States are increasingly turning to electric cars for improved air quality and lower costs, but the ways those states are promoting EV use and adoption vary dramatically. That's according to a report released this week by the National Governors Association after it conducted workshops across the U.S. and studied how states are using and, in some...
With the ID 3, Volkswagen is officially launching the first of a new wave of EVs that it’s conceived as “electric vehicles for millions, not millionaires.” The U.S. won’t be getting the vehicle that kicks it all off—the Golf-sized ID 3. Instead we’ll be getting a larger model (rumored to be called ID 4 or ID 4X)...
Slow sales and a shrinking market for sedans have effectively shelved the Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid sedan—the last model from General Motors to use hybrid-system components from the much-loved Chevy Volt. GM spokesman Kevin Kelly confirmed to Green Car Reports on Monday that the hybrid sedan won't appear for the 2020 model year. The Chevrolet...
As tens of thousands of United Auto Workers members went on strike Monday morning, details emerged about General Motors' offer to the plant workers for electrified vehicles. Included in the proposed offer from GM to the UAW, the automaker listed an electric pickup, a dedicated battery facility in the U.S., and additional propulsion programs that...
A major supplier indicates that 800-volt tech is coming to another major automaker’s platform in 2022. The 2020 Prius gets a few more features. And CATL is looking at a plant in the U.S. This and more, here at Green Car Reports. The Chinese battery giant CATL last week announced some advances in its cell technology. It’s targeting a...
China’s Contemporary Amerex Technology Co., better known as CATL, has in the past several years become a global battery giant. Last week one of its senior executives revealed to Reuters that the company is considering a manufacturing expansion into North America, even though the market for EVs will lag that of China and Europe. The company...
China’s Contemporary Amerex Technology Co., better known as CATL, has in the past several years become a global battery giant. Last week one of its senior executives revealed to Reuters that the company is considering a manufacturing expansion into North America, even though the market for EVs will lag that of China and Europe. The company...
Toyota announced a handful of changes for its bread-and-butter hybrid Thursday, including iPhone integration via Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa-enabled smart features for the first time. In addition to these connected features, the 2020 Prius gets a new standard 7.0-inch touchscreen on its L Eco, LE and XLE trims, and Toyota's advanced driver...
Last week, in coordination with the Frankfurt auto show, Delphi Technologies announced it will be the first major supplier for the auto industry to produce an 800-volt inverter—a component that Delphi underscores is one of the enablers to allow 800-volt charging and effectively halve charging times compared to today’s 400-volt systems...
For many decades, so-called crate engines—most often V-8s—have been the basis for adding more excitement to old cars and trucks. But what about an electric motor system that’s disguised as a V-8? Electric GT, of Chatsworth, California, is in the process of doing a “TLC build” electric conversion of a 1970 Toyota FJ40...
Which automaker looked back to the late-’70s hatchback era with an electric concept car? And why is your favorite green-car site interested in a claimed record lap time at California’s Laguna Seca track? This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending September 13, 2019...
Trade war, technology shifts and a global downturn are putting “unprecedented” pressure on automakers. Sustainability is now about survival.
Audi shows how very futuristic concepts can still be off-road-focused. Tesla wears “Plaid” at the track. And VW shows wall chargers to go with its electric cars. This and more, here at Green Car Reports. Tesla announced Wednesday that a Model S set a new track record at California’s WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Turns out the...
Volvo's plug-in hybrid variant of its XC40 compact crossover is hitting showrooms in the UK, offering a glimpse of what we can likely expect within the next model year. The XC40 PHEV is based on its T5 trim, which is the range-topper for the small Volvo crossover. Unlike the regular T5, which gets power from a turbocharged 4-cylinder, the PHEV...
As a companion to the launch of its new ID 3 electric car, Volkswagen is offering a series of at-home AC charging stations. In three flavors, the new ID Charger series ranges in three levels from basic charging to a high-precision, connected suite. All of the versions will have the same 11 kw output, the upgraded models offer additional...
Tesla announced Wednesday that its Model S "Plaid" development car lapped WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca near Monterey, California, in 1 minute, 36.55 seconds this week. That set a track record for four-door sedans and proved that its flagship model can complete a hot lap at the famous circuit. *~ Some personal news ~* We lapped Laguna Seca...
Earlier this week at the Frankfurt auto show, Audi revealed a strikingly different adventure-vehicle concept car that’s designed to show, according to the brand, “a comprehensive concept for sustainable mobility off the beaten track.” The AI:Trail completes a quartet of concepts with similarly colon-punctuated names—the...
The most efficient car for the 2019 model year may surprise you, states may be recouping more than just lost gas taxes from EV drivers, and the EPA chief Andrew Wheeler signaled that the final fuel-economy freeze may not be identical to the one the agency proposed. Jaguar teased us with our first look at the upcoming XJ flagship sedan at the 2019...
Efficiency went further and farther for 2019 model-year vehicles in almost every sense of the two words. Green Car Reports’ top 10 fuel-efficient vehicles all have one thing in common: plugs. But where they go from there is anything but common among the vehicles. The most efficient vehicles on our list did more with their energy than the...
Some states are assessing additional fees on electric vehicle owners that end up being in excess of what the average car owner pays in gas taxes, consumer advocates said Wednesday. Consumer Reports found that 26 states (up from 17 a little more than a year ago) have implemented policies mandating additional registration fees for owners of electric...
