Audi e-tron electric SUV orders to open Sept. 17

Audi e-tron quattro concept, 2015 Frankfurt Auto ShowAfter having the car's formal debut interrupted by an arrest, Audi announced that it will begin taking orders for its all-electric e-tron SUV on September 17, the company said last week. The car's formal debut August 30 in Brussels was postponed after Audi CEO Rupert Stadler was arrested by authorities in Germany for his role in a widespread...

Final Terrafugia prototype flying car ready to take to the air

Terrafugia prototype in flightSometimes a hybrid is more than a hybrid. The Terrafugia uses a hybrid powertain as it drives down the road. It's also a hybrid car and airplane. Even in the sky, it can make use of hybrid power. Terrafugia started in 2005 and designed what observers have called a "flying car," and it plans to put its vehicle into production by the end of next...

EPA reinstates limitations on dirty diesel glider trucks

Fitzgerald Glider Kits headquarters in Crossville, TennesseeIn a reversal of its reversal, the EPA said Thursday that it would enforce limits on dirty "glider" trucks after all. Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler put the brakes on his predecessor's decision to not enforce an Obama-era rule on dirty diesel big-rigs. CHECK OUT: States join to halt EPA's reversal on "glider" semi trucks Glider trucks are...

Hydrogen supply shortage leaves fuel cell cars gasping in California

2018 Toyota MiraiThe biggest challenge to driving a fuel-cell car is finding fuel. Automakers who sell fuel-cell models—Toyota, Honda, and Hyundai for now—have made progress in getting 33 hydrogen fueling stations built around Los Angeles and San Francisco. It's not helping drivers this week though. According to a photo tweeted by user Paolo NonVTEC...

Tesla and its fans lash out at critics: commentary

Tesla factory, Fremont, CaliforniaOne of the most vocal critics of electric-car maker Tesla appears to have been silenced. Known as Montana Skeptic, he wrote 138 articles over three years on the stock-tip website Seeking Alpha. On Tuesday, he published what he says will be his final article after he claims Elon Musk called his employer and threatened to sue Skeptic over his...

Study equates model selection, infrastructure with electric-car sales

BMW i3 electric car at EVgo DC fast-charging stationA paucity of plug-in car models available across the United States is holding back electric-car adoption. That's a major conclusion of a new study by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT)—the organization that helped uncover Volkswagen's diesel cheating scandal in the United States. The latest ICCT study looked at plug-in...

2018 Nissan Leaf battery technology, a deep dive

2017 Nissan Leaf showing battery pack (Source: Nissan)When the first-generation Nissan Leaf debuted in 2011, it quickly became the best-selling electric car in history, with no real competition. By the time the most recent version debuted in 2017, it was nearly outdated before it left dealers’ lots due to a shorter range than rivals from Tesla and Chevrolet. The biggest issues with the...

States join to halt EPA’s reversal on “glider” semi trucks

Western Star semi tractor used to promote Fitzgerald Glider KitsSixteen states joined an effort this week to petition courts to review a rollback of an Obama-era regulation that capped the number of "glider" trucks, Transport Topics reported. Glider trucks are new bodies fitted with older diesel engines that predate emissions controls. Those trucks can emit up to 43 times more carcinogenic particulate matter...

Early Tesla Model 3 Performance reviews are positive

2018 Tesla Model 3The first reviews of the Tesla Model 3 Performance are in, and they are positive—even occasionally glowing. Tesla has trickled out cars for review to a handful of outlets so far, including the The Wall Street Journal (and its affiliated website, Market Watch), CNET, CleanTechnica, Motor Trend, and Autoweek. Reviewers say that in most...

2019 Mercedes-Benz A-Class sedan sets wind-cheating record

2019 Mercedes-Benz A-Class aerodynamic testingEfficiency comes in many automotive forms: electric powertrains, continuously variable transmissions, smaller-displacement engines. More aerodynamic designs help efficiency, too. With the 2019 A-Class, Mercedes-Benz says it's raised the aerodynamic bar. Mercedes-Benz claims that the new 2019 A-Class sedan has the lowest aerodynamic drag of any...

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne dies suddenly

Sergio MarchionneSergio Marchionne, the man who engineered a historic merger between Fiat and Chrysler to rescue the Detroit automaker from financial collapse, died Wednesday in Switzerland. He was 66. Marchionne died after complications from surgery last week. On Saturday, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles quickly replaced him as CEO with Mike Manley, who most recently...

Chinese Gyon to bring another luxury electric car to market in U.S.

Gyon electric car brand launches August 8, 2018Add one more to the ranks of boutique luxury electric carmakers. The latest, Gyon, comes from Asia as an offshoot of from the Sitech luxury division of one of FAW Group, one China's largest automakers. The brand said Wednesday that it will debut its latest model in Los Angeles on August 8. Presenting the Gyon concept will be Sitech CEO Jacky Xian...

ExxonMobil leaves conservative anti-climate lobbying group

ExxonMobil oil refinery, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, by WClarke [CC BY-SA 4.0]Following a public spat over climate change legislation, oil giant ExxonMobil has pulled its membership from the Koch brothers-backed anti-climate-change lobbying group, American Legislative Exchange Council. Neither ExxonMobil nor ALEC has commented publicly on the reasons for the company's departure, but the move comes after ExxonMobil had an...

Tesla Model 3 Performance to get new “track mode”

2018 Tesla Model 3Tesla is developing a new track mode for performance versions of the Model 3. YouTube reviewer Marques Brownlee posted a video on Instagram showing a development version of the "track mode" in action. Green Car Reports reached out to Tesla for comment, and the company confirmed in a statement that it is developing the track mode to allow more...

2018 Kia Niro PHEV gas mileage review: outrunning expectations

2018 Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid Competition improves the breed. And that’s exactly what the Kia Niro brings to hybrids like the Toyota Prius and Prius Prime. Compared with the Prius, the Niro is taller and roomier. Likely to its benefit, it looks like a small crossover SUV, though with only front-wheel drive, it's no kind of SUV. It does offer the crossover advantages of...