2018 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid goes on sale in UK

Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid (U.K. version)The Kia Niro Hybrid has been on sale in the United States since early 2017, but at its launch, the brand promised a plug-in hybrid version would arrive by the end of this year as well. Ahead of its U.S. launch, the Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid has now arrived in the United Kingdom with a 36-mile rated range on battery power alone on the optimistic NEDC...

How important will plug-in hybrids be in 2025? Poll results

2018 Chevrolet VoltCar shoppers may not be buying huge numbers of all-electric cars yet, but they largely understand how they work. It's a car, you plug it in to charge a battery, it runs on the battery, end of story. Plug-in hybrids are far harder to explain—are they short-range electric cars? are they hybrids?—and no maker has yet cracked the marketing...

CA legislators propose $1 billion to remove dirtiest diesel trucks

California state capitol, SacramentoThe state of California has officially launched its legislative push for stricter heavy-duty truck and bus emission regulations. Following calls for the state to use its recently-extended carbon cap-and-trade program to fund updates to fleets of semi trucks and other commercial vehicles, four state senators have stepped forward with an official...

Nine things you should know about the 2018 Nissan Leaf electric car

2018 Nissan LeafThe simulcasted global events are over, the cars have been driven back out of the arenas, and electric-car fans are evaluating the new 2018 Nissan Leaf that was unveiled to the world last night. We've covered both the details of the car and our preliminary drive impressions from testing a pre-production prototype at Nissan's Tochigi proving rounds...

Big oil firms fear Trump rules rollback: not for environment but for PR

Oil field (Image: Flickr user johnny choura, used under CC license)Efforts to loosen regulations on the oil industry now underway have met with public approval from fossil-fuel companies. But while the Trump administration has moved swiftly to create a more friendly regulatory environment for big oil, some executives have urged a slowdown behind the scenes. That's not for environmental reasons, but due to worries...

2018 Nissan Leaf debuts: 150 miles for $30,875, 200-plus miles in 2019

2018 Nissan LeafThe spy shots, teaser photos, rumors, and feverish speculation can all be put behind us. The 2018 Nissan Leaf hatchback has debuted, and we can now see every facet of the second generation of the world's best-selling electric car. The compact five-door's 40-kilowatt-hour battery is projected to get a 150-mile combined U.S. range rating, Nissan...

2018 Nissan Leaf electric-car prototype driven: first impressions

2018 Nissan LeafWhen visiting an automaker's proving ground to drive cars still under development, security is extensive. Cameras have to be left on the bus, all phone lenses have to be covered, and documents committing you to keep quiet until the embargo lifts must be signed. In late June, we drove a pre-production 2018 Nissan Leaf at the company's Tochigi Test...

Mercedes-Benz teases EQ A compact electric concept before Frankfurt show

Mercedes-Benz EQ A ConceptAs German luxury maker Mercedes-Benz intensifies its efforts to launch more electric cars faster than first planned, another concept will break cover this month. The Mercedes EQ A Concept, a compact electric hatchback, will be revealed at the Frankfurt auto show next week. The company has issued a handful of teasers for the compact electric...

Porsche trials full electric 40 ton truck for logistics

More than 600 trucks arrive at the Porsche plant in Leipzig every day as part of the company’s logistics network. Now the first truck with a purely electric drive is being used between the logistics centre and the assembly supply centre. This action is part of the eJIT research project, which involves Porsche Leipzig as well as IAV GmbH, Schnellecke Logistics, Volkswagen Sachsen and the Saxony Automotive Supplier Network. The aim of the pilot project is to test the use of electric trucks under real conditions in multi-shift operation at automotive plants.

The electric truck is charged during the planned waiting times while it is being loaded at the supply centre. The battery is charged while the process is ongoing using a 150-kW fast charger, enabling the truck to be used in three-shift operation. Once fully charged, the truck has a range of around 70 kilometres and a top speed of 85 kilometres per hour. Alongside the project at Porsche Leipzig, a second electric truck is being tested by Volkswagen Sachsen at the Zwickau plant.

The eJIT project is intended to run for a total of three years

A second stage of the project is scheduled for the coming year, with the Porsche plant in Leipzig set to operate a highly automated vehicle from 2018 onwards. The eJIT project is intended to run for a total of three years. The project partners IAV GmbH, Porsche Leipzig, Schnellecke Logistics, Volkswagen Sachsen and the Saxony Automotive Supplier Network have been working together since early 2016 on the electrification of trucks, with the aim of reducing noise and emissions at automotive sites.

The project is part of the technology programme “Information and communication technology for electric mobility III: Integrating commercial e-vehicles in logistics, energy, and mobility infrastructure”, which is run by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and is a continuation of the previous research into the commercial use of electric mobility.

Dethleffs solar-assisted electric motorhome concept unveiled

Dethleffs e.home electric motor homeThe notion electric cars will become a standard transportation option is slowly being accepted across multiple industries. It hasn't penetrated quite as much in the motorhome world, but now a German company has shown its interpretation of what the future of plug-in motor homes could be. It's called the Dethleffs e.home concept and it envisions a...

Plug-in electric car sales for Aug: Bolt EV leads Prime, Volt lower

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EVThe Chevrolet Bolt EV continued a steady sales rise last month as it solidified its position among the top three plug-in electric cars for which monthly U.S. sales are reported. In August, Chevy delivered 2,107 Bolt EVs, the first time the car had sold more than 2,000 units in a month after entering the market in mid-December last year. Close...