The Ford Escape was the first Ford hybrid and the first hybrid SUV to hit the market. That was 15 years ago, and Ford has been sitting out seven model years with no Escape Hybrid in the lineup. With the introduction of a new 2020 Escape, Ford is bringing back this model, which once had a very loyal following from taxi companies, public agencies... 2020 Ford Escape revealed: Hybrid returns teasing nearly 40 mpg, plug-in hybrid version with 30 electric miles
The Ford Escape was the first Ford hybrid and the first hybrid SUV to hit the market. That was 15 years ago, and Ford has been sitting out seven model years with no Escape Hybrid in the lineup. With the introduction of a new 2020 Escape, Ford is bringing back this model, which once had a very loyal following from taxi companies, public agencies... 
Increasingly, electric cars are taking to race tracks of all kinds to prove themselves not only to their own drivers and other competitors, but also to fans. Volkswagen set a new record climbing Pikes Peak with its electric ID R that didn't lose power to the thin air at the top. Formula E, which aims to bring racing to the people in the stands... 
Great as the bike may be, the best thing about the new Lightning Strike electric motorcycle may be its name. Perhaps in an effort to beat the Harley-Davidson LiveWire electric bike to market, Lightning introduced its new, more mainstream Strike last week. Unlike the LiveWire or the new Zero SR/F, the Lightning Strike is a sportbike, with riders... 
With a Chinese base and international outposts—tech in California and design in Germany—Byton aims to create a different kind of electric-car lineup. That vision revolves around a cloud-based Byton Life ecosystem, built-in Amazon integration and, in at least two of its models, what could be the biggest infotainment display yet, a big... 
A Chinese hydrogen company introduces its own line of fuel-cell cars. A Texas startup plans to make motors more efficient. A report shows more battery production coming online. And without science boards the EPA questions some fundamental links. All this and more on Green Car Reports. The Chinese Institute of Geosciences and the Environment is... 
One of the biggest upcoming challenges for electric cars is having having an adequate supply of lithium batteries. A new report by Benchmark Minerals, first cited by CleanTechnica, shows battery makers are working quickly to meet growing demand for new lithium-ion battery cells from automakers. According to the company's Battery Factory Data... 
It isn’t just batteries that are making big strides in electric cars. Several companies are also striving to make electric motors more efficient and powerful. Now a new Texas company claims it has a new motor technology that can generate twice the torque, three times the power, and 10 percent more range for electric cars in the same weight... 
China is the world's largest market for cars—especially electric cars. The country has even announced that at some point in the future it will ban internal combustion cars. But it's not all about battery electric EVs, it turns out. A new company called Grove Hydrogen Automotive Co. announced that it will focus on fuel-cell cars, starting... 
It isn't just global warming emissions that the EPA plans to deregulate. At a meeting last Thursday, a key air quality standards board at the agency cast doubt on longstanding findings that particulate matter—the microscopic particles spewing from diesel tailpipes—can cause health problems leading to premature deaths. In the absence of... 
Our current President, Donald Trump, has made it abundantly clear where he stands on electric cars. It’s quite a contrast to our former President, Barack Obama, whose administration widely supported policy fostering more fuel-efficient vehicles, greener energy, and the path to more vehicles that plug in. This weekend marks the last one for... 
President Trump hasn’t minced his words—or his policy—in declaring that he doesn’t think electric cars are a good idea. At a Thursday night rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Trump took his electric-car criticism to a new (and somewhat hard-to-follow) level, jumping from jabs about the Green New Deal, to suggesting that the... 
Which new electric car didn't give us any range surprises in a recent test drive? What new features have been enabled on some Teslas? This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending March 29, 2019. After this weekend, electric cars from Chevy will no longer be eligible for the full... 
Ram's new eTorque does more than most mild-hybrid start/stop systems. Chevrolet is making no big sales push at the end of the quarter, despite the expiration of full tax credits for its vehicles. In-wheel motors for EVs may be making their way to the mainstream. And renewable electricity may have passed a key cost threshold. All this and more on... 
Consumers have less than three days to buy a plug-in Chevy Volt or Bolt EV from GM and still qualify for the full $7,500 federal tax. And yet Chevrolet isn't making any final push to clear out inventories of either car. Nor does GM have any plans to cut prices after the tax cut expires on Monday, as Tesla did with its cars after the tax credit... 
As more mainstream vehicles, like the 2019 Ram 1500 lineup, get increasing levels of electrification, but stop short of becoming fully electric or even full-fledged hybrids, it can be easy to get lost in semantics. Generally speaking, the term “mild hybrid” means some energy can be recaptured by a motor/generator, but the motor might... 
From an environmental standpoint, it's rare that buying something new can have a lower impact that keeping whatever's old. But that's what's happening with renewable energy now, according to a new report published by Energy Innovation. For most of their history, the knock on renewable wind and solar power is that they cost more than fossil fuels... 
In-wheel motors have been the future for electric cars—including fuel-cell cars and series hybrids—for decades. Their benefits include simpler packaging and more interior or cargo space for the vehicle. They could help make vehicles lighter, and lower the center of mass. There are also potential efficiency gains, too, and traction and... 
We look back at 10 lessons learned over eight years of Chevrolet Volt production. Owners are reported delays in delivery of the Standard Range Tesla Model 3. The EPA plans to publicize more emissions recalls. And global warming threatens to eat the global seed corn saved for just such a disaster. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Buyers who... 
![Electric-car rally in Geiranger, Norway [Image: Norsk elbilforening via Flickr]](https://images.hgmsites.net/tmb/electric-car-rally-in-geiranger-norway-image-norsk-elbilforening-via-flickr_100530088_t.gif)
Politicians may argue over the academic merits of global warming theories. But the arguments are no longer just academic. A recent report by the Norwegian Center for Climate Services shows that global warming in the Arctic region may pose a very direct threat to human well-being. As with most climate studies, the Climate in Svalbard 2100 report... 
Earlier this month, the EPA announced a voluntary recall by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles of nearly 900,000 older vehicles for excessive emissions. The announcement may have raised eyebrows and prompted a few wagging fingers, but it was hardly new; last year automakers recalled more than 5 million vehicles in 85 separate recalls. Now, officials from...