Volkswagen targets Pikes Peak with electric-car tech from future models

Teaser for Volkswagen’s entry for 2018 Pikes Pike International Hill ClimbThe next Pikes Peak International Hill Climb race is eight months away still, so a press release on a carmaker's entry into next June's event comes out of left field. But for Volkswagen, it's another small step to underscore its major commitment to battery-electric vehicles as its two-year-old diesel emission cheating scandal continues to...

Will Nissan have an electric SUV concept at Tokyo Motor Show?

Teaser for Nissan concept debuting at 2017 Tokyo Motor ShowAutomakers spend a lot of time trying to work out how electrified powertrains, autonomous driving technology, connectivity, and sharing will turn their industry upside down. Or not. Meanwhile, globally but especially in North America, one trend is clear right this moment: utility vehicles are hot. When Nissan put out a teaser video on Tuesday for...

Proposed ethanol cuts bring EPA up against Iowa’s powerful politician

Big square baler harvesting wheat straw for production of cellulosic ethanolFollowing years of debate, the EPA said earlier this month it will study the possibilities of cutting the amount of ethanol in the United States' gasoline supply. Since 2007, the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has required growing amounts of ethanol to be blended into U.S. fuel supplies, with E10—a mix of 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent...

Toshiba claims 6-minute recharge for new electric-car battery cell

Toshiba SCiB battery cellElectric cars pale in comparison to gasoline or diesel-powered cars when it comes to the time presently required to add energy for more driving distance. Although automakers have begun to curb "range anxiety" with longer-distance electric cars, battery charging times on lengthy road trips remain a hurdle for many buyers. The fastest "quick...

Mercedes, Smart, Daimler trucks update electric-car, electrification plans

Mercedes-Benz GLC F-CellMercedes-Benz has already laid out its plans for a portfolio of electric and electrified vehicles, and now parent company Daimler has announced further strategy refinements for Mercedes-Benz and its other brands. The Smart brand will become all-electric, it said, while its commercial truck operations will continue to add electrified powertrains to...

Mercedes, Smart, Daimler trucks update electric-car, electrification plans

Mercedes-Benz GLC F-CellMercedes-Benz has already laid out its plans for a portfolio of electric and electrified vehicles, and now parent company Daimler has announced further strategy refinements for Mercedes-Benz and its other brands. The Smart brand will become all-electric, it said, while its commercial truck operations will continue to add electrified powertrains to…

2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid gas-mileage review: going the distance

2018 Toyota Camry HybridToyota can’t be blamed for a lack of effort: The 2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid is dripping with it. From the creased hood and cascading brow to the Modernist center console enclosed by flickers of chrome, the mid-size stalwart is anything but lazy. Our first, limited exposure to the hybrid sedan left us impressed, but with unanswered questions...

2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid gas-mileage review: going the distance

2018 Toyota Camry HybridToyota can’t be blamed for a lack of effort: The 2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid is dripping with it. From the creased hood and cascading brow to the Modernist center console enclosed by flickers of chrome, the mid-size stalwart is anything but lazy. Our first, limited exposure to the hybrid sedan left us impressed, but with unanswered questions...

What’s ahead for Tesla Model 3? Take our Twitter poll

2017 Tesla Model 3 Auto-industry CEOs virtually never admit that the new product that could make or break the company is "in production hell," but that's now obviously the case for the Tesla Model 3. Deliveries last months totaled just 220 units, far below Tesla CEO Elon Musk's July projection of 1,500 during September. Reports have emerged saying every Model 3...

What’s ahead for Tesla Model 3? Take our Twitter poll

2017 Tesla Model 3 Auto-industry CEOs virtually never admit that the new product that could make or break the company is "in production hell," but that's now obviously the case for the Tesla Model 3. Deliveries last months totaled just 220 units, far below Tesla CEO Elon Musk's July projection of 1,500 during September. Reports have emerged saying every Model 3...

How much does wireless charging matter for electric cars? Poll results

2018 BMW 530e iPerformance wireless chargingThe announcements by BMW and Mercedes-Benz that they would offer wireless charging as an option next year raise a question for electric-car advocates. How important is the ability to recharge a vehicle without plugging in a cord? On the pro side, wireless charging may be easier for owners and drivers, who don't have to remember to plug in the...

How much does wireless charging matter for electric cars? Poll results

2018 BMW 530e iPerformance wireless chargingThe announcements by BMW and Mercedes-Benz that they would offer wireless charging as an option next year raise a question for electric-car advocates. How important is the ability to recharge a vehicle without plugging in a cord? On the pro side, wireless charging may be easier for owners and drivers, who don't have to remember to plug in the...

Volvo’s new Polestar electric-car brand to launch 600-hp model in 2019

Polestar 1 plug-in hybrid sport coupePolestar, formerly Volvo's in-house tuning division, was recently separated from the Swedish brand; Volvo plans to turn it into a standalone brand. Polestar has now announced plans to build electric and electrified performance cars in the near future, and the brand revealed its first attempt with what it calls the Polestar 1. As it promised, that...