E-tron follows original Quattro to the ski slopes in Audi’s latest ad

Audi e-tron ski slope adYou 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...

Consumer Reports Top Picks show hybrids have come a long way

2019 Toyota AvalonCarbuyers 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...

EPA cuts off fuel-economy talks with California

Freeway, Los Angeles, 2009 (photo by Myriam Thyes via Wikimedia)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 investigates its own fuel-economy testing methods

2019 Ford RangerFord 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...

Volvo reuses bus batteries for solar storage

Riksbyggen Viva co-op housing complex, Gothenberg Sweden [Credit: Riksbyggen, Creative Commons] 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...

VW emissions, Honda Tomo, Ford Fusion Energi recall: Today’s Car News

Citroën Ami One ConceptHonda 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...

Ford recalls 2019 Fusion Energi over high-voltage shock risk

2019 Ford Fusion EnergiFord has recalled 2,100 2019 Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid sedans over the risk of a high-voltage electrical shock. The company discovered a gap in the access panel to the car's high-voltage electrical drive system that could allow owners, or more likely mechanics, to accidentally touch the energized high voltage system with a probe in the battery...

BorgWarner Forms Cascadia Motion – Acquires RMS & AM Racing

BorgWarner has acquired two Oregon-based EV powertrain businesses. BorgWarner formed Cascadia Motion LLC to acquire assets and merge the operations of the companies – Rinehart Motion Systems LLC and AM Racing Inc. Cascadia Motion will explore the wide variety of electric and hybrid propulsion solutions for niche and emerging applications.

"Rinehart Motion Systems and AM Racing are two established companies in the speciality electric and hybrid propulsion sector," said Hakan Yilmaz, Chief Technology Officer at BorgWarner. "Bringing them together as Cascadia Motion will allow us to offer design, development and production of full electric and hybrid propulsion systems for niche and low-volume manufacturing applications."

BorgWarner have progressively acquired a portfolio of electric powertrain businesses including Remy in 2015 for $950 million and Sevcon in 2017 for $200 million.

Cascadia Motion will leverage the proficiencies of both companies into a start-up atmosphere designed to incubate new technologies. Rinehart Motion Systems brings expertise in propulsion inverters and controls for electric and hybrid electric vehicles in professional motorsports, motorcycles, specialty road cars, bus, and heavy duty sectors. AM Racing designs and manufactures single- and dual-core electric motors (based on Remy cores) and gearsets used in all these same market segments.

The new merged company will expand the company's ability to support a wide variety of customers with small scale projects, specialty products, and low volume manufacturing needs. In addition, BorgWarner's global production facilities can be utilized as Cascadia Motion customers grow to require high-volume production.

2020 Ford Explorer Hybrid, Bill Gates, GM e-bikes: Today’s Car News

Audi traffic light recognitionMicrosoft founder Bill Gates weighs in on electric cars. General Motors launches a pair of compact electric-bikes. Ford prices its 2020 Explorer Hybrid—high. And our latest Twitter poll asks about wireless charging. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Ford released pricing for the 2020 Explorer, including a top-of-the-line-only Explorer...