What’s the most important fuel-cell car so far? Poll results

2017 Toyota MiraiAbout 600,000 plug-in electric cars have been sold in the U.S. in the past 10 years. The number for hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles is lower: as of the end of last month, it's below 1,600. Nonetheless, Honda, Hyundai, and Toyota today offer zero-emission vehicles powered by hydrogen in limited areas of California, and other makers are likely to launch...

Tesla Model 3: beta phase to be skipped, will go straight to production?

Tesla Model 3Development of new vehicles, especially if they're on underpinnings that haven't been used in previous models, follows a very predictable schedule. First, a concept car is revealed. Often, it's a thinly disguised version of the future production car with some added design flourishes that won't make it onto the assembly lines. Then spy shots of...

Bill making it harder for scientists to sit on EPA Science Board advances

U.S. Capitol BuildingSince the election of Donald Trump, considerable attention has focused on how a candidate who campaigned on promoting fossil fuels would treat the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies charged with regulating those industries. But potential changes to the EPA do not come solely from the Executive Branch. Over the past few...

2017 hybrid mid-size sedans: all the entries, plus what’s due for 2018

2017 Honda Accord HybridThe mid-size sedan was once the default for a majority of U.S. car buyers. While the segment's position has been eroded by the rise of crossover utility vehicles of many sizes, these sedans still remain quite popular. Given the number of options available among hybrid mid-size sedans, that should remain the case among buyers who want passenger...

Michigan utility cancels electric-car charging stations after opposition

2017 Chevrolet VoltIn multiple states, electric utilities are beginning to establish networks of electric-car charging stations. But plans for such a network in Michigan recently hit a roadblock. Last week, local utility Consumers Energy withdrew its request to install public electric-car charging stations at an estimated cost of $15 million. DON'T MISS: California...

2018 Toyota C-HR first drive

2018 Toyota C-HRSport-utility vehicles started out as truck offshoots, essentially tall wagon bodies on truck underpinnings. Think of the first Chevy Suburban in 1935, which remained a specialty vehicle (mostly for Texans) for its first 40 years. Fast-forward another 40 years, and my, how things have changed. DON'T MISS: 2018 Toyota C-HR - full review With...

Has GM really ‘already lost’ the electric-car race to Tesla?

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car in Maven car-sharing fleet, Los Angeles [photo: Dan MacMedan foLots of people like horse races, win-or-lose competitions, and rankings. They're easy to understand, and definitive. They may also lose the forest for the trees, which is what we're tempted to suggest about a new article that addresses the launch of the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car. GM's 238-mile battery-electric hatchback is rolling out...

Carbon emissions from making electricity could vanish by 2060: study

Coal-fired Nanticoke Generating Station, Ontario, Canada, now being converted to 44-MW solar farmOne of the major sources of carbon emissions is electricity generation. It's an issue that is becoming increasingly important in the automotive sphere, due to the slow rise of plug-in electric cars. So what would it take to eliminate carbon emissions entirely from making electricity? DON'T MISS: Bipartisan governors' group urges Trump to back...