Starting this month, Nissan has begun offering rebuilt battery packs for the older Leafs, filling a gap for drivers of older cars whose packs have begun to run down. The company built a new facility in Japan to rebuild the packs, and will sell them for about $2,850 (based on the price in Japan), according to Inside EVs. Electric car repair trainer...
Subaru announced Friday that its long-awaited Crosstrek plug-in hybrid will go on sale as a 2019 model. Last month, Car and Driver reported that Subaru filed the trademark name Evoltis with the U.S. Patent and Trademark office, leading to speculation that the name could be applied to the expected plug-in hybrid version of the Crosstrek. Subaru...
A new survey from AAA released last week reported that 20 percent of Americans say they plan to buy an electric car the next time they purchase a new car. That contrasts sharply with the less than one percent of Americans who buy electric cars today. It's not clear were the discrepancy lies, whether in range improvements for the latest electric...
Editor's note: Green Car Reports covers a lot of electric cars—and there are a lot more to cover these days, thanks to California's complex requirements that major automakers produce zero emissions vehicles for sale. For fans of clean cars—as well as opponents—it's difficult to understand how many plug-in cars the state requires...
Which electric car can California and Oregon buyers take home for less than $200 a month and get $1,000 for doing so? What electric car war recalled this week? This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending May 11, 2018. Friday, we learned of a new lease deal on the new 2018 Honda...
Paul Elio told investors and media Friday in Shreveport, Louisiana, that his three-wheeled car would go on sale next year after several delays and questions about funding. "I believe this project has to happen," Elio said. Elio told media that his company had raised more than $110 million for a three-wheeled car that would cost $7,500 and manage...
We found some great deals on green cars and hybrids this month as automakers look toward changing over their stock to sell new models. Several new electric models, including the 2017 and 2018 Nissan Leaf, 2018 Chevy Bolt EV, and other upcoming models have more range than older models. If you've been in the market for an electric car, though, and...
Tesla has shown off a cloaked car, and we suppose it may be the Model Y crossover. Honda has released attractive lease rates for the Clarity Electric in California and Oregon. We round out the best deals on hybrid, electric, and fuel-efficient cars for May 2018. And Chevrolet's Bolt EV gets software updates. All of this and more on Green Car...
Paul Elio told investors and media Friday in Shreveport, Louisiana, that his three-wheeled car would go on sale next year after several delays and questions about funding. "I believe this project has to happen," Elio said. Elio told media that his company had raised more than $100 million for a three-wheeled car that would cost $7,500 and manage...
A voluntary software recall on the 2017 Chevy Bolt EV has been extended to 2018 models, a General Motors spokesman told Green Car Reports on Thursday. Last month, we reported that some owners of early 2017 Chevy Bolt EVs had failed batteries and would receive new batteries from GM. The fix also involved a software update to the computer that...
Tesla fans are agog over a teaser video released Thursday in which a cloaked car appears around the 15-second mark. Many are speculating that it could be a Model Y, with its high-ish roof and what look like four doors. And it could be. Then again, it "could be" almost anything, including a leftover Model 3 prototype with boxes on the roof and a...
The 2018 Honda Clarity Electric car rolled into California and Oregon dealerships this week, but nobody can buy it. It's only available for lease for $199 a month for 36 months with $1,499 due at signing. That figure reflects the $7,500 federal tax credit, which Honda finance will keep as part of the capitalized cost reduction of the lease. CHECK...
Even though the Tesla Model S has retained its same basic shape since it went on sale in 2012, what's going on under the hood has been anything but stagnant. The automaker's over-the-air updates for the electric car have put the old guard on notice: People expect their cars to act like the computers and phones sitting on their desks and in their...
At its annual meeting Wednesday, Audi announced an ambitious plan to build 20 new electrified cars by 2025, most of them battery electrics,. The company says it will invest $47.6 billion (40 billion euros) into these electrified cars, a new app platform for its cars, a new fleet of autonomous vehicles to be launched in 2021, and into creating...
The EPA has posted official ratings for the 2018 Jeep Wrangler and its turbocharged inline-4 engine. Tesla is under scrutiny again after the NTSB opened a new investigation following a vehicle fire that killed two teenagers. The Consumer Federation of America issued a new report declaring improved fuel economy helps offset the cost of modern...
The National Transportation Safety Board announced Wednesday that it is investigating a crash involving a Tesla that killed two teens and injured a third in Florida. A gray 2014 Model S reportedly ran off the road Tuesday and struck a concrete wall before catching on fire and killing the two teens inside and injuring a third who was ejected from...
![EPA administrator Scott Pruitt [photo from 2014]](https://images.hgmsites.net/tmb/oklahoma-attorney-general-scott-pruitt-2014_100584650_t.gif)
Cars that get good gas mileage aren't unsafe. In fact, gas savings have more than paid for safety improvements in modern cars, as well as for the technology needed to make the gains in fuel economy. That's the conclusion of a new report released Thursday by the Consumer Federation of America, in anticipation of a meeting between President Donald...
2019 will see the launch of the EQC - the first all-electric Mercedes-Benz model from the new product and technology brand EQ. Between January and March, prototypes of the new model series completed tough winter testing in northern Sweden. The next waystations on the road to series production are more suspension/powertrain tests as well as integrated complete-vehicle high-temperature testing in southern Europe. Systematic complete-vehicle validation serves to guarantee our high quality standards and is one of the extensive measures in the development process of every Mercedes-Benz model series.
Before going into production, a new vehicle must reach a maturity level specifically defined by Mercedes-Benz.
Testing: a vital precursor to the launch of every vehicle
- Totally digital: Digital testing covers all key areas of vehicle development: from simulation and validation of construction feasibility to crash performance, aerodynamics, ride & handling, NVH (noise/vibration/harshness), weight through to consumption and range.
- From computer screen to test bench and onto the road: Despite all the advantages of digital testing in terms of speed, data availability and efficiency – no vehicle goes into series production without extensive real-world testing. The focus here is on the durability of components such as drivetrains on the test bench and the functional testing of the entire vehicle under various climatic conditions on the road. In the case of the EQC, of course, special attention is paid to the electric powertrain and the battery. They too are tested and approved in accordance with Mercedes-Benz's extremely strict standards.
- Everything a question of proportion: A special role is also played by the acoustics of an electric vehicle, as, unlike in a combustion-engined vehicle, there is hardly a sound from the powertrain. This makes sounds such as the rolling of the tyres or wind noise more prominent. To meet these special requirements, we rely on our many years of experience in the area of NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness).
- One third/two thirds: With a ratio of 35% to 65% between digital testing and real-world testing, we combine the best of both worlds – in the interests of the customary high quality standards of Mercedes-Benz.
- Almost 200: That's how many prototypes and preproduction vehicles are built and tested for this purpose in our workshops.
- Several hundred: Before being released for production, the vehicle must be tested and validated by numerous individuals from many different development departments. A total of several hundred experts are involved in testing. From the specialist departments, which approve their components and modules, through to testing/endurance testing of the complete vehicle.
- Around four years: All in all, the EQC will have been in development for around four years.
- Three winters and three summers: The EQC will be subjected over three winters and three summers to extreme conditions from minus 35° to over plus 50° Celsius.
- A true cosmopolitan: Before coming to market in many countries around the world, the EQC will have undergone extensive testing in Germany, Finland, Sweden, Spain, Italy, Dubai, South Africa, the USA and China.
To meet the targets for every component and the complete vehicle, the EQC will soon undergo a stress programme in the heat of Spain. Here the effects of temperature during driving is tested under extreme conditions, and also other particularly challenging aspects for an electric vehicle, such as air conditioning and charging. Because one thing is clear: the EQC must offer the quality and driving experience of every Mercedes-Benz.
The new 2018 Wrangler is a big deal for Jeep, and in its redesign the company didn't leave its fuel economy stuck in the mud. In addition to the fuel-swilling V-6, the new Wrangler will be available with a more efficient turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, and the EPA has just revealed exactly how efficient it will be. The two-door turbo-4 sits atop...
As the E.P.A. proposes rolling back fuel economy standards, here’s a look at how automakers have made their cars more efficient so far.
