California conundrum: 2018 Leaf, Bolt EV, or Mirai fuel-cell car?

Nissan Sway ConceptCalifornia is very different from the rest of the United States. All by itself, it's the sixth largest economy in the world. One eighth of all Americans live there. It's home to Silicon Valley, as well as much of the global entertainment industry, and it produces a large proportion of the nation's fruit and vegetables. DON'T MISS: A Brief History...

What IS ‘one-pedal driving’ in an electric car?

52 prototype x pedalsOne-pedal driving is rather like the experience of owning an electric car: it can be hard to appreciate until you've spend time doing it. The phrase "one-pedal driving" refers to the ability of some electric cars to be driven almost entirely with the accelerator pedal alone. It's a feature much prized by owners of Teslas, BMW i3s, and most...

Costs to meet fuel-economy standards even lower than EPA says: analysis

Gas pumpThe auto industry tends to oppose, viscerally and viciously, all attempts to regulate any aspect of its products or business operations for any reason. With President Trump in the White House, the industry has succeeded in getting the comment period reopened for the EPA emission standards finalized ahead of schedule, covering vehicles in model...

Driving electric cars in winter: tips from experienced owner

2014 BMW i3 electric car during winter [photo: owner Chris Neff]One of the challenges of electric cars is persuading potential buyers that they can do virtually everything that most other vehicles can. For those who live in wintry climates, that includes dealing with snow, slush, road salt, ice, and variable traction. Given the recent major snowstorms that hit large swaths of the U.S. this month, we felt an...

The oil industry doesn’t care about electric cars: here’s why

Oil well (photo by John Hill)It crops up in comments from electric-car advocates and clean-energy users fairly regularly. And it goes something like this: "Big Oil and Gas are on the verge of collapse, as clean energy and electric cars make them obsolete." Occasionally the sentiment is followed by an approving emoji. DON'T MISS: Electric cars pose little threat to oil demand...

Another Chevy Bolt EV electric-car owner weighs in on pro and cons

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car, owned by Brian Ro, Columbia, MarylandWe've had a 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car in our fleet for a handful of days, and have been thinking about our impressions of the car in everyday use. While a major snowstorm cut half the days out of our test run—with a 7-foot snowdrift blocking the road to my house—we've been using the Bolt in and around the New York City metro...

Plug-in hybrid London taxi plant opens in U.K., owned by Chinese firm Geely

London Taxi Company TX5Few vehicles are as iconic as the London black cab, known the world over for its upright shape and ubiquity (although many of them aren't black any more). But under the stewardship of Chinese automaker Geely, the black cab is about to get a green makeover. The London Taxi Company recently completed a U.K. factory that will build a new version of...

Tesla electric cars have quality issues, but owners love them regardless

2017 Tesla Model STesla electric cars have many notable and pioneering qualities. Faultless reliability has not necessarily been one of them. Since the Model S launched in 2012, multiple quality issues have been documented by both owners and media outlets like Consumer Reports. The Model X debuted with a particularly high level of initial-quality issues, likely a...