Electric cars now 5 percent of California new-car sales: report

Tesla Supercharger site in Vacaville, California, before expansion    [photo: George Parrott]California continues to lead the country in adoption rates for cars that plug in, both battery-electric and plug-in hybrid models. The state offers numerous local and statewide incentives, and many utility companies reward customers for choosing an electric car over a fossil-fuel powered vehicle. Combined, it's made for a very electric-car...

What car is closest Tesla Model 3 competitor? Poll results

2018 Tesla Model 3Much of the electric-car world is waiting to see how quickly production of the Tesla Model 3 will ramp up over the balance of this year. Will it reach the remarkable level of 5,000 cars per week by December 31 that CEO Elon Musk has set as a goal? Analysts and industry commentators are skeptical, owners and advocates are hopeful, and now at least...

Chevy Bolt EV: looking at electric car’s long-term challenges

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EVThe electric car that became the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV reset industry norms overnight when it was unveiled as a concept car at the 2015 Detroit auto show. The most important parts wasn't the car's shape, or its interior space, or hatchback configuration: it was the combination of price (below $40,000 before incentives) and range (200 miles or...

How Mazda’s SkyActiv-X engine, based on HCCI, actually works (video)

Mazda HCCI engineEarlier this month, Japanese automaker Mazda laid out its future powertrain strategy and dropped a massive announcement in the process. In 2019, Mazda will introduce a gasoline-powered Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition engine, dubbed Skyactiv-X, that the automaker promises will offer huge strides in efficiency and fuel economy. That means...

DC’s electric-taxi drivers have no public place to charge, they say

Nissan Leaf taxisThe availability of charging stations for electric cars is likely to remain a major factor for many would-be owners as plug-in cars become more popular. While the United States boasts tens of thousands of charging stations, some areas remain better-covered than others. Unfortunately for taxi cab drivers in Washington D.C., the lack of charging...

Fisker EMotion electric luxury sedan to be shown at CES in January

Fisker EMotionHenrik Fisker, legendary automotive designer and the man behind the now-defunct Fisker Automotive company, is getting ready for his grand return to the industry. Spearheading the return will be the Fisker EMotion, which will arrive from the designer's new company, Fisker Inc. Although we only have preliminary specifications on the EMotion electric...

Volkswagen ID Buzz drive: electric VW bus offers unique EV concept

Kirk Bell and John Voelcker in Volkswagen ID Buzz electric Microbus concept vehicleWhen you see a concept car drive onto the stage at an auto show, don't be fooled into thinking it's what you'll drive out of the dealer a couple of years later. We got to drive the Volkswagen ID Buzz all-electric Microbus concept car Saturday for a couple of miles along the oceanside road outside Monterey, California. Our drive in the ID Buzz...

Is this the country’s first Chevrolet Bolt EV police car?

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric police car, operated by Hyattsville City Police Department, MarylandUsing electric cars as police vehicles has some distinct advantages. Among them are near-silent operation, maximum acceleration from 0 rpm, and a novelty factor that can lead to friendly, beneficial interactions between officers and citizens. Now, the small Maryland city of Hyattsville, a suburb of Washington, D.C., has a 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV...

Tesla Model 3: do design features point to self-driving car-sharing service?

2017 Tesla Model 3 The Tesla Model 3 continues to generate an inordinate amount of interest from electric-car advocates and the general public, as pretty much any Tesla model has in the past. But unlike the Model S in 2012, which broke new ground on multiple fronts, the lower-priced Model 3 appears to be less innovative based on what we've seen as the car goes into...

Hyundai Fuel Cell SUV concept: hydrogen crossover coming next year

Hyundai FCEV conceptHyundai arrived first to market with the world's first production hydrogen fuel-cell crossover utility in 2013 with the Tucson Fuel Cell, and we have a good idea of what to expect from the brand's follow-up act. The Korean brand unveiled a lightly-disguised concept this week that previews its next fuel-cell SUV to come in 2018, which remains...

Tesla electric-car plant expansion could double size of Fremont factory

Tesla factory, Fremont, CaliforniaElectric-car maker Tesla is at a pivotal time in the 13-year-old company's history as production of its mass-market Model 3 ramps up and ambitious plans to roll out additional vehicles loom. Coinciding with the production start of the Tesla Model 3 are plans for a major expansion the Silicon Valley automaker's assembly plant in Fremont...

Chevy Bolt EV reviewed by BMW i3 driver: electric cars compared

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV Premier and 2017 BMW i3 electric car, Aug 2017        [photo: Tom Moloughney]Owners of specific electric cars sometimes tend to become boosters and fans for their particular EV as well as plugging in to drive in general. So it was with Tom Moloughney, whose purchase of the very first 2014 BMW i3 REx range-extended electric car in the U.S. he wrote about for us three years ago. That car was regrettably totaled in an...

Hyundai-Kia: eight electric cars by 2022, dedicated EV platform

2017 Hyundai Ioniq Electric - frame from video road testIt's long been said in the auto industry that Hyundai-Kia is the only competitor that truly scares industry colossus Toyota. Thirty years ago, the Korean company was a bit player, producing designs adapted from obsolete Mitsubishi technology. Today it's a major global player, reacting fast to market swings—and its goal is to be second only...

European electric and plug-in hybrid sales for Jan-June 2017

2017 Renault ZoeThe numbers are in, which means it's once again time take a look at European electric and plug-in hybrid sales. Delivery and registration data is compiled from January through June of 2017, and once more, it remains clear Europe has a favorite electric car. The Renault Zoe walks away with an even higher market share than it had in May and leaves...