Drive Oregon goes Forth: new name, broader mission, more states

Honda Fit EV at launch, Northeast Portland community electric car sharing program  [PhotosByKim LLC]Oregon is a state that punches well above its weight in promoting and adopting zero-emission vehicles and plug-in electric cars. Smaller than California, it offers a laboratory where EV makers can try out new programs and experiment with new marketing and charging programs to see how they work. That was the pitch, at least, from the state-funded...

Nissan’s plans: reignite electric-car sales, boost lagging Mitsubishi

2017 Nissan Leaf  The Nissan Leaf has been a fading light in the electric car market, but after a few years in the dark, it will soon get a chance to shine once more. Despite a battery capacity increase in 2016 and a quarter of a million in sales since its 2010 launch, the Leaf has been in dire need of a proper trip back to the drawing board. Especially in recent...

Alt-fuel history: Ford Model T wasn’t designed for multiple fuels, really

1914 Ford Model TThe myth surrounding the car that's credited with putting America on wheels simply isn't true: the Ford Model T was never meant to run fuels other than gasoline. The myth has circulated throughout the car's history, most recently thanks to the internet. It has mostly taken the form of a legend in which Henry Ford supposedly included a switch on...

2018 Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid carries over with few changes

2017 Chevrolet VoltIt appears that Chevy isn't following its own precedent as the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid enters its third model year. In the past, the Volt received a battery upgrade every other year that provided it with increasingly more electric range—but that's not the case for the largely unchanged 2018 Volt. The first information comes from a...

Newest, cleanest diesels in Europe can still be very dirty: analysis

Volkswagen TDI diesel vehicles owned by Phil Grate and family, Seattle, WashingtonIt has become increasingly more evident that carmakers must take aggressive steps to ensure that diesel cars and light trucks meet current environmental regulations. Tests done by Emissions Analytics found that the majority of new diesel-powered cars sold in Europe do not meet the Euro 6 emission standards for nitrogen oxides (NOx) in real-world...

All-electric Fisker EMotion luxury sedan to debut in August

Teaser for Fisker EMotion debuting on August 17, 2017The low, sleek Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid luxury sedan had a stunning design but numerous problems, and Tesla mopped the floor with it. Now designer Henrik Fisker is reading for a rematch, this time with an all-electric sedan promising 400 miles of range (and unusual doors). The Fisker EMotion is slated for an August 17 debut, when its curvaceous...