Tesla Motors is now beginning to roll out upgraded software to accompany the more complex suite of sensors known as "Hardware 2" that launched in October. All Model S and Model X electric cars built since then have this array of eight cameras, 12 ultrasonic sensors, as opposed to the less-elaborate "Hardware 1" package used previously. But while... Tesla upgrades Autopilot for 1,000 ‘Hardware 2’ cars to test
Tesla Motors is now beginning to roll out upgraded software to accompany the more complex suite of sensors known as "Hardware 2" that launched in October. All Model S and Model X electric cars built since then have this array of eight cameras, 12 ultrasonic sensors, as opposed to the less-elaborate "Hardware 1" package used previously. But while...
The United Kingdom is increasing its use of low-carbon energy sources as it moves to phase out coal-fired power plants altogether by 2025. Renewable-energy sources such as wind and solar, combined with nuclear power and generating plants fired with renewable wood pellets, are displacing fossil fuels in the country's electricity-generation mix...
It appears that Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak—also known as "Woz"—is getting his 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV after all. In September, the car's chief engineer, Josh Tavel, showed Woz a pre-production version of the Bolt EV, and took him for a ride. Woz seemed to like what he saw. DON'T MISS: Woz got a Tesla, not a Chevy Bolt EV...
It was widely rumored that Chrysler would reveal an all-electric minivan at this week's Consumer Electronics Show—and now we have the details. But the Chrysler Portal concept that will debut at CES won't be showing up at your local dealer any time soon. Far from it, in fact: the Portal is Fiat Chrysler's idea of a future in which we'll...
Of the new cars sold globally in 2020, what percentage will be electric? It's a simple question, but at the moment there doesn't appear to be a clear answer. Estimates of electric-car market share approximately three years from now vary widely, as do those for periods further beyond that. DON'T MISS: Electric Cars To Be 35 Percent Of Global Sales...
Renewable-energy growth has accelerated in 2016, but this may go down as a milestone year for one renewable-energy source in particular. Together, all renewable-energy sources are expected to account for 8 percent of U.S. electricity-generation capacity in 2017, according to the Department of Energy, and solar energy is responsible for most of...
Which electric model might be the used-car bargain of the year? And exactly what kind of car is a new hybrid we just drove? This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending on Friday, December 30, 2016. Friday, we published our first drive of the 2017 Kia Niro hybrid, which Kia says is a...
Today, we drive the 2017 Kia Niro hybrid, Tesla uses data to develop self-driving cars, and President-elect Donald Trump's advisors may be against ethanol. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Tesla is just one of many companies working to develop self-driving cars, but could a trove of real-world data give it an advantage? Despite what...
According to its maker, the 2017 Kia Niro is the first "crossover hybrid vehicle" sold in the U.S.—but what does that really mean? We drove150 miles in two different versions of the top-of-the-line Niro Touring model two weeks ago, and concluded that the Niro represents an interesting package with some pluses and minuses. Our drive at the...
It's clear that after several years of electric-car sales, electric utilities see a role to be played in providing the infrastructure to make them practical. Two weeks ago, California utility PG&E received approved to install 7,500 public charging stations for plug-in vehicles. Now, Oregon's two largest utility companies have filed plans to...
As President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration draws closer, confusion still surrounds many of his possible energy policies. During the campaign, Trump indicated that he supported ethanol, even while he called for expansion of domestic fossil-fuel production. In January, he said he supported the Renewable Fuel Standard, which mandates that growing...
The Renault Zoe is the best-selling electric car in Europe, and it has just received a significant battery upgrade. Unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in September, the updated Zoe sports a 41-kilowatt-hour battery pack, up from 22 kwh in earlier versions. Renault says that capacity will allow a range of 300 to 400 kilometers (185 to 250 miles) on...
Lobbyists for big automakers, both domestic and foreign, make no secret about their desire for lower fuel-economy standards. One argument presented to support a lowering of standards is that the cost of compliance with current rules will be passed on to consumers in the form of higher new-car prices. Carmakers must implement efficiency-boosting...
In the automotive industry, Tesla is a leader in many respects—but it's hardly head-and-shoulders above the rest when it comes to self-driving cars. The Silicon Valley automaker is developing fully autonomous cars, but it's part of a crowded field that includes many other automakers and a handful of rich tech companies as well. Still...
Today, the outgoing Obama administration aims to quickly enact more green-car rules, the next Hyundai hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle may get a boost in range over the current Tucson Fuel Cell, and a second-generation Ford Fusion Hybrid autonomous prototype will begin testing in the new year. All this and more on Green Car Reports. The successor to the...
Last week, the massive Chinese elevated bus whose renderings had rocketed around the Internet made its first test run. The bus runs on rails embedded in the street, with room for cars to pass underneath it. Officially known as the Transit Elevated Bus, or TEB-1, it carried its first passengers on a stretch of street in the city of Qinhuangdao...
If you see a Ford Fusion Hybrid mid-size sedan cruising along with no apparent input from the driver, rest assured that you are not hallucinating. Since 2013, Ford has used modified Fusion Hybrid sedans to test autonomous-driving technology. The automaker is now rolling out an updated version, which will form the basis for a larger fleet of test...
When it comes to regulations governing the auto industry, the Obama administration does not plan to go gentle into that good night. The outgoing administration has pushed through a number of new regulations, some related to fuel efficiency, before President-elect Donald Trump takes office next month. The move is likely a hedge against the incoming...