Oil company pays $26 million for half-billion-dollar ethanol plant

Big square baler harvesting wheat straw for production of cellulosic ethanolThe failure of cellulosic ethanol may prove beneficial to oil giant Royal Dutch Shell. Cellulosic ethanol was seen as an important component of mass ethanol adoption because it is made from non-edible plants. But despite the hopes of ethanol advocates and policymakers, cellulosic sources never materialized in significant quantities. DON'T MISS...

Future VW electric-car concepts revealed in patent drawings

Patent drawing for Volkswagen electric car concept - Image via Motor1As it tries to recover from the "Dieselgate" scandal, Volkswagen has gotten more serious about electric cars. At the recent 2016 Paris Motor Show, it unveiled the I.D. compact electric-car concept, and promised a future production model based on it. Now, it appears the ID could be the first of several electric-car concepts from VW. DON'T MISS: VW...

Why do electric cars exist? Buyer demand? Legislation? Or VW?

2016 Nissan LeafOwners love them, but modern electric cars have not made a large dent in sales of internal-combustion cars since becoming widely available five years ago. In fact, but for a few exceptions, electric cars essentially wouldn't exist without legislation aimed at lowering transportation-related carbon emissions. Tesla's success in raising the profile...

Why do electric cars exist? Buyer demand? Legislation? Or VW?

2016 Nissan LeafOwners love them, but modern electric cars have not made a large dent in sales of internal-combustion cars since becoming widely available five years ago. In fact, but for a few exceptions, electric cars essentially wouldn't exist without legislation aimed at lowering transportation-related carbon emissions. Tesla's success in raising the profile...

BMW 530e next-generation plug-in hybrid sedan: photos, details

2017 BMW 530e iPerformanceThe BMW 5-Series has always slotted between the Bavarian maker's high-volume 3-Series and full-size 7-Series in size and price. But while BMW currently offers plug-in hybrid versions of those two sedans, it doesn't yet do so with the 5-Series (although it did show one several years ago as part of a Chinese joint venture). Now BMW is rolling out a...

Which plug-in electric car will sell best next year? Poll results

2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid - production modelSales of plug-in electric cars were essentially flat in the U.S. last year compared to 2014, and this year isn't necessarily going to be much better. Part of that is due to product cadence: the Nissan Leaf and Tesla Model S, two of the top-selling cars in previous years, are now relatively old vehicles. The Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid is only in its...

New orders for Tesla Model 3 won’t be filled until mid-2018

Tesla Model 3If you haven't placed your order for a Tesla Model 3, the electric car builder now says that your request won't be fulfilled until the middle of 2018. That's at least a few month delay over the "late 2017" figure for new orders that the automaker had been quoting on its website until just a couple of days ago. DON'T MISS: Readers speculate on...

Fuel from emissions? Catalyst converts carbon dioxide to ethanol

2011 Buick Regal flex-fuel badgeAt least in North America, ethanol is a contentious fuel. A decade ago, it was seen as a homegrown and carbon-neutral way to use less gasoline—and federal legislation mandated that increasing volumes be blended into U.S. fuel supplies. Much debate followed over using "food for fuel," its supposed carbon neutrality and the footprint of the...

Smallest state poses big question: natural gas or renewable energy?

wind farmThe smallest U.S. state now faces a big question on energy policy. Rhode Island is in the midst of deciding whether to continue getting a large portion of energy from fossil fuels, or to switch to renewable energy. Those options are represented by two competing projects: a large natural-gas power plant, and an offshore wind farm. DON'T MISS: Dirty...

Green Car Reports 2017 Best Car To Buy nominee: Chevy Bolt EV

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV, road test, California coastline, Sep 2016The announcement of the Chevrolet Bolt concept car came like a thunderclap at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show. After unveiling the 2016 Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid, General Motors CEO Mary Barra rolled out a bright orange five-door hatchback electric car. It would have 200 or more miles of range, she said, for a price starting at $37,500 before...

Nano Flowcell liquid-battery car briefly driven by outsider

NanoFlowcell Quantino conceptNano Flowcell Holdings hasn't been shy about promoting its flow-cell battery technology. It's displayed flashy concept cars at multiple auto shows, offering bold performance claims for what it said were near production-ready designs. But the company doesn't seem to have given outsiders any significant time behind the wheel of any of its prototype...

Nano Flowcell liquid-battery car briefly driven by outsider

NanoFlowcell Quantino conceptNano Flowcell Holdings hasn't been shy about promoting its flow-cell battery technology. It's displayed flashy concept cars at multiple auto shows, offering bold performance claims for what it said were near production-ready designs. But the company doesn't seem to have given outsiders any significant time behind the wheel of any of its prototype...

Carmakers must cut carbon rapidly to evolve, shareholders say

2016 Nissan LeafStricter global emissions standards are putting significant pressure on carmakers to improve fuel efficiency and make greater use of electric powertrains. But that may not be the sole force driving automakers toward reduced carbon emissions. Cutting emissions is also a priority for at least some of their investors, it seems. DON'T MISS: India, EU...

Audi electric SUV to carry e-tron name (not Q6), a la first quattro

Audi e-tron Quattro concept, 2015 Frankfurt Auto ShowWe've known for sometime that Audi will launch an all-electric utility vehicle in 2018, but there has been some confusion about what it will be called. It was widely believed that the SUV would carry the Q6 e-tron name, stemming from both its position in the Audi lineup and its use of an electrified powertrain. But now it appears the electric SUV...

Long-delayed BMW i8 Spyder plug-in hybrid due in 2018

BMW i8 Concept SpyderA convertible version of the BMW i8 plug-in hybrid coupe was teased as far back as the 2012 New York Auto Show, when the i8 Spyder concept first debuted. But while the i8 coupe went into production as a 2014 model, BMW has been unusually slow to approve a convertible version for production. BMW mentioned an i8 convertible during a March press...