethereal Super Bowl ad that...
Carbuyers no longer have to give up space, comfort, features, or reliability to make a difference in saving gas. That's the message of Consumer Reports' latest list of 10 top picks for 2019, published in its Autos Spotlight, and April Auto Issue Thursday. Out of CR's 10 Top Picks, three are hybrids, one is available as a plug-in hybrid, and one is...
The Trump administration has ended talks with California aimed at settling their differences over increasing fuel economy and tightening emissions regulations, Reuters reported Thursday, citing an unnamed government official. In August, the EPA, led by Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler, released a proposal to freeze emissions and associated fuel...
Ford announced on Thursday that it opened an investigation into the fuel economy testing it does to receive official EPA ratings and federal certification to sell its vehicles in the U.S. The company plans to start by retesting its 2019 Ranger midsize pickup, after employees raised concerns through Ford's internal reporting channel called Speak...
![Consumer Reports tests Tesla Model 3 braking [CREDIT: Consumer Reports]](https://images.hgmsites.net/tmb/consumer-reports-tests-tesla-model-3-braking-credit-consumer-reports_100653529_t.gif)
Consumer Reports pulled its recommendation for the Tesla Model 3 again, after new survey data from its subscribers showed the car has below-average reliability, the organization announced today. CR surveys its subscribers annually about problems and satisfaction with their cars. "I want to emphasize that when it comes to owner satisfaction, the...
Could high-speed rail be replaced with high-speed highways? Volvo is pulling depleted batteries out of electric buses to use as energy storage for solar in a large apartment complex in Sweden. Argonne National Lab has developed a smaller, lighter, more efficient electric motor. All this and more on Green Car Reports. As California's high-speed...
![Riksbyggen Viva co-op housing complex, Gothenberg Sweden [Credit: Riksbyggen, Creative Commons]](https://images.hgmsites.net/tmb/riksbyggen-viva-co-op-housing-complex-gothenberg-sweden-credit-riksbyggen-creative-commons_100692459_t.gif)
As solar installations ramp up and electric vehicles have been on the market for a few years, automakers are starting to look for ways to get more life out of old electric-car batteries, repurposing them for stationary storage. And if you're going to use vehicle old batteries for storage, you might as well use big ones. Volvo, which builds trucks...
In the wake of the debate over California’s complicated, delayed, and over-budget Los Angeles-to-San Francisco high-speed rail project, a bill introduced to the California State Senate last week comes up with a simpler solution: just add more freeway lanes, and get rid of the speed limit entirely in those new lanes. The bill, SB 319, is...
![Wind farm outside Fort MacLeod, Alberta, Canada [photographer: Joel Bennett]](https://images.hgmsites.net/tmb/wind-farm-outside-fort-macleod-alberta-canada-photographer-joel-bennett_100608718_t.gif)
Saving weight and increasing efficiency and power are among the most common goals for electric-car engineers. The biggest breakthroughs in those specs generally come in batteries. But it's not the only place. Now scientists at Argonne National Labs have developed a lighter, cheaper, and more efficient motor, called HyMag, that can give equivalent...
Honda teamed with student designers for its latest EV concept. VW is cleaning up its emissions act, not just in cars, but in its factories. Ford is recalling 2019 Fusion Energis for an electric-shock hazard. And readers weigh in on the Green New Deal in our latest Twitter poll. All this and more on Green Car Reports. As Volkswagen transitions to...
![San Luis Obispo, CA National Drive Electric Week 2018 [Credit Justin Bradshaw SLO Climate Coalition]](https://images.hgmsites.net/tmb/san-luis-obispo-ca-national-drive-electric-week-2018-credit-justin-bradshaw-slo-climate-coalition_100679776_t.gif)
If the goal of the Green New Deal proposed by Democrats in Congress is to get people talking about a transition to renewable energy, then it looks to be gaining traction. The Senate generated controversy on both sides of the aisle by proposing to hold a token vote on the proposal. Studies have arrived on both sides and in the middle of the...
Honda last week previewed the Tomo, an update on its Urban EV concept with more rounded curves, for the Geneva auto show next month. The previous Urban EV concept took the 2017 Frankfurt auto show by storm with its cuteness and functionality. The new concept embraces time away from the big city a little more. It took form via a partnership with...
Dane Butswinkas, a Washington trial lawyer, represented Elon Musk, the chief executive, when he was sued by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The departure, one of dozens by senior executives in recent years, is the latest turbulence in the months since federal regulators sued the carmaker.
