China to regulate, rein in low-speed electric cars used in rural areas

Kandi electric car (Image: Kandi Technologies Group)China overtook the U.S. last year to become the world's largest market for electric cars. But a large portion of the vehicles included in Chinese new-car sales tallies are low-speed electric vehicles that would not meet U.S. standards for highway-capable cars. Now Chinese regulators are paying more attention to these vehicles. CHECK OUT: China To...

Should Tesla report monthly sales like other carmakers? Poll results

2016 Tesla Model XTo those of us who cover the world of electric cars, Tesla's refusal to release its sales data in the conventional format is a continual irritant. Starting in June 2012, when the company said it didn't plan to release monthly sales because its backers didn't care, Tesla Motors has provided only partial data. While it started releasing quarterly...

India’s new four-door Mahindra Reva e2o electric car to be exported

Mahindra e2o PlusIndian automaker Mahindra is little known in the U.S., but it is one of the larger players in its home market. Mahindra's Indian-market lineup is mostly made up of trucks and SUVs, but it also sells the tiny Reva e2o electric car. It recently unveiled a new four-door hatchback version, called the e2o Plus, that will be sold alongside the existing...

White House designates 48 electric-car charging corridors on U.S. highways

The White House, Washington, D.C.  [Creative Commons license by dcjohn]The White House today announced a range of actions intended to stimulate and speed up the deployment of zero-emission electric vehicles in the U.S. It took these actions, it said, as part of its efforts to "combat climate change, increase access to clean-energy technologies, and reduce our dependence on oil." Today's announcements are part of "a...

Chevy Bolt EV compared to Tesla Model S 60: Motor Trend lays it out

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV, road test, California coastline, Sep 2016Sometimes reporters and editors will see an article or a section in another outlet and think, "Darn, why didn't we think of that?" This is one of those times. Enthusiast publication Motor Trend had the very clever idea of comparing two electric cars with 60-kilowatt-hour battery packs and more than 200 miles of EPA-rated range. DON'T MISS: Germans...

NJ electric-car advocacy group launches as gas tax soars

Plug-in electric cars at PSE+G facility in Newark, New JerseyNew Jersey was always the place for residents of neighboring states—Delaware, New York, and Pennsylvania—to buy cheap gasoline. That era ended two days ago, when a political deal struck between its legislature and the governor raised the state gas tax by a whopping 23 cents a gallon. Today, a new coalition launched with the aim of...

Congressmen question EPA over VW funds for electric-car charging

BMW i3 and Volkswagen e-Golf electric cars using Combined Charging System (CCS) DC fast chargingEven though a settlement covering almost half a million 2.0-liter 4-cylinder TDI cars that were the main focus of the Volkswagen diesel scandal was approved by a federal judge, questions remain. The settlement includes a provision that requires VW to commit $2 billion in funds to install charging or fueling infrastructure for zero-emission...

World will follow Norway’s lead on electric cars, minister says

Electric-car rally in Geiranger, Norway [Image: Norsk elbilforening via Flickr]When it comes to electric-car adoption, Norway is unique. Electric cars make up a larger share of new-car sales in the Scandinavian country than anywhere, thanks to a very particular combination of factors. On average, most Norwegians drive short distances, meaning the relatively short ranges of the first crop of modern electric cars were never as...

Electric car sales remain ahead of hybrids after five years

Sales of plug-in electric cars vs hybrid cars in first 5 years [Consumer Federation of America]Sometimes, it's all about a chart. A recent survey of car buyers suggests that consumer interest in electric cars is rising, and is highest among young adults. They're the car buyers of the future, so that would seem to be good news for the long-term prospects of plug-in cars. DON'T MISS: Electric Car Sales? Doing Better Than The Prius Was, Thank...