Airbus considering hybrid system for next-gen mainstream passenger jet

Airbus A320neoHybrid technology isn’t just for cars or trucks. Anywhere there’s waste heat or kinetic energy that can be recaptured—which means virtually every mode of transportation—there’s an opportunity for hybrid tech to make the entire mission more fuel-efficient. Such is also the case for big passenger jets. According to the...

Tesla Model 3 transformed into DIY electric pickup

Tesla Model 3 pickup truck 'Truckla'Waiting and waiting for more details about the upcoming Tesla Pickup—the “cyberpunk truck”—or concerned that it’s going to be too big when it arrives? You could essentially build your own. That’s what San Francisco YouTube star Simone Giertz did, from a Tesla Model 3. In the project, which declares it’s...

Nissan Leaf batteries are lasting a very long time

2011 Nissan Leaf prototypeSince even before the first market deliveries of its Leaf electric car in late 2010, Nissan has made frequent mention about the need to create second-use demand for the Leaf's battery packs. It turns out, they may need to see many of those ideas put into place. According to comments made last month by a Nissan-Renault executive, citing charging...

An electric car can’t fully replace a gas-powered car in my world

2018 Tesla Model 3Three incredibly long days after my nearly 3-year-old son Seth doubled over and screamed his “tummy hurt” we were finally back on the freeway headed home. My mind wandered because there’s not much else on Interstate 380 in Iowa in December. Three days earlier, my wife, kids, and I traveled from Minnesota to Reinbeck...

Why Norway leads the world in electric vehicle adoption

Cars queuing for DC fast charging  -  Ståle Frydelund/Norwegian EV AssociationNorway has only 5.26 million people—about half the size of Los Angeles County in population, and with only about 35 percent of LA's vehicles on its roads. But there's one measure in which Norway trumps America's most saturated EV market. Per capita, Norway has more electric car owners and drivers than anywhere else in the world. But why?...

Epic electric road trip: After 3 years and 33 countries, it’s a wrap

Wiebe Wakker finishes electric-car tourWiebe Wakker took one very long drive in an electric car—for a total of 1119 days, covering 59,000 miles and traversing portions of 33 countries on the way from the Netherlands to Australia. It was, by just about any standard, an epic road trip. Wakker reached Sydney last Sunday, April 7, and was welcomed with a parade of EVs, across the...

Obama, buy that Volt!

President Obama inspects the 2011 Chevrolet Volt Our current President, Donald Trump, has made it abundantly clear where he stands on electric cars. It’s quite a contrast to our former President, Barack Obama, whose administration widely supported policy fostering more fuel-efficient vehicles, greener energy, and the path to more vehicles that plug in. This weekend marks the last one for...

Could grassroots racing bridge the electric-car culture clash?

Tesla LeMonsThe daily news cycle already provides plenty of fodder for taking sides for or against electric cars. In the real world it’s just not that polarizing. Most people who decide to embrace electric vehicles probably understand that EVs do anything but preclude driving enjoyment; and many want to share that enthusiasm with others. That’s...

2019 Nissan Leaf Plus: Drive review of long-range electric car

2019 Nissan Leaf Plus  -  Driven, March 2019If more power, a 226-mile range, and a $39,405 base price—before considering the full $7,500 federal EV tax credit you can still get—collectively seems like the sweet spot for the Leaf, you probably have GM to thank. Nissan has admitted that it never planned to push the Leaf above a 40-kwh battery pack and beyond a rated range of 150...