Tesla Semi, new Roadster distract from Model 3 production problems

Tesla SemiNever let it be said that Tesla CEO Elon Musk and his event producers are not masters of showmanship. Last night's launch of the Tesla Semi heavy-duty commercial truck tractor came with a surprise: a new Tesla Roadster emerged from the back of the trailer. The wow factor was ... high. DON'T MISS: Tesla Semi: 500-mile range, lower running costs...

Electric cars ‘right around the corner’ in 1966: what took so long?

Illustration from December 1966 Popular Science article on electric carsLooking at yesterday's visions of tomorrow is always entertaining, from flying cars to cities of the future. In the case of the electric car, there have been two futures: one from 1890 to about 1910, and then another starting 100 years later in 2011. The intervening century saw many, many predictions about mass-market electric cars, but none of...

Chinese electric-car startup Nio gets $1 billion in funding: report

2018 Nio ES8Nio, the electric-car maker formerly known as NextEV, has raised a substantial amount of money in its latest round of fundraising. The Chinese startup reportedly received a stunning $1 billion in funding, with Chinese investment powerhouse Tencent leading the charge. Notably, Tencent also holds a stake in Silicon Valley automaker Tesla. DON'T...

2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid starts at $34,290 with 47-mile range

2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In HybridThe 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid will start at a recommended price of $34,290 including delivery, making it the least expensive plug-in hybrid sedan on the market this year. Honda says it will go on sale December 1, and it will be offered at all Honda dealers in the U.S. That means that for the first time, U.S. buyers can choose between two...

2017 Volkswagen e-Golf: weekend drive report and range test

2017 Volkswagen e-Golf, Catskill Mountains, NY, Oct 2017The thought came like a flash while on the highway heading into New York's Catskill Mountains: This is what all cars will be like soon. The 2017 Volkswagen e-Golf is absolutely the most normal, invisible, unremarkable electric car you can buy today. No one knew it was electric, or paid it any attention; it was simply another VW Golf in the...

Life with Renault Twizy: electric bopping around Bermuda

Renault Twizy rented in Bermuda, October 2017     [photo: David Noland]I well remember the first time I saw a Renault Twizy. Wandering along the Champs Elysees in Paris in the spring of 2012, I happened upon a Renault showroom hosting an electric car extravaganza. Amid flashing lights, blasting techno music, and vamping supermodels sat a couple of Renault Zoes, the then-new electric subcompact. DON'T MISS: Is An...

Cargo space in popular electric cars: this video explains it all

Electric car cargo space challenge with banana boxesEnsuring electric cars fit the needs of their owners is a requirement for boosting electric-vehicle sales. Adequate cargo space for an owner is necessary no matter what kind of car is being considered. Now, in one handy video, YouTuber Bjorn Nyquist has shown just how much cargo space is provided by a handful of popular electric cars on the market...