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...

Plug-in electric car sales for Jan: Bolt EV over 1,100 in second month

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV, road test, California coastline, Sep 2016While the auto industry at large waited to see if January sales continued as strong as last year's record-breaking total, electric-car fans waited for a different number. That was the number of Chevrolet Bolt EVs sold last month, the car's first full month on sale, albeit in a small number of states. Those states, most prominently California, have...

How important is fast-charging to sell electric cars? Poll results

Chevrolet Spark EV at CCS fast charging station in San Diego.Those unfamiliar with electric cars often don't know that several different types of battery charging exist. Overnight recharging at home can be done either with 120-volt household current or, for longer-range cars, with a 240-volt charging station installed by the car owner. Then there's DC fast charging, which generally provides an 80-percent...

First Chevy Bolt EV electric car delivered to Canadian buyer

First 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV in Canada (photo by owner Joe Winkfein)Following its launch last month in California's Silicon Valley, the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV is now rolling out in other regions of North America. Just last week, the first Chevrolet Bolt EV to be sold in Canada was delivered to its buyer. It proved to be a somewhat drawn-out process overseen by a dedicated electric-car advocate. DON'T MISS: First...

Tesla Model 3 preview

Tesla Model 3The Tesla Model 3 electric car is undoubtedly one of the most highly-anticipated new-car launches in recent memory. Unveiled in prototype form last April after a drawn-out teaser campaign, the Model 3 quickly an unprecedented response from the public. As of last August, around 400,000 people had put down refundable $1,000 deposits, despite most...

Starship electric sidewalk-delivery robot a hit at DC Auto Show

Electric sidewalk delivery robot from Starship Technologies at 2017 Washington DC Auto ShowWhat would you do if a small, knee-high box on wheels with a flag topping its tall antenna whirred toward you electrically on a sidewalk at 4 miles per hour? It turns out three-quarters of the pedestrians in several cities who've seen one didn't stop or even stare as it avoided them and continued on its way. That box is an electric sidewalk...

McKinsey suggests ways automakers could kick-start electric-car demand

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV, road test, California coastline, Sep 2016Despite steady increases over the past few years, electric cars still represent only a tiny fraction of new-car sales. There are no shortage of theories as to why that is the case. Some electric-car advocates blame manufacturers for not adequately promoting the vehicles, while many within the industry point to a lack of consumer demand. DON'T...

How many Tesla Model 3 electric cars can company build this year?

Tesla Model 3 design prototype  -  reveal event  -  March 2016It's one of the most fascinating sets of questions in the auto industry. How quickly can Tesla Motors put its Model 3 electric car into production? And when? How many cars can it build this year? How many can it deliver to paying customers? At a promised starting price of $35,000, the Model 3 is not only Tesla's latest moonshot but the car that...

Electric-car MPGe as important as range, Hyundai Ioniq maker suggests

Slide from 2017 Hyundai Ioniq presentation on electric cars at Washington Auto Show, Jan 2017Along with price, the top-line statistic cited for any battery-electric car is its rated range. Until last month, the only electric cars that exceeded 200 miles in that metric were made by Tesla Motors. Now, the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV has a 238-mile EPA rating for range—and that's usually the leading point about the Bolt EV in discussions or...