2018 Nissan Leaf electric car now rolling off lines in Tennessee

First 2018 Nissan Leaf produced at assembly plant in Smyrna, Tennessee, Dec 2017The 2018 Nissan Leaf electric car will start to appear at Nissan dealers in January, the company said Monday. That availability came in an announcement that the second-generation electric car officially went into production the same day at Nissan's sprawling assembly plant in Smyrna, Tennessee. It's one of three locations globally that will build...

Which alternative fuels will survive long-term? Take our Twitter poll

2015 Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell, 2016 Toyota Mirai at hydrogen fueling station, Fountain Valley, CAYou just don't hear the phrase "alternative fuels" as much as you did, say, 10 years ago. With a couple of million plug-in electric cars now on the world's roads, the idea of swapping in one hydrocarbon fuel for another may have passed its time. Admittedly biodiesel continues to make quiet inroads for diesel commercial vehicles. DON'T MISS: When...

Configuring a Tesla Model 3: buyer walks through the process with us

2017 Tesla Model 3 electric car online configuratorVery few of the 455,000 people who put down $1,000 to reserve a place in line for the Tesla Model 3 electric car have received the opportunity yet to configure their cars online and place a firm order. The volume of Model 3s is still apparently at low numbers—a few hundred last month, according to rumors and reports—as the company...

2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid video road test

2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid LE, Willamette Valley, Oregon, June 2017The 2018 Toyota Camry is the latest generation of the car that launched a category—the mid-size hybrid sedan—way back in 2007. While competitors in that segment now include the Chevrolet Malibu, Ford Fusion, Hyundai Sonata, and Kia Optima, the Camry Hybrid remains one of the most popular and best-selling hybrid sedans. Now we've had a...

Hyundai Kona, Nissan Kicks: New small crossovers storm the market

2018 Hyundai Kona and 2018 Nissan KicksTen years ago, the subcompact crossover segment barely existed. Now multiple automakers are clamoring for your attention as each brand rushes to bring its own take on the small utility to market. At this week's 2017 Los Angeles auto show, Nissan and Hyundai revealed two new models that will vie for buyers' attention in the burgeoning segment...

If you plan to buy an electric car, you should do it this month

2017 Nissan Leaf  Common wisdom has it that the last few days of any calendar year are the best time to buy a car. Not only are franchised dealers and their salespeople seeking to close out the month with a bang, but it's the end of a year and their allocation of cars next year can depend on how many they sell this year. In other words: bargains may be there for...

Life with Tesla Model S: musings on new Tesla Roadster

2020 Tesla RoadsterLike almost everyone else, I was blown away by Tesla’s surprise introduction of the second-generation Roadster at the recent semi-truck reveal event. Zero to sixty in 1.9 seconds, a 620-mile range, gorgeous sleek lines, and a price of $200,000. Mind-blowing indeed. But a few of the new Roadster’s numbers didn’t add up for me...