Electric cars only need 100 miles of range, some carmakers say; is it true?

Slide from 2017 Hyundai Ioniq presentation on electric cars at Washington Auto Show, Jan 2017Hyundai first made the argument that energy efficiency in electric cars is just as important as their range, as part of its launch of the Ioniq Electric hatchback, EPA-rated at 124 miles. Now Honda is making that argument as well, based on a news report it confirmed saying that the Clarity EV electric mid-size sedan will have a battery range of...

UPS to spend $90 million more on natural-gas vehicles, fueling stations

UPS compressed natural gas truckNatural gas has not proven popular for vehicles bought by individual consumers, but some fleet operators continue to find it an attractive alternative to gasoline and diesel. That's because the lack of public fueling infrastructure proves a major drawback for natural-gas passenger cars, but fleets can circumvent that by operating their own...

What does a Chevy Volt do when it runs out of gas and battery charge?

2013 Chevrolet Volt in Venice, California [photo: Chris Williams]Unlike conventional hybrids and many plug-in hybrids, the first-generation Chevrolet Volt makes extensive use of both electric and gasoline power. With a fully-charged battery pack, it will drive on electric power alone until the charge is depleted, at which point the onboard gasoline engine activates. The gasoline engine serves as a generator...

Tesla Model S lineup slims down as 60, 60D versions end

2017 Tesla Model SThe ever-shifting Tesla Model S lineup has gone through another change. It will slim down as Tesla discontinues the electric car's current base models—the rear-wheel drive Model S 60, and the all-wheel drive Model S 60D, both with 60 kilowatt-hours of battery capacity. Both versions are being pulled from the Model S lineup after less than a...

2017 Kia Niro: gas mileage review

2017 Kia Niro Touring, Catskill Mountains, NY, March 2017However you choose to view the 2017 Kia Niro hybrid—Kia says it's a crossover utility, we call it a wagon—it's a good-looking and relatively capacious small car. The debate over segments comes because the Niro has neither the ground clearance of a utility vehicle nor available all-wheel drive, making it more of a wagon or "square...

What Tesla hath wrought: bumper crop of luxury electric cars

Jaguar I-Pace Concept, 2016 Los Angeles Auto ShowIt may have taken some time, but the auto industry is now reacting to Tesla in full force. More than four years after the first Tesla Model S was delivered, we are on the verge of a bumper crop of luxury electric cars. A mix of established automakers and startups looking to emulate Tesla's success are planning a growing array of new models, the...

What Trump did and didn’t say in Detroit on EPA emission rules

Donald TrumpOne of the challenges of today's uber-polarized political environment is that fear and alarmism increasingly overtake the factual realities of an issue. This appears to be the case with President Donald Trump's Wednesday appearance in Detroit to announce the reopening of the comment period for EPA emission rules for vehicles in model years 2022...

30 cities join to explore $10 billion electric-car purchase

New York City skyline (by Flickr user AngMoKio)While federal policies to reduce vehicular emissions of carbon dioxide are now back in the limelight, it's a different story on the state and local level. A group of 30 U.S. cities is discussing a major purchase of electric cars for their municipal fleets. The cities have jointly asked automakers for cost and feasibility estimates of providing...