Is Chevy FNR-X concept the plug-in hybrid CrossVolt SUV?

Teaser photo of Chevrolet FNR-X plug-in crossover utility concept for 2017 Shanghai auto showIt's a single teaser shot, obviously of a Chevy front end, with unmistakable design nods to the Camaro muscle car. But the image of the Chevrolet FNR-X concept, to be unveiled at the Shanghai auto show less than two weeks hence, may be the first clue to some new GM plug-in hybrid offerings in the future. Along with a plug-in hybrid version of the...

Tesla Model 3 caught on video during daylight testing

Tesla Model 3 test car, Los Altos, CA, Apr 8, 2017  [clip from YouTube video by OMG_Tesla}The emergence of spy photos, and more recently video, has always been one of the standard indicators of a car nearing production. With production still said to start this July, pre-production versions of the Tesla Model 3 electric car should have been popping up in spy photos by now. Two weeks ago, Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted brief footage of what...

Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid: full production to start today for plug-in minivan

2017 Chrysler Pacifica HybridIt's a well-reviewed new minivan design from the company that invented the modern minivan three decades ago. Unlike any other minivan, however, its large battery pack gives it 33 miles of EPA-rated electric range, and it can drive largely on battery alone despite its size, its seven seats, and its gaping cargo capacity. It's the 2017 Chrysler...

Four of 10 drivers globally would consider an electric car

2015 Nissan LeafIt’s been merely six years since the first modern electric car hit the streets, and the segment looks ready to take off. Over 43,000 people residing in 52 countries all around the globe were asked whether they are considering buying an electric car in the next five years. On average, four out of 10 motorists say they’re either very...

Plug-in electric car sales in Canada, March 2017: Chevy charges ahead

2017 Chevrolet Volt in Vancouver, BC, CanadaThe Chevy Volt likely continued its winning ways atop the Canadian plug-in electric vehicle sales charts in March. Its 377 sales give it a comfortable margin over the Tesla Model S's high mark of 325, set in March 2016 before the Model X became available. The Chevy Bolt's 241 units were nearly triple the 86 sold in February, and could be enough to...

Mazda’s electric car gets patents for rotary range-extender engine

Mazda Demio EV test-fleet electric car in Japan (aka Mazda2)Recent patent filings suggest Mazda’s next Wankel engine will equip a battery-powered car, not a rear-wheel drive heir to emblematic sports coupes like its RX-7 and RX-8. Mazda has invested more time and money into the rotary engine than any other automaker, so executives are reluctant to let it fade away into history. While the RX-8 has...

Putting plug-in electric car sales in perspective: they’re still very low

2017 Nissan Leaf  Volume sales of plug-in cars, both battery-electric and plug-in hybrid models, began more than six years ago. From a first-year total of about 17,000 in 2011, they rose tenfold over five years, to roughly 160,000 last year in the U.S. But it's important to understand that despite their growth rate, cars with plugs still represent only a tiny...

More details on fast-charging rate in 2017 Chevy Bolt EV electric car

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car at EVgo fast-charging station, Newport Centre, Jersey City, NJFor a few years now, Tesla has shown what a nationwide network of DC fast-charging sites for long-range electric cars should look like. Its Supercharger network now covers virtually all of the lower 48 states, and until earlier this year, it was completely free to Tesla drivers. The Chevrolet Bolt EV, the first affordable battery-electric car with...

Hong Kong closed a tax loophole; is Tesla ancillary damage?

First Tesla Model S delivered in Hong KongGovernment officials in Hong Kong have eliminated a popular tax exemption that made electric vehicles much cheaper to buy than comparable gasoline-powered models. Now Tesla worries it could take the brunt of the blowback. The loophole helped make Hong Kong one of the biggest overseas markets for the Silicon Valley carmaker's luxury electric cars...

Tesla Model X electric car vs Toyota Mirai fuel-cell car: CA road trip

2017 Tesla Model XThe ability to travel long distances has long been a distinguishing feature of Tesla's luxury electric cars, whose Supercharger fast-charging network now offers access to essentially every part of the 48 continental states. But where hydrogen infrastructure exists, which can cover a long road trip faster: a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle or a Tesla?...

European brands adopt electric delivery trucks: Harrods, Hermes

Nissan e-NV200 revolutionizes iconic Harrods fleetIn the U.S., electric-car advocates and green energy fans have been dealt some setbacks during recent weeks. In Europe, however, the push toward electrification remains as strong--and trendy--as ever. Delivering on zero emissions In Germany, courier service Hermes (not to be confused with French luxury goods retailer, Hermès) is going...

Mercedes-Benz electric cars to arrive sooner as urgency increases

Mercedes-Benz EQ electric car concept  [photo: Axel Harries]Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler is speeding up its shift towards electrification. The auto-maker remains on track to bolster its portfolio with 10 electric vehicles, but they’ll arrive three full years sooner than expected. The battery-powered cars are now scheduled to debut by 2022 instead of by 2025, company officials have confirmed...

Lessons learned from early electric car: 2011 Nissan Leaf at 90,000 miles

2011 Nissan LeafBeing a pioneer isn't easy. When you're pioneering new automotive technology, it can be challenging and sometimes costly. Just ask anyone who owned an early turbocharged sport sedan, for instance. That also applies, in some cases, to some of the first modern electric cars, and in particular the Nissan Leaf. DON'T MISS: Nissan Leaf leases can...

Fast-charging a 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car at EVgo fast-charging station, Newport Centre, Jersey City, NJThe 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV is the first mass-priced electric car with more than 200 miles of range to go on sale in the U.S. That alone makes it a landmark vehicle, and has led to significant interest in the first electric car that provides comparable range to that of Tesla cars over the last nine years. Its maker, however, often refers to the...

Germany, Austria electric-car charging networks improve, fast

2017 Volkswagen e-GolfTwo adjacent European countries are stepping up efforts to improve their public electric-car charging infrastructure. Initiatives in Germany and Austria should see major improvements to charging networks in a short period of time, as both countries aggressively promote electric cars in an effort to reduce emissions. Austria hopes to unify what is...

2018 Nissan Leaf: more spy shots of electric car’s second generation

Section of 2018 Nissan Leaf spy shot  [image via S. Baldauf/SB-Medien, as used on Motor Authority]The more camouflaged spy shots that emerge of a car being tested on public roads, the closer it likely is to being introduced. After seven years of the first-generation Nissan Leaf electric car, a redesign is due—some might say overdue. Now we have a second set of spy shots of the 2018 Leaf being tested, indicating a likely unveiling this...