Tesla Motors has spent more than 10 years beating the odds for startup automakers. Most new, independent makers barely survive long enough to produce a handful of vehicles, let alone sell more than 100,000 and garner praise from both customers and the media—as the electric-car startup has done. Now the Silicon Valley automaker can claim... Tesla has become a U.S. Big Three carmaker (by market value)
Tesla Motors has spent more than 10 years beating the odds for startup automakers. Most new, independent makers barely survive long enough to produce a handful of vehicles, let alone sell more than 100,000 and garner praise from both customers and the media—as the electric-car startup has done. Now the Silicon Valley automaker can claim... 
California leads the way when it comes to electric-car adoption in the U.S. That's due in large part to a zero-emission vehicle mandate that requires the largest-volume automakers to sell cars without tailpipes, combined with a generous state purchase incentive that encourages residents to buy them. But local governments have also played an... 
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has responded vigorously to an employee's claims of low wages and commonplace on-the-job injuries. In an email to employees and statements to media outlets, Musk denied the claims and accused the employee who made them of being a paid union agitator. Earlier this month, Jose Moran said Tesla employees, "routinely work well over... 
One of the more eagerly awaited all-electric cars coming to market this year has been the 2018 Honda Clarity EV. It's a battery-electric version of the 2017 Clarity Fuel Cell already on sale in some regions of California, powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. But unlike most of the pure electric cars on the U.S. market, the Clarity is a mid-size sedan... 
The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV is a crucial car for General Motors in more ways than one. With an EPA-rated 238-mile range and $37,495 base price (before federal, state, and local incentives), the Bolt EV considered a groundbreaking electric-car game changer. But the Chevy hatchback is also GM's main platform for self-driving car development. DON'T... ![Section of 2018 BMW i3 spy shot [image via S. Baldauf/SB-Medien, as used on Motor Authority]](http://images.hgmsites.net/tmb/section-of-2018-bmw-i3-spy-shot-image-via-s-baldauf-sb-medien-as-used-on-motor-authority_100593578_t.gif)
This year's updated BMW i3 electric car is only just arriving at U.S. dealerships after a battery-capacity boost that gives it longer range. But already some details of the 2018 BMW i3 have leaked out, in the form of spy photos and further rumors about more battery capacity yet. Unlike our usual previews based on manufacturer releases, then... 
For some buyers, where a car is made can be as important as the qualities of the car itself. "Made in America" can be a powerful selling point, especially after a presidential election in which domestic manufacturing jobs were a hot-button issu. But in the age of globalization, U.S. automakers no longer have a monopoly on cars with largely... 
One reason cited for the slow, if growing, penetration of plug-in electric cars in the U.S. is that they're not available in all segments and body styles. With the exception of the pricey Tesla Model X and the discontinued Toyota RAV4 EV, for example, there are no battery-electric SUVs or crossovers with all-wheel drive on the market. To date... 
A major contributor to electric-car sales is the program under which buyers of new electric cars qualify for a federal income-tax credit of up to $7,500. But these tax credits are not unlimited. Once a manufacturer reaches sales of 200,000 plug-in electric cars (after December 31, 2009), the credits start to phase out for that company's cars... 
If you wanted to start a green taxi service—and had ample funds to do so—Tesla electric cars would seem to be a good choice. The Model S and Model X offer plenty of interior space and range, and their popularity would like raise the profile of any taxi service using them. So perhaps it's not surprising that the Dubai Taxi Corporation... 
Oh, those crafty Germans. Just a few days after the week-long media launch of the 2017 Hyundai Ioniq range, Volkswagen has quietly one-upped the Ioniq Electric's 124-mile EPA-rated range. Granted, it's only beaten the South Korean electric car by 1 mile. But still. DON'T MISS: Hyundai Ioniq Electric beats Prius Prime, BMW i3 on energy efficiency... 
Estimates of electric-car market share over the coming decades vary wildly, but certain trends seem to be working in their favor. Battery prices should continue to fall, and tougher global emissions standards may put increasing pressure on automakers to build larger numbers of electric cars. But can automakers handle a sudden increase in... 
Tesla Motors confirmed today that it expected to start production of its crucial Model 3 electric car in July, and claims that it will boost production to 5,000 cars a week by the end of this year. The new was contained in Tesla's latest letter to its shareholders, and it started with the third sentence. The company's statements restate some of... ![2015 Nissan Leaf in front of Prudential and Hancock Towers, Boston [photo: John Briggs]](http://images.hgmsites.net/tmb/2015-nissan-leaf-tk-photo-john-briggs_100593425_t.gif)
Sometimes being a revolutionary requires a lot of personal sacrifice, and sometimes it doesn’t. After one year of driving of a 2015 Nissan Leaf electric car, I was surprised to find that daily driving with a gasoline car requires more sacrifice than with my electric. Like most people, before buying the Leaf, I had concerns about owning an... ![Section of 2019 Cadillac XT3 spy shot [image via S. Baldauf/SB-Medien, as used on Motor Authority]](http://images.hgmsites.net/tmb/section-of-2019-cadillac-xt3-spy-shot-image-via-s-baldauf-sb-medien-as-used-on-motor-authority_100593416_t.gif)
Spy shots are continually fascinating, for both future buyers and auto journalists. They can reveal hints about the shapes, design aspects, and powertrains of vehicles that may not hit showrooms for as much as two years. Some recent spy shots of the 2019 Cadillac XT3 small crossover utility vehicle have a very distinctive feature that tells a lot... 
BMW is recalling more than 19,000 i3 REx extended-range electric cars due to concerns over the potential for fires to be started by fuel vapors. The REx uses a small gasoline engine to charge its battery pack, offering a longer range than the all-electric i3 when both gasoline and electric power are used. According to the National Highway Traffic... 
The Tesla Model S, now into its sixth model year, just keeps getting quicker. When Tesla introduced the current P100D version, it quoted a 0-to-60-mph time of 2.5 seconds. But then it released a "Ludicrous Plus" software upgrade, cutting that time to 2.4 seconds. DON'T MISS: Tesla P100D 'Ludicrous Plus' mode makes electric car even faster Then... 
Several different states have continued to propose new fees for electric-car owners as a way to pay for road repairs. The fees are typically meant as a substitute for the gasoline taxes that, because they don't buy gas, electric-car owners don't pay. Advocates have criticized these fees, saying they effectively penalize drivers for reducing... 
California electric utility Pacific Gas & Electric recently took delivery of a pair of new trucks that it hopes will help solve two problems. The first is power outages, whether they are caused by weather or necessary planned maintenance work conducted by utilities. The other is every utility's huge bill for diesel fuel. The large trucks... 
The Volkswagen e-Golf will arrive in dealerships this spring with a higher-capacity battery pack that gives the electric car an EPA-rated 124 miles of range. The number equals the rating of the 2017 Hyundai Ioniq, and is the highest range offered by any electric car that's not a Chevy Bolt EV or a Tesla. Whether this boosts the allure of the...