When will you buy your first fully autonomous car? Poll results

Tesla Model S Autopilot engaged during cross-country record attemptWhile electric cars received a disproportionate amount of media attention over the last five years, the focus is now turning. At the recent Consumer Electronics Show and Detroit Auto Show earlier this month, cynical journalists were moved to propose a drinking game. Participants would have to take a drink every time an automaker used the words...

Plug-in Electric Car Sales in Canada, Dec 2016: cresting Everest

2017 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid Platinum EditionWhile still just shy of the 30,000 vehicle milestone, cumulative Canadian plug-in electric vehicle sales likely finished 2016 high enough to scale Mount Everest (elevation in feet: 29,029). While the full 2016 milestone is unlikely to be reached by January 11—birthday of Sir John A. MacDonald, the country's first Prime Minister—it may...

When the ‘eco’ in EcoBoost is so low that gas-guzzler taxes apply

New Ford GTSince Ford launched its line of downsized EcoBoost engines in 2009, the "eco" part of that name has often required an asterisk. That's because some owners have found that real-world fuel economy results don't always live up to the vehicles' official EPA ratings. The phrase "you can have Eco, or you can have Boost, but you can't have both at the...

Four large West Coast cities unite to buy 24,000 electric cars

Seattle Center as night falls (photo by Jeffery Hayes)When it comes to policy efforts aimed at promoting electric cars, the focus is usually on private passenger vehicles. But to cut carbon emissions in a meaningful way, policymakers will have to look at other types of vehicles as well. That includes the thousands of cars and light trucks in the municipal fleets of large cities. DON'T MISS: BYD...

California’s PG&E utility now offers $500 rebate for electric-car use

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EVIn certain states, electric utilities are getting into the business of installing and operating electric-car charging infrastructure. They may build public charging stations, or work with other entities that operate them, but that's usually as far as their efforts to promote electric cars go. But one California utility is now taking direct action...

Honda hybrid minivan, SUV, or pickup coming; dedicated hybrid in 2018 too

2017 Honda Accord Hybrid Sedan GrilleIn recent years, Honda has announced that it planned to release advanced-technology green cars in the future—without mentioning even their names, let alone any details or specifications. That's what happened two years ago with a pair of unnamed battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles that later proved to be two new variants of the Honda...

Toyota Prius Prime buyers misled by dealers; more education needed

2017 Toyota Prius Prime PremiumThe Toyota Prius Prime is a far better car than its plug-in hybrid predecessor, and it seems likely to become one of the higher-volume plug-in electric cars on the U.S. market. If, that is, Toyota's own dealers prove willing to sell it—or even find out that it exists. After three separate complaints by readers in different areas of the U.S...

Best deals on hybrid, electric, fuel-efficient cars for January 2017

2016 Kia Soul EVIt's a new year, and that means a new crop of buyer deals on green cars. The 2017 model year is now well underway, but older 2016 versions of certain vehicles still sit on dealer lots. As dealers get more anxious to clear this older stock, look for more aggressive incentives on these models. DON'T MISS: Plug-in electric car sales in Dec: Bolt EV...

China’s five-year budget for renewable energy: $360 billion

ChinaDespite a recent downturn, the Chinese government is moving full-speed ahead to invest heavily in renewable energy. The country's national regulators have already promoted renewable energy as a possible cure for the country's notoriously-bad air pollution. But China has placed more emphasis on renewable power in its latest five-year economic plan...