Volkswagen T-Roc video teases new small SUV five months early

Teaser for 2019 Volkswagen T-Roc debuting at 2017 Frankfurt auto showSales of crossover utility vehicles—the ones that look like tough, capable, high-riding SUVs but actually sit on passenger-car underpinnings—continue to surge all over the world. Carmakers are meeting the demand by adding new varieties (four-door coupe utility vehicle, anyone?) and smaller sizes. Volkswagen has big plans for the...

Electric car charging: the basics you need to know (updated)

2015 Nissan LeafThe number of plug-in electric cars on North American roads grows every year, and with them come new buyers. Each new electric-car driver will have a few things to learn, so we've rounded up some tips on how, where, and when how to charge up that new plug-in vehicle. Whether you're already an owner, considering the purchase of a new or used...

Even oil companies now acknowledge electric cars are coming

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car at EVgo fast-charging station, Newport Centre, Jersey City, NJAdvocates have long suggested that electric vehicles will begin to take over daily driving duties, slowly but surely, from the internal-combustion engine. Now, even oil companies are starting to acknowledge that there may be reality in that dream of the future. France's Total SA, one of the world's largest oil producers, released its future...

Tesla Model S battery life: what the data show so far

Tesla Model S lithium-ion battery pack in rolling chassis   [photo: Martin Gillet via Flickr]Perhaps the biggest question in buyers' minds over electric cars is how long the batteries will last. Most new-car buyers have mobile phones whose batteries have only lasted a couple of years, perhaps less. Even as electric-car battery packs are warranted against outright failure for eight or 10 years, how much degradation should owners...

Did EPA head ask coal lobby to fight Paris climate pact? Claim disputed

Coal, by Flicker user oatsy40 (Used Under CC License)The Trump administration is either having a robust internal debate on its climate positions or floundering incoherently as various interests vie for the president's attention. Its intentions for the Paris Climate Agreement that the U.S. signed last year remain entirely unclear. On Monday, Trump's EPA administrator Scott Pruitt reportedly asked a...

Apple self-driving car plans emerge: how will it play with automakers?

Liviu Tudoran's Last year, techies, auto journalists, and Apple fans spent a great deal of time debating the existence, technology, and potential prospects of an "Apple car" project that the company never officially acknowledged. The idea that Apple would move from fast-turn, high-volume, very profitable consumer electronics into long-cycle, insanely expensive...

Uber urges Portland drivers to lease electric cars

Electric Avenue charging stations in Portland, Oregon [photo: Portland General Electric]In the wake of numerous recent PR setbacks, Uber may be able to help clean up its image with the launch of the Uber EV initiative in Portland, which supports the city’s green vision for the future. When you think of electric mobility, California might be the first state to come to mind—but Oregon is not far behind. It's one of 13...

Future Volvo electric car to be built in China

Volvo 40.1 conceptFinally joining the bandwagon, Swedish manufacturer Volvo has confirmed that it will introduce its first all-electric vehicle to the market in 2019. The announcement was made last week at the 2017 Shanghai auto show. That proved to be an appropriate stage, as the Chinese-owned maker plans on having the model produced in China. DON’T MISS...