Electric Ford F-150 already exists, as second-life conversion kit

Ecotuned electric F-150 conversionThe all-electric Ford F-150 teased for the first time last week is something to get excited about—especially as an electric version of the top-selling vehicle in America. The model isn’t likely to show up at dealerships for at least another couple years, though. And there are electric F-150 pickups already in use today. About a dozen...

Reports: Audi software tricks led to dirty dieselgate scandal

2014 Audi Q5 TDI, Catskill Mountains, Oct 2013Audi played a significant role in the Volkswagen diesel scandal—specifically in developing software that cheated emissions tests for diesels in Europe and the U.S. That's a point that's only come to light in recent days, as documents just have been uncovered as part of European reports. While engineers from Volkswagen's luxury Audi division...

Honda packs its retro urban EV with a dash full of screens

2020 Honda E prototypeYou can forget about the delightfully retro-simple look inside and out that was part of what made the Honda E such a standout. Honda is shaping up to be one of the first carmakers with a full-width array of distinct screens, in the Honda E, when it goes on sale in Europe early next year. Unlike the Byton M-Byte with its single, curved, 42-inch...

Street charger tucks away for pedestrian access during the day

Urban Electric charging solutionElectric car charging infrastructure is good—until there's so much of it that it clutters the streets and starts impeding pedestrian access. That's why a British company called Urban Electric has designed pop up chargers that retract into the ground when they're not in use. In Britain, 50 percent of urban residents park on the street...

“Big Daddy” drag racer Don Garlits sets electric dragster record

Top-fuel winner Don On the 50th anniversary of mankind's first moon landing, last Saturday, another kind of new record hit the electric car community. Legendary drag-racer Don Garlits, who was setting racing records before the moon landing, set two new speed records in an electric dragster in the quarter mile, one for a time of 7.235 seconds, and the other for a trap...

California could soon close one of the dirtiest diesel-emissions loopholes

Fitzgerald Glider Kits headquarters in Crossville, TennesseeWe’ve all seen it while following big rigs: Clouds of sooty smoke coming from a single truck, prompted by an uphill grade, a passing maneuver, or sometimes seemingly nothing at all. How can that be legal? It might not be legal, but it underscores a current loophole in U.S. emissions for larger (Class 4-8) trucks: There’s no mechanism...

Prototype Sumitomo tires recover energy as they roll

Sumitomo electricity-generating tire conceptThere's wind power, solar power, and—tire power. Sumitomo Rubber is developing a new tire that can restore energy to a car as it drives down the road. The energy recaptures static electricity generated when the tires deform and return to their original shape as they roll down the road. Recovering energy from a portion of tire rolling...

2020 Chevrolet Silverado diesel tops pickup truck mpg race

2020 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HDFuel economy in pickups matters. And General Motors just announced record-setting new EPA fuel economy ratings for its new 2020 Chevrolet Silverado light-duty pickup powered by its new 3.0-liter inline-6 turbodiesel. The 2020 Chevy Silverado 1500 diesel is rated at 23 mpg city, 33 highway, and 27 mpg combined for two-wheel drive models with the...

2020 Chevrolet Silverado diesel tops pickup truck mpg race

2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 dieselFuel economy matters in pickups. General Motors announced new EPA fuel economy ratings Thursday for its 2020 Chevrolet Silverado light-duty pickup powered by its new 3.0-liter inline-6 turbodiesel. The 2020 Chevy Silverado 1500 diesel will rate 23 mpg city, 33 highway for two-wheel drive models with a 10-speed automatic transmission, Chevy said...

Tesla CTO and battery mastermind JB Straubel exits

Tesla CTO JB Straubel and CEO Elon Musk presenting at gigafactory tour, Reno, Nevada, July 2016At the start of a call Wednesday to provide guidance on Tesla’s record sales but $408 million loss in the second quarter, Tesla CEO Elon Musk dropped a bombshell: that its chief technical officer, JB Straubel, will be stepping down from his executive post. Drew Baglino will take over most of the responsibilities held by Straubel, who will be...

Two-speed transmission for EVs could make a comeback.

Tesla Roadster Prototype for sale on eBayIt's been a long time since any production cars have used 2-speed automatic transmissions. With a new 2-speed transmission for electric cars, German supplier ZF Friedrichshafen is turning back the page on EV development. The clutchless 2-speed transmission Tesla attempted to use in the original Roadster found notoriety for the lengthy delay of...

Automakers rebuff EPA mpg rollbacks, cut side deal with California

TrafficSome of the largest automakers in the U.S. have banded together with California—to set an example for the EPA and its long-stalled emissions and fuel economy revamp. The agreement between Ford, Honda, Volkswagen, and BMW's U.S. division would raise fuel-economy standards by about 3.7 percent a year through 2026 to a final target of about 50...

Democrats call to end global warming emissions (gasoline included) by 2050

Mulan wind farm [CREDIT: Global Climate Budget 2018]The powerful, Democratic-led House Energy and Commerce Committee put meat on the bones of the Green New Deal on Tuesday. The new plan called "100 by 50," aims to eliminate 100 percent of emissions that contribute to global warming by 2050. It was laid out by Republican Committee member Paul Tonko (NY), who said in a statement, “There is no...

BMW doubles battery production in US for coming X3 and X5 plug-in hybrids

2021 BMW X5 xDrive45e iPerformanceBMW is doubling is battery production capacity in preparation for producing two new plug-in hybrids at its South Carolina factory. The company plans to begin producing the 2020 BMW X5 xDrive 45e plug-in hybrid SUV there on August 1, followed by the new plug-in hybrid X3 xDrive 30e in December. The two vehicles—and the expanded battery...