Obama, buy that Volt!

President Obama inspects the 2011 Chevrolet Volt Our current President, Donald Trump, has made it abundantly clear where he stands on electric cars. It’s quite a contrast to our former President, Barack Obama, whose administration widely supported policy fostering more fuel-efficient vehicles, greener energy, and the path to more vehicles that plug in. This weekend marks the last one for...

Volvo to boost plug-in hybrid production to 25 percent of fleet

2020 Volvo XC90While other automakers are moving away from plug-in hybrids to electric powertrains, Volvo is finding unexpected success with its lineup of plug-in hybrids. At a recent roundtable with journalists in Sweden, Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson said the company is disappointed that it underestimated demand for its plug-in hybrids. DON'T MISS: Volvo XC90...

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

2019 Chevrolet Bolt EVAs more and more long-range electric cars such as the Audi e-tron quattro, the long-range Nissan Leaf Plus, and the Kia Niro and Soul EVs make their way onto the market, some are starting to offer great deals. Every month, our partners at CarsDirect.com sift through all the deals offered that month to find those that represent the best long-term...

Karma plans to relaunch with three new models at Shanghai auto show

Redesigned Karma Revero teaserKarma, the company that started as the new maker of the Fisker plug-in hybrid (and once Tesla-fighter) of the same name—now called Revero—plans a new birth, four years after buying the company out of bankruptcy. At next month's Shanghai auto show, the company plans a product revival led by three cars: an updated Revero, a new model...

2020 Trump budget would pull plug on electric vehicle tax credit

Mother-daughter team installs battery packs in Chevrolet Volt electric carsIn his budget aimed at cutting $126 billion or 5 percent from non-defense federal spending, President Trump proposes to eliminate the plug-in vehicle tax credit that gives electric-car buyers up to $7,500 back on their federal taxes. Trump economic adviser Larry Kudlow says he expects ending the tax credit to save the government $2.5 billion over...

Jeep announces two more plug-in hybrids, for Europe

2019 Jeep RenegadeLast week, Fiat Chrysler announced plans, along with a $4.5 billion investment, to expand its lineup of plug-in hybrids, including plans to build two new plug-in hybrid Jeeps in the U.S., including the Grand Cherokee and new versions of the Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer planned to roll out in 2020. Last June, at an investors' meeting, late Fiat...

BMW X3 xDrive 30e builds out plug-in hybrid lineup

BMW X3 xDrive30eBMW has recently announced that it will upgrade two mainstays of its plug-in hybrid lineup in the U.S. with the new 2020 X5 xDrive 45e and an updated 530e for 2019. In between, BMW now says it will launch a new plug-in hybrid version of its bestselling model, the X3 for the 2020 model year. The 2020 BMW X3 xDrive 30e gets 31 miles of plug-in range...

Mitsubishi Engelberg SUV concept may preview Outlander PHEV replacement

Mitsubishi Engelberg Tourer conceptThe Mitsubishi Engelberg Tourer concept unveiled at the Geneva auto show on Tuesday looks a lot like the preview of a replacement for Mitsubishi's bestselling model, the Outlander. The Engelberg Tourer concept is a plug-in hybrid SUV similar in function if not in size to the Outlander PHEV, which was once the bestselling plug-in vehicle in Europe...

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

2019 Hyundai Ioniq ElectricPresidents' Day Weekend typically brings deals in car showrooms. And this month is no exception. As electric-car fans wait for a slew of new models to hit the market this spring, some of the same cars that have made up recent months' best deals appear again. Two, however, are recent entrants. Our partners at CarsDirect who come up with our list of...