Tesla sues Michigan over ban on direct sales of its electric cars

Tesla Store Los Angeles [photo: Misha Bruk / MBH Architects]Earlier this month, an application for a dealer license submitted by Tesla Motors was denied by the state of Michigan. It was the final decision in a process that kicked off in October 2014. That was when a last-minute wording change in state franchise law foreclosed the electric-car maker's ability to sell cars directly to buyers, its business...

Venturi VBB-3 sets new electric-car speed record (pending certification)

Venturi Buckeye Bullet 3French automaker Venturi used to be known for its distinctive supercars, often turbocharged to give their humble mechanicals a lot more potency. After limited success, the company was rebooted around the turn of the century to focus on electric car technology. The company has since come out with a handful of pricey, oddball electric cars, while...

Know what a ‘baller’ is? Wanna be one for clean energy?

Sometimes, even good intentions can't cover up poor execution. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently launched a campaign to promote clean energy in general, and electric cars specifically. The program's name, you may ask? It's entitled, "How to be a clean energy baller." DON'T MISS: How can automakers sell more electric cars? Sierra Club...

2017 Chevy Bolt EV: here’s what can go wrong for electric-car pioneer

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV, road test, California coastline, Sep 2016The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV will be on dealership floors within several weeks, cementing its position as the first affordable 200-mile electric car. It will beat planned 200-mile electric cars from BMW, Nissan, Tesla, Volkswagen, and other makers, and that's all to the good for plug-in car advocates. But the Bolt faces numerous hurdles to success...

BMW will electrify its regular cars; what happens to ‘i’ models?

2017 BMW i3When the BMW i3 went on sale in the U.S. back in May 2014, it marked not only the debut of the German automaker's first mass-market electric car, but also a new sub-brand. BMW originally planned to group all its electric cars under the "i" sub-brand, which currently includes all-electric and range-extended REx versions of the i3, as well as the...

Tesla software update fixes flaw found by Chinese white-hat hackers

2016 Tesla Model SModern cars' increased reliance on software to control vital functions opens up new technological possibilities, but also poses the potential of hacking. That risk now requires automakers to think like tech companies, and keep to updating software to close weak points that could allow hackers to access vehicle systems. Electric-car maker Tesla...