Speedy growth of electric cars will challenge automakers

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV pre-production vehicles at Orion Township Assembly Plant, March 2016Estimates of electric-car market share over the coming decades vary wildly, but certain trends seem to be working in their favor. Battery prices should continue to fall, and tougher global emissions standards may put increasing pressure on automakers to build larger numbers of electric cars. But can automakers handle a sudden increase in...

2015 Nissan Leaf: one year later, owner offers pros and cons

2015 Nissan Leaf in front of Prudential and Hancock Towers, Boston [photo: John Briggs]Sometimes being a revolutionary requires a lot of personal sacrifice, and sometimes it doesn’t. After one year of driving of a 2015 Nissan Leaf electric car, I was surprised to find that daily driving with a gasoline car requires more sacrifice than with my electric. Like most people, before buying the Leaf, I had concerns about owning an...

Is 2019 Cadillac XT3 crossover the next plug-in hybrid for luxury brand?

Section of 2019 Cadillac XT3 spy shot  [image via S. Baldauf/SB-Medien, as used on Motor Authority]Spy shots are continually fascinating, for both future buyers and auto journalists. They can reveal hints about the shapes, design aspects, and powertrains of vehicles that may not hit showrooms for as much as two years. Some recent spy shots of the 2019 Cadillac XT3 small crossover utility vehicle have a very distinctive feature that tells a lot...

BMW i3 plug-in hybrid recall to fix fuel-vapor problem, fire concerns

2017 BMW i3BMW is recalling more than 19,000 i3 REx extended-range electric cars due to concerns over the potential for fires to be started by fuel vapors. The REx uses a small gasoline engine to charge its battery pack, offering a longer range than the all-electric i3 when both gasoline and electric power are used. According to the National Highway Traffic...

State fees, penalties on electric cars proliferate this year

2017 Nissan Leaf  Several different states have continued to propose new fees for electric-car owners as a way to pay for road repairs. The fees are typically meant as a substitute for the gasoline taxes that, because they don't buy gas, electric-car owners don't pay. Advocates have criticized these fees, saying they effectively penalize drivers for reducing...

Plug-in hybrid utility truck keeps lights on during emergencies

Pacific Gas & Electric plug-in hybrid Class 6 truckCalifornia electric utility Pacific Gas & Electric recently took delivery of a pair of new trucks that it hopes will help solve two problems. The first is power outages, whether they are caused by weather or necessary planned maintenance work conducted by utilities. The other is every utility's huge bill for diesel fuel. The large trucks...

Volkswagen e-Golf to end when ID electric hatchback launches?

Volkswagen I.D. electric car conceptThe Volkswagen e-Golf will arrive in dealerships this spring with a higher-capacity battery pack that gives the electric car an EPA-rated 124 miles of range. The number equals the rating of the 2017 Hyundai Ioniq, and is the highest range offered by any electric car that's not a Chevy Bolt EV or a Tesla. Whether this boosts the allure of the...