Among the established German luxury automakers, BMW has so far shown the greatest commitment to electric cars. It launched the "i" sub-brand dedicated to plug-in cars in 2013, and continues to sell the i3 electric city car and i8 plug-in hybrid sport coupe. BMW has also rapidly expanded the number of plug-in hybrids based on existing models in its... BMW plans to sell 100,000 plug-in cars in 2017, CEO says
Among the established German luxury automakers, BMW has so far shown the greatest commitment to electric cars. It launched the "i" sub-brand dedicated to plug-in cars in 2013, and continues to sell the i3 electric city car and i8 plug-in hybrid sport coupe. BMW has also rapidly expanded the number of plug-in hybrids based on existing models in its...
Traditionally, the North American winter months have seen a slowdown in sales of plug-in electric cars—but the rule didn't seem to apply last month.. Last month, sales of the Nissan Leaf electric car actually increased over last year's comparable number, while those of the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid soared. While no Chevy Bolt EV 238-mile...
The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid has a somewhat deceptive—or perhaps incomplete—name. It is in fact a plug-in hybrid, making it the first minivan equipped with that type of powertrain to go into production. It is also the first mass-market plug-in vehicle sold by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) in all 50 states of the U.S. (The...
They're two high-volume plug-in hybrids, but they take different approaches to energy efficiency. The Toyota Prius Prime, new for 2017, is the plug-in version of the world's best-known, and best-selling, hybrid car. The 2017 Chevy Volt was new last year, a greatly improved version of the pioneering range-extended electric car. They're now going...
The Renault Zoe again maintained the title of best-selling electric car in Europe for another month. The Renault hatchback was leading European electric-car sales in August, and we now know that it kept the lead through September, the most recent month with available data. As has been the case all year, the Zoe's main competition was the Nissan...
Almost exactly three years after the European launch of the i3 electric car in November 2013, BMW has reached a notable milestone in its electrification efforts. The German automaker says it has delivered 100,000 plug-in cars over the past three years. That figure encompasses both battery-electric cars and plug-in hybrids. DON'T MISS: New 2017...
The 2017 Cadillac CT6 Plug-In Hybrid was first announced last year, but it won't go on sale until early in 2017. As that launch date draws nearer, we've learned more important details about the plug-in hybrid luxury sedan. When it arrives in the U.S. in Spring 2017, the CT6 Plug-In Hybrid will start at $76,090 (including destination). DON'T MISS...
The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid wraps a number of firsts into one innovative package. The Pacifica minivan, launched this year, has received positive reviews for its combination of stylish design, comfortable interior, easy-to-use infotainment, and capacious carrying capacity for up to eight adults and their goods. Despite its name, the Pacifica...
It's once again time to look at the best deals on green cars. As we get further into the 2017 model year, manufacturers are becoming more eager to eliminate leftover inventory of 2016 models, creating some good opportunities for bargain-hunting car shoppers. As always, our list spans hybrids, plug-in hybrids, electric cars, and fuel-efficient...
The Chicago Cubs won the World Series for the first time in 108 years; the Chevy Volt won the Canadian electric-car sales trophy for the seventh time in seven months. Though Chevy Volt sales in Canada fell from stratospheric to mere tropospheric levels in October, the vehicle remains Canada's monthly sales leader for the seventh consecutive month...
Sales of plug-in electric cars in the U.S. continued at roughly the same pace as in previous months, at least among vehicles for which sales were reported. The Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid continued a strong if not spectacular year, with 2,191 sales in October for a 10-month total of 18,517. The Nissan Leaf battery-electric car, on the other...
After many teases and concept-car previews, Volkswagen finally unveiled its much-discussed 7-seat crossover utility vehicle last night in Santa Monica, California. The 2018 Volkswagen Atlas targets the U.S. market like no other VW model since the current-generation Passat mid-size sedan. It will be assembled alongside the Passat in Chattanooga...
Over the past few years, Mini models have been getting bigger, to point where most aren't particularly "mini" anymore. That might seem to go against what the brand is supposed to be about, but parent company BMW is embracing it. The German automaker touts the 2017 Mini Countryman—the second-generation crossover from its British ward—as...
The 2017 Toyota Prius Prime is a far, far better plug-in hybrid than its predecessor. It defaults to electric-only operation, it has 25 miles of EPA-rated electric range, and in electric operation, it is by far the most energy-efficient vehicle you can buy this year in the U.S. And when it reverts to running as a standard hybrid car, it's rated at...
Kia is continuing with plans to significantly increase the number of green cars in its future lineup. The Korean automaker and its parent, Hyundai, together hope to become the second-biggest seller of green cars worldwide, after Toyota. That means more hybrids, plug-in hybrids, battery-electric cars, and even some hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles...
The Mercedes-Benz S550e plug-in hybrid luxury sedan will likely be the first production car to offer wireless charging as a factory option. The availability of wireless charging was announced earlier this year by Mercedes as part of a significant update of the current-generation car. We now know that the S550e will use a version of the Qualcomm...
The BMW 5-Series has always slotted between the Bavarian maker's high-volume 3-Series and full-size 7-Series in size and price. But while BMW currently offers plug-in hybrid versions of those two sedans, it doesn't yet do so with the 5-Series (although it did show one several years ago as part of a Chinese joint venture). Now BMW is rolling out a...
A convertible version of the BMW i8 plug-in hybrid coupe was teased as far back as the 2012 New York Auto Show, when the i8 Spyder concept first debuted. But while the i8 coupe went into production as a 2014 model, BMW has been unusually slow to approve a convertible version for production. BMW mentioned an i8 convertible during a March press...
Suppose you're one of the world's three largest automakers. You don't offer a type of vehicle that a relatively small but highly visible customer in your home market wants. Do you have the right to be annoyed if that customer designs those vehicles itself? DON'T MISS: USPS picks AM General to help build next-generation mail trucks Only...