Strong demand for Opel Ampera-e in Norway moves up launch date

Opel Ampera-eJust as the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car is launching in North America, its European cousin is beginning deliveries across the Atlantic. In Europe, General Motors markets the U.S.-built Bolt EV as virtually identical Opel Ampera-e under its German Opel brand. An example of what is known in the industry as "badge engineering," the Ampera-e...

Strong demand for Opel Ampera-e in Norway moves up launch date

Opel Ampera-eJust as the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car is launching in North America, its European cousin is beginning deliveries across the Atlantic. In Europe, General Motors markets the U.S.-built Bolt EV as virtually identical Opel Ampera-e under its German Opel brand. An example of what is known in the industry as "badge engineering," the Ampera-e...

Shell fuel stations in U.K., Netherlands to add electric-car charging

Shell logoElectric cars are often touted as a way to avoid gas stations. But electric-car drivers in certain European countries will soon be going to them to charge. That's because a pair of European oil companies plan to add electric-car charging at certain fuel stations. CHECK OUT: Electric-Car Charging Station At Gas Station In Tar-Sands Land (Nov 2014)...

Science Guy Bill Nye buys Chevy Bolt EV, his seventh electric car

Bill Nye in new 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV, Jan 2017 [photo: Oskar Liners, Community Chevrolet, Burbank]Bill Nye, better known as "The Science Guy" on the popular PBS children's series that bears his name, loves electric cars. He drove one of only a few hundred original GM EV1 two-seat electric cars almost 20 years ago. Three weeks ago, he took delivery of a brand-new "Kinetic Blue" 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV—and he says he couldn't be happier...

2018 Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid: first drive review

2018 Porsche Panamera 4 E-HybridIn the plug-in hybrid game, you move forward or get left behind. When the hybrid maker is Porsche, that applies to power as well as efficiency. The 2018 Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid is the replacement for the previous Panamera S E-Hybrid, and it gets more power, performance, and efficiency in a brand-new vehicle. Everything about this car is new...

Electric cars vs bicycles: which has a higher carbon footprint?

mercedes benz bicycle 007Electric cars are simply nicer and calmer to drive than conventional cars, and as their prices fall, that may be what will lure mass-market buyers over time. But they have undeniable benefit of lowering wells-to-wheels carbon emissions per mile driven, and they can also be powered entirely on renewable energy. Which makes them good for drivers and...

Real-world data more important than faith in boosting electric cars

2017 Nissan Leaf  "Big data" is often discussed as a useful tool for everyone from policymakers to corporate marketing departments. But could it also be used to help increase electric-car adoption? Last November, the Obama administration held the first-ever "Electric Vehicle Datathon" with that very goal in mind. CHECK OUT: Electric-car 'datathon' to be hosted by...

Audi tells its dealers to get with the (electric-car) program

Audi of America president Scot Keogh with Audi e-tron quattro concept, 2015 Los Angeles auto showAs many electric-car buyers will tell you, franchised auto dealers can pose a large and tedious impediment to actually buying the plug-in car you want. From salespeople with no knowledge of the cars to test vehicles that haven't been recharged and have little battery range left, the hurdles are numerous and frustrating. Now Audi has told its...

Bosch to pay VW diesel owners $330 million in emission scandal too

2015 Volkswagen Golf TDI SEWith a judge set to weigh in on the settlement VW Group negotiated with its 3.0-liter V-6 diesel owners, Volkswagen seems to have settled most of the U.S. legal claims stemming from its diesel-emission cheating scandal. Total costs in the U.S. alone are now more than $20 billion, and among other penalties, VW has pleaded guilty to three felony...

Exxon says coal will endure; other analyses beg to differ

Coal, by Flicker user oatsy40 (Used Under CC License)Renewable energy sources may eventually render fossil fuels irrelevant in energy generation, but when will the switch between the two energy sources occur? It's a question that fosters much debate among policymakers, environmental advocates, and financial analysts. For its part, ExxonMobil believes fossil fuels—notably including...

Settlement for Audi, Porsche, VW 3.0-liter diesel TDI owners announced

2014 Audi Q5 TDI, Catskill Mountains, Oct 2013Volkswagen today announced that it had reached a settlement with owners of Audi, Porsche, and VW vehicles fitted with its 3.0-liter V-6 diesel engine. Different remedies apply depending on the vehicle's model year: 2009 through 2012 cars will be bought back, while 2013 through 2016 vehicles will be modified to comply with emission limits. The...

BMW i3, Tesla Model S electric cars miss top IIHS safety ratings

2017 Tesla Model STwo of the most prominent electric cars have missed out on the highest award given for vehicle safety by the influential IIHS: Top Safety Pick+. Funded by the insurance industry, the IIHS—which operates independently of the federal government—says that neither the BMW i3 nor the Tesla Model S performed well enough in its barrage of...