Best deals on hybrid, electric, fuel-efficient cars for June 2017

2017 Ford C-MaxNow that we're into a new month, it's time to check out the best deals on green cars—this time for the month of June. As always, Cars Direct has compiled its monthly list of the most budget friendly options for buyers looking to go green. It should be noted there's now a separate category for "Best fuel efficient SUV," since small passenger...

Honda Clarity Electric, Plug-In Hybrid: first drives, impressions

Honda Clarity series with Green Car Reports editor John Voelcker at Honda R&D Center, Tochigi, JapanIn March, we spent most of a day with the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell, the first of three variants of the Clarity mid-size sedan to go on sale in the U.S. Leases of the hydrogen-powered Clarity will be limited for the foreseeable future to residents of those areas of California near to hydrogen fueling stations, but two more versions are on their way...

Car buyers have no idea electric-car charging stations even exist

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car at EVgo fast-charging station, Newport Centre, Jersey City, NJElectric cars have promised to revolutionize transportation for years now. As more manufacturers offer electrified vehicles and prices continue to drop for battery technology, the easy correlation would be to assume that consumer interest has spiked. Actually, it remains pretty darn low, according to extensive research from J.D. Power. DON'T MISS...

Toyota sold all its Tesla shares by the end of 2016

Tesla Motors and Toyota logosToyota quietly unloaded the rest of its Tesla shares near the end of last year. In the process, the Japanese automaker confirmed its partnership to develop electric vehicles and related technologies had been ended. Toyota has by far shown the most restraint in developing battery electric vehicles—an intriguing move from the company that...

Hyundai Kona Electric: will new small electric SUV come to North America?

Teaser for Hyundai KonaHyundai has already taken its first step into the realm of electric cars with the Ioniq Electric. In fact, a plug-in hybrid and dedicated hybrid round out three alternative propulsion choices from Hyundai, but a Hyundai Kona electric car is slated to join the Korean brand's portfolio. The Kona will be Hyundai's subcompact crossover, comparable in...

Plug-in electric car sales in Canada, May 2017: what dominance looks like

2017 Chevrolet Volt in Vancouver, BC, CanadaAs certain as LeBron James reaching the NBA Finals, the Chevy Volt led the Canadian plug-in electric vehicle market in May. Barring a sales collapse in June, it will have led the category for a remarkable two-thirds of the months (48 of 72) in which electric vehicles from major carmakers have been available in Canada. Chevy sold 404 Volts in...

Electric cars cleaner than any gas-only car for 97 percent of U.S. drivers

Electric-car wells-to-wheels emission equivalencies in MPG, May 2017 [Union of Concerned Scientists]Electric cars have no tailpipe emissions when running. But unless they're charged entirely on renewable energy—still statistically unlikely today—there are emissions associated with generating the electricity used to charge their batteries. For several years now, rigorous "wells-to-wheels" analyses of the carbon-dioxide emissions...

AAA raises Tesla insurance rates 30 percent; company disputes analysis

2017 Tesla Model SIt's never a good day to learn one's insurance rates are rising, but AAA has decided the Tesla Model S and Model X warrant 30 percent increases. AAA combed through its own data and found Model S and Model X owners had abnormally high claim rates. The claim rates were also much costlier than competing vehicles in the Model S and Model X's respected...

2017 Cadillac CT6 Plug-In: first drive of hybrid luxury sedan

2017 Cadillac CT6 plug-in hybrid, New York City and Westchester County, NY, May 2017The 2017 Cadillac CT6 Plug-In will be a rare beast in the U.S.; fewer than 1,000 are likely to be sold each year. In many ways, that's a shame. This version of the CT6 large sedan is a worthy competitor among plug-in hybrid luxury cars, the rest of which will come from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo. Its rated electric range of 31 miles is roughly...

Audi confirms (again) 3 electric cars on the market by 2020

Audi e-tron Quattro concept - 2016 Consumer Electronics ShowGerman automakers are beginning to play catch-up with electric vehicles, as Tesla continues to corner the market. Audi has once again reconfirmed its plans to bring three battery-powered electric vehicles to production by the year 2020. The German luxury brand reiterated the plan at the annual general meeting in Neckarsulm, Germany, and said it...