It's not that the Trump administration doesn't believe in climate change. It just doesn't want to do anything about it. In a 500-page draft environmental impact statement concerning the EPA's and NHTSA's joint proposal to roll back fuel-economy and emissions regulations, the NHTSA reports that it expects global temperatures to rise by 7 degrees... Trump fuel-economy proposal writes off rising global temperatures
It's not that the Trump administration doesn't believe in climate change. It just doesn't want to do anything about it. In a 500-page draft environmental impact statement concerning the EPA's and NHTSA's joint proposal to roll back fuel-economy and emissions regulations, the NHTSA reports that it expects global temperatures to rise by 7 degrees...
Elio Motors, which has been struggling since 2009 to build its own ultra-cheap, small, fuel-efficient, three-wheeled car, announced Thursday that it will source an engine from a major automaker. Previously, the company planned to build its own 3-cylinder engine with up to 55 horsepower for its projected 84-mpg three-wheeler. The company did not...
That sound you hear isn’t the 2019 Honda Insight’s hybrid powertrain whirring along. It’s the undertaker coming for the vaunted Honda Civic nameplate. The 2019 Insight isn’t just a better hybrid, it’s a better compact car. I spent a week moseying around in an Insight Touring, a well-equipped $29,000 compact sedan with...
Labor Day is one of the biggest travel weekends for all year, as Americans close out the summer and enjoy a last excursion before heading back to school. That makes it one of the biggest weekends for gas sales too, though nobody wants to spend more than they need to on fuel. If you're making a trip longer than you can comfortably take your...
California clean air regulators held a reportedly contentious meeting with Trump administration officials over the proposal to roll back fuel economy standards. A wide survey of Americans told researchers that they're dissatisfied with the fuel economy their cars get now, implying they might want cars to improve. A new report links California's...
Two more days. That's all the time owners of 2.0-liter diesel VWs have to file claims to receive a large financial settlement and to have their cars repaired to meet emissions standards. TDI owners have had plenty of notice to file paperwork to receive a financial settlement to replace or fix their cars, yet the latest report from the class action...
Just as the Trump administration moves to roll back fuel economy standards, a new survey shows that Americans are dissatisfied with the fuel economy their cars already get. The American Customer Satisfaction Index survey for cars was released Tuesday, and among the 10 attributes the survey studied, fuel economy ranked last among factors Americans'...
Who objected to the Trump administration's plans to freeze emissions and fuel-economy standards? What was recalled going back to the beginning of modern electric cars? This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending August 24, 2018. Friday, Jaguar revealed that it will build all-electric...
Starting next month, Europe will implement the first phase of new fuel economy and emissions standards that were intended to take effect worldwide. Automakers are required to release initial ratings based on lab tests using the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) on Sept. 1, followed next year by the results of new real-world...
Fuel economy estimates posted to the EPA's website for the redesigned 2019 Chevrolet Cruze show some changes—plus a big surprise. The latest ratings reveal that the EPA has certified a gas-fueled Cruze with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) that boosts city fuel economy estimates by 2 mpg compared with the 6-speed...
Smaller, lighter cars always get the blame when politicians want to lower fuel-economy standards. They lobby that too many Americans will be driving lighter cars and that that will lead to more deaths on America's roadways. That's exactly the argument that the Trump administration made earlier this month in its proposal to weaken fuel economy...
The Mazda CX-5 diesel took one step closer to production by receiving an EPA rating. Jalopnik made the find and reported the ratings on Wednesday. With front-wheel drive, the CX-5 diesel is rated at 28 mpg city, 31 highway, 29 combined. With all-wheel drive those numbers each drop by 1 mpg for ratings of 27 city, 30 highway, and 28 overall. The...
In President Trump's plan to freeze fuel economy standards last week, the EPA and NHTSA made a strange statement. They said that two of the main technologies used to improve fuel economy standards—turbocharging and multi-speed transmissions—were not as effective as had been expected. Having studied fuel economy standards from their...
In the latest draft of new fuel economy and emissions standards obtained by the Associated Press, the Trump administration argues that reducing mileage standards will improve safety. It's an argument that dates back to the beginning of fuel economy standards in the 1970s, and one that ignores technological improvements made along the way. Under...
Efficiency 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...
We didn't know last week when California and 16 other states might file a lawsuit against the EPA over President Trump's decision to roll back emissions rules, but it seemed pretty clear that it would happen soon. Our Twitter-poll subject for last week still managed to address the topic directly from the viewpoint of our readers: We noted that the...
California, along with 16 other states and the District of Columbia, have formally launched a long-anticipated lawsuit against EPA over its proposed rollback of emissions rules for 2022 through 2025, according to a new report in the Washington Post. The suit was filed last month in the D.C federal appeals court in response to EPA Administrator...
California has set its own emissions standards since before the EPA was founded. Ever since the EPA started regulating emissions, the state has continued on its own. Now according to a report in the Los Angeles Times, the Trump Administration thinks it has found a legal way to circumvent the legal exemption that allows the Golden State to continue...
What ever happened to electric-car company BYD? And what's BMW's new electric-car strategy? This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending on Friday, April 17, 2018. On Friday, we took learned some more details about the new diesel F150, and had a chance to offer some driving...
Passenger cars at Ford have short lives. The automaker announced Wednesday that it would pare its lineup to just two cars: The Mustang and a new Focus Active crossover, which is based on the next-generation Focus unveiled this month. The Ford Fiesta, Fusion, Taurus, and Focus hatchback and sedan will not be renewed for future generations in the...