Renault adds new Master ZE larger electric delivery van

2017 Renault Master ZE and Kangoo ZE (background) electric delivery vansFrench carmaker Renault sells no passenger cars in North America, and hasn't for almost 30 years now. But in Europe, its all-electric Zoe subcompact hatchback has been the best-selling plug-in electric car for months on end. The Zoe is one of three "ZE" (zero emission) vehicles sold by Renault, and now the ZE lineup is adding another member. DON'T...

Three-quarters of Americans accept climate science, regardless of Trump

Photovoltaic solar power field at Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, TennesseeThe new U.S. administration has made it clear that it does not accept the scientific consensus on climate change. From President Donald Trump down through his nominees for key roles—Scott Pruitt for EPA adminstrator, Rick Perry for Department of Energy head, and others—key elected and appointed officials have rejected the idea of human...

Even top German minister for environment prefers Tesla

2016 Tesla Model SGovernment officials in Germany seeking to express national pride in their choice of vehicle have no shortage of options. The established German luxury brands offer many models that frequently serve in the capacity of official vehicle for an elected official. Indeed, given Germany's considerable investment in its auto industry, using a German car...

Hybrid sales, coal in China, Panasonic loves Tesla: Today’s Car News

2017 Toyota Prius Prime, Catskill Mountains, NY, Nov 2016Today, we cover coal plants in China, plug-in hybrid tests in London, and hybrid sales right here in the U.S. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Tesla Motors has bought battery cells from Panasonic for 10 years; now the Japanese company wants to tighten the partnership. Despite critics' questions about how serious it is about reducing carbon...

Hybrid market share peaked in 2013, down since then

U.S. hybrid vehicle market: total sales and market share, 2000-2016   [source: PIRA Energy Group]What's a "green car"? Is it a hybrid? A zero-emission vehicle? One that plugs in? Or just one that uses less fuel than other cars in its segment? It's a perpetual conundrum, for Green Car Reports among others, but it illustrates one of the longstanding challenges in the field. Will the market for green cars expand as more enter the market, or is...

Alta Motors electric motorcycle: racing victories, test ride video

Alta RedShift SM electric motorcycleAlta Motors has jumped out of the starting gate with an electric motorcycle designed for the race track. The company has been taking its bikes to the races and, even more importantly, is now delivering them to customers who made reservations. Exciting news from the track has been coming in steadily. DON'T MISS: Is end of Victory Motorcycles the...

SimpleFuel home hydrogen fuel dispenser wins $1 million DoE prize

SimpleFuel team demonstrating home hydrogen fuel dispenser with Hyundai Tucson Fuel CellLast week, the U.S. Department of Energy awarded a $1 million prize to a little-known team for what you might call a new garage appliance. The SimpleFuel team—actually a collaboration of three separate companies—won the prize, first offered in November 2014, for its hydrogen home-fueling station. The goal is to let drivers of hydrogen...

Ford to test plug-in hybrid Transit Custom van in London

Ford Transit Custom plug-in hybridEarlier this month, Ford announced a host of new electrified vehicles, including prototype and production hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery-electric models. Before its planned 2019 production launch, one of those vehicles will soon begin testing in London. It's a plug-in hybrid version of the Ford Transit Custom van, designed for commercial use...

China axes 103 coal-fired power plants, citing smog, overcapacity

Beijing smogDuring negotiations for the Paris Climate Treaty signed last fall, a major concern among critics was whether the carbon emissions of China's sprawling and inefficient energy sector could be reined in. With China, the U.S., and dozens of other countries signing the agreement, the world's most populous country committed itself to decarbonizing its...