2018 Fiat 500e preview

2018 Fiat 500eWhen the Fiat 500e electric minicar launched in 2013, its range was rated at 87 miles, but its most distinctive feature was its wickedly fun-to-drive character. Six years later, the fun driving remains the same—and the range has fallen slightly to 84 miles, based on changes to EPA test calculations. Meanwhile, every other electric model from...

Maine to hit hybrids, electric cars with fees higher than gas tax?

2018 Toyota PriusMaine has become the latest in a growing string of states to propose adding registration fees for hybrid and electric cars to make up for tax revenue on the gasoline they don't use, or use less of. But it's also part of a much smaller group of those states in which the fees are punitive: drivers of those cars pay more than the gas taxes paid by...

Where will we see the most electric-car innovation? Take our Twitter poll

Chevrolet Bolt EV being charged outside Go Forth electric-car showroom, Portland   [photo: Forth]It hasn't emerged much into the public eye, but some advocates and auto-industry sources have had quiet discussions on whether the U.S. will continue to lead the world in electric-car technology in a new decade. California remains the epicenter of plug-in car adoption, with roughly half the country's electric-car sales over seven years recorded...

Will GM or Tesla buyers lose electric-car tax credits first? (updated)

Tesla Model 3A major contributor to electric-car sales is the program under which buyers of new electric cars qualify for a federal income-tax credit of up to $7,500. But these tax credits are not unlimited. Once a manufacturer reaches sales of 200,000 plug-in electric cars (after December 31, 2009), the credits start to phase out for that company's cars...

Autonomous swarming electric pods: halfway between train and car?

Dubai Roads and Transit Authority to test Next Future Transportation NX1 autonomous electric podsThere are cars and trucks, and then there are trains and buses. While multi-seat vans and wagons can serve the purpose of buses carrying multiple unrelated people, a California company has come up with an entirely new concept. The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority announced yesterday it would test what maker Next Future Corporation calls the...