A few weeks ago, we asked our Twitter followers how low electric-car prices would have to go for them to succeed in the market. The answers were revealing, because the sweet spot seemed to be around $25,000, the price chosen by half the respondents. Another quarter of the survey participants chose $30,000 (not so coincidentally, the effective... What is the maximum electric-car price for mass-market success? Poll results
A few weeks ago, we asked our Twitter followers how low electric-car prices would have to go for them to succeed in the market. The answers were revealing, because the sweet spot seemed to be around $25,000, the price chosen by half the respondents. Another quarter of the survey participants chose $30,000 (not so coincidentally, the effective... 
Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler is pushing for more electric cars, and that has the company's labor leaders thinking about how such a shift might affect its workers. Electric motors and drivetrains require far fewer components than internal-combustion engines, meaning fewer workers are needed to assemble them. The technical knowledge needed to design... 
The automaker that sold the most plug-in electric cars last year wasn't a U.S., Japanese, or European firm. It was BYD, the Chinese carmaker notably backed by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway. BYD sold just over 60,000 battery-electric cars and plug-in hybrids last year, with the vast majority going to customers in its home country. DON'T MISS... 
The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car will carry a price of $37,495 for the base LT trim level, including the mandatory destination charge, before incentives. The Bolt EV Premier model, which will include standard DC fast charging, starts at $40,905 before incentives. The Premier trim includes front and rear heated and leather-appointed seats, a... 
Of California's many incentives for green cars, one of the most popular is solo access to the state's carpool lanes for drivers of electric cars, plug-in hybrids, and certain other vehicles. But while California will distribute an unlimited number of "white stickers" for electric cars—as well as vehicles using hydrogen fuel cells and... 
When it debuted late in 2014 as a 2015 model, the Kia Soul EV boasted an impressive range for an electric car with a mainstream price. At an EPA-rated 93 miles, its range exceeded that of any electric car on sale at the time without a Tesla powertrain. But two years after its introduction, it appears the Soul EV is about to be surpassed by a new... 
Tesla Motors has, once again, been blocked from selling its electric cars directly to customers in Michigan. Over the past couple of years, Tesla has been engaged in a battle with Michigan's franchised car dealers who—like dealers in several other states—view Tesla's direct-sales model as a threat. Most recently, Tesla submitted an... 
There's no getting around the fact that the words "bolt" and "volt" sound similar. So Chevrolet was likely inviting confusion when it decided to name its 238-mile electric car the Bolt EV, while continuing to offer the Volt plug-in hybrid. It's easy for English speakers to confuse "B" and "V" sounds on occasion, after all. DON'T MISS: Why 'Bolt'... 
The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV had a fast and unusual development process. General Motors partnered closely with Korean electronics firm LG, whose LG Chem subsidiary provided its lithium-ion battery cells. Other LG units contributed both electric and electronic components and now act as contract manufacturers for significant parts of the car's... 
Today, Volkswagen sells one all-electric car under its own brand in multiple markets—the e-Golf electric variant of its well-known five-door compact hatchback—and another in Europe only, the e-UP, a battery-electric minicar. But in the wake of continuing fallout from the Volkswagen diesel scandal, the company is wrenching itself toward... 
Once more, the Renault Zoe has maintained the title of best-selling electric car in Europe now that sales reports have been compiled through July. As has been the case all year, the subcompact hatchback's only real competition for the top spot came from the Nissan Leaf, built by Renault's Japanese alliance partner. The Leaf still vastly outsells... 
Over the past few years, a common refrain among analysts and pundits has been that the future of the U.S. car industry lies not in Detroit, but in Silicon Valley. With their nimbleness and more aggressive attitudes, as well as expertise with emerging technologies related to autonomous driving and connectivity, tech companies will soon give... 
Modern electric cars have now been on sale long enough that they are starting to appear on used-car lots in significant numbers. For buyers, this may offer a more affordable option than purchasing a new electric car. But how well with current owners do financially when they start looking to sell their electric cars? DON'T MISS: Tesla cancels... 
In the most recent round of crash tests performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the 2017 Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid performed quite well. The institute designated this year's Volt a "Top Safety Pick+"—the highest rating available. The current, second-generation Volt debuted as a 2016 model. DON'T MISS: Why I leased... 
Over the last five years, much has been written about autonomous-car efforts from Apple and Google. Could these two massively successful Silicon Valley startups overturn the established order in the global auto industry? The answer remains to be seen, but this month brought news that both companies are restructuring their efforts. DON'T MISS: 2017... ![Tesla Store Los Angeles [photo: Misha Bruk / MBH Architects]](http://images.hgmsites.net/tmb/tesla-store-los-angeles-photo-misha-bruk-mbh-architects_100449434_t.gif)
Tesla Motors recently had another setback in its fight with Virginia's franchised car dealers over direct sales of its luxury electric cars. Over the past several months, Tesla has battled dealers and their lobbyists in the state over plans to open a second company-owned store. Now, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles is recommending against... 
It's once again time to survey the best deals on hybrid, electric, diesel, and fuel-efficient gasoline cars. With 2017 models arriving in larger numbers, carmakers and dealers are eager to move inventory of leftover 2016 vehicles. We have several 2016 models this month that are about to be displaced, and are consequently heavily incentivized... 
BMW and Volkswagen have finally completed a network of network of public DC fast-charging sites that use the Combined Charging Standard (CCS). In January 2015, the two German carmakers announced a collaboration with network operator ChargePoint to build more stations compatible with CCS—which their electric cars use. Known as the Express... 
Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk has a history of making bold claims about the capabilities of his company's products, and the latest version of Autopilot is no different. Over the weekend, Tesla announced the first major update of the driver-assist system since a fatal May crash involving a Model S electric car traveling with the system engaged... 
We drove a 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car 240 miles on a single charge last week. And that was the lowest range achieved among four journalists driving four Bolt EVs along the California coast. One driver covered essentially the same trip with fully 32 miles remaining, according to the car’s display. DON'T MISS: 2017 Chevy Bolt EV...