AAA survey finds more optimism over self-driving cars than in EVs

Image from 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric-car ad by Ourisman Chevrolet, Rockville, MarylandMore Americans think most cars will be able to drive themselves in 10 years than the number who think most cars will be electric in that time frame. That's according to a survey released Thursday by AAA, the nation's leading automobile club and provider of roadside assistance. According to the organization's latest Green Car Guide, only 40 percent...

YouTube-famous Tesla rebuilder opens shop in “coopetition” with Tesla

Rich Benoit and Chris Salvo, founders of the Electric Garage [YouTube screen capture]Without dealerships, service has been a regular challenge for Tesla and its owners. Reports are so rampant about months-long wait times for Tesla service that CEO Elon Musk has acknowledged that addressing service complaints is his No. 1 priority for 2019, especially after the company's sales exploded as Model 3 production ramped up. Now the...

Best deals on plug-in, hybrid, and electric cars for May 2019

2017 Toyota Prius Prime test drive, Ojai, California, Sep 2016With rising interest rates and falling federal plug-in vehicle tax credits on some models, the best deals on electric cars, plug-in hybrids, and conventional hybrids are a little harder to find versus a few months ago. Our partners at CarsDirect.com still found some leases on plug in cars as low as $199 a month in May, and we've rounded up the...

Porsche fined $600 million in Germany over dirty diesels

2013 Porsche Cayenne DieselGerman regulators Tuesday hit Porsche with a $600 million (535 million euro) fine, for its role in selling cars powered by diesel engines designed by Audi that failed to comply with European emissions requirements. The cars, including the Cayenne and Panamera, used a 3.0-liter diesel V-6, exceeded European emissions standards for oxides of...

VW ID 3 racks up 10,000 deposits in first day

2020 Volkswagen ID Neo spy shotsThree years after Tesla started taking $1,000 reservations for its Model 3, Volkswagen is racking up similar orders for its upcoming ID 3 hatchback in Europe. Perhaps not to the degree, sure. Tesla amassed 180,000 orders for its "affordable" long-range electric car in one day in the US, while VW took 10,000 first-day deposits on the day it opened...

Automakers try to wave Colorado off a California-style EV mandate

Colorado license platesAfter Colorado jumped on board California's Zero Emissions ship in January, automakers apparently weren't happy. According to a Reuters report, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a lobbying group for the auto industry, met with Colorado Governor Jared Polis last month to lobby him to adopt a voluntary EV program instead. Reuters cited a...

VW electric efforts, GM Workhorse deal, Chevy Volt deals: Today’s Car News

Workhorse W-15 extended-range electric pickup truckPresident Trump announced a deal—or at least a dealmaking effort—to build Workhorse electric trucks at GM's Lordstown, Ohio, factory. Volkswagen is preparing to smash a new electric car track record with its ID R race car. A report notes that the company may also be planning to sell some of its performance and luxury niche brands in an...

VW looking for battery lessons, ‘Ring record with ID R racecar

Volkswagen ID R NürburgringThe clouds parted just long enough to let sunlight timidly lick the surface of the Nürburgring race track in Germany. The previous night, I watched in amusement as an amateur racer had a blast taking a fully stock, 1970s Volkswagen bus around the former Grand Prix track in the pouring rain. On this wet late-April morning, however, I was...