Battery shortage interrupts Hyundai Ioniq Electric sales

2017 Hyundai Ioniq ElectricJust when it looked like sales might take off for a variety of electric cars, a global battery shortage has put a damper on sales of models from Hyundai. We got a heads up from a Canadian reader that customer orders for the Ioniq Electric in Canada have been put on hold due to a global shortage of battery supply. We confirmed the memo with Hyundai...

Tesla reportedly locks out contractors in midst of Model 3 ramp up

Tesla factory, Fremont, CaliforniaLast Wednesday, during Tesla's earnings call, we learned that CEO Elon Musk planned to restructure the company and to cut the number of contractors used at Tesla's factories. That day came suddenly this morning. Electrek reported this morning that it had obtained an internal memo from Musk noting that contractors' time was up, and that a Tesla...

2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI SportWagen driven: Fixed, but does it matter?

Brown 2011 Volkswagen TDI Sportwagen listed for sale after emissions repairsThe gentle rumble under the brown station wagon’s hood brings back memories of not too long ago as I sneak its 6-speed manual through the gears. So, too, the way it accelerates down a highway on-ramp—like warm maple syrup, the brown wagon moves substantially with just enough verve. From the driver’s seat of this 2011 VW Golf TDI...

1912 electric truck: Take that Tesla Semi!

1912 Commercial Truck, Curtis publishingThis month, it seems like electric trucks are coming coming off the drawing boards and onto the roads, right and left. But Nikola, with its hydrogen trucks, and Tesla with its all-electric models, are hardly the first truck makers to turn to electricity. Commercial Truck company of Philadelphia built 5-ton electric trucks as far back as 1912. We...

Tesla’s future, going to court over diesels and emissions, collectible Prius, ‘Lexus lanes’ and Autopilot stunt: The Week in Reverse

Martin WinterkornWhat's the latest type of vehicle to go electric? And what's likely to deliver your next case of Budweiser? This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending on Friday, April 20, 2018. On Friday, we learned that federal investigators, are still tightening the noose on Volkswagen executives...

Winnebago builds electric campers—to tow your electric car

Winnebago custom electric RV on Motiv power electric chassisWe have electric cars, and electric trucks, why not an electric RV? Winnebago industries, perhaps America's most iconic RV manufacturer, has signed a deal with Motiv Power Systems, which converts medium-duty truck chassis to electric power, according to RV newsletter RV Pro. (Hat tip to reader Tony Jenkens for the tip!) Winnebago is selling zero...

Kia Niro electric car debuts in Korea

Kia Niro EV conceptKia displayed a new Niro EV electric car concept at the Consumer Electronics Show last January, and the production car just made an appearance in South Korea at the Fifth International Electric Vehicle Expo. Based on the Niro hybrid and plug in hybrid already sold stateside, the Niro EV takes the concept one step further by dispensing with the gas...

Report: Former VW CEO Martin Winterkorn criminally charged over dieselgate

Martin WinterkornFormer Volkswagen boss Martin Winterkorn was charged with defrauding the U.S. in a Michigan federal court Thursday for his role in the widespread VW diesel emissions scandal. The charges were first reported by Reuters. According to the report, the charges were filed secretly in March and made public Thursday. Winterkorn was CEO of Volkswagen when...

Budweiser-maker taps Nikola for up to 800 hydrogen-powered semi trucks

Anheuser-Busch Nikola Two fuel cell semi Anheuser-Busch bet big on hydrogen fuel for its semitrailer trucks Thursday. The Budweiser beermaker announced it would buy up to 800 big rigs from Nikola Motor Company by 2025 and nearly replace its entire dedicated corporate fleet with trucks powered by renewable energy. The agreement is largely contingent on Nikola building hydrogen refueling...

Clipper Creek offers certified pre-owned charging stations

Certified pre-owned ClipperCreek charging station in useYou've heard of certified pre-owned cars, maybe even certified pre-owned electric cars. Now you can buy a certified pre-owned home charging station to go with your certified pre-owned electric car. ClipperCreek, one of the oldest charging-station manufacturers, is offering two types of certified pre-owned models, the LCS, which delivers up to 24...

Tesla earnings, cash-burn up; Model 3 production, barely

Tesla factory, Fremont, CaliforniaTesla told investors Wednesday that it burned through a record amount of cash last quarter, posting a $785 million loss for the quarter. The company's stock initially rose 2.2 percent on the news because revenue came in $110 million higher than expected. The company has not reached its goal of producing 5,000 Model 3 cars a week, reporting a...

Outlanders Inbound: Plug-in Electric Car Sales In Canada, March 2018

2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, Catalina Island, CA, Sep 2017The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV set a new single-month Canadian sales record for plug-in electric vehicles in April, selling 589 units -- more than double the 237 it managed in the United States. Positioned enviably in the Venn diagram overlap of consumer preference for trucks and SUVs, Canadians’ greater openness to plug-in hybrids, and...