Plug-in Electric Car Sales in Canada, Dec 2016: cresting Everest

2017 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid Platinum EditionWhile still just shy of the 30,000 vehicle milestone, cumulative Canadian plug-in electric vehicle sales likely finished 2016 high enough to scale Mount Everest (elevation in feet: 29,029). While the full 2016 milestone is unlikely to be reached by January 11—birthday of Sir John A. MacDonald, the country's first Prime Minister—it may...

Toyota Prius Prime buyers misled by dealers; more education needed

2017 Toyota Prius Prime PremiumThe Toyota Prius Prime is a far better car than its plug-in hybrid predecessor, and it seems likely to become one of the higher-volume plug-in electric cars on the U.S. market. If, that is, Toyota's own dealers prove willing to sell it—or even find out that it exists. After three separate complaints by readers in different areas of the U.S...

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

2016 Kia Soul EVIt's a new year, and that means a new crop of buyer deals on green cars. The 2017 model year is now well underway, but older 2016 versions of certain vehicles still sit on dealer lots. As dealers get more anxious to clear this older stock, look for more aggressive incentives on these models. DON'T MISS: Plug-in electric car sales in Dec: Bolt EV...

Green car preview at Detroit Auto Show

City of Detroit, by jdurchen [Flickr]Media days for the 2017 Detroit Auto Show begin amidst significant uncertainty about green cars and their future in the U.S. It remains unclear how the incoming Trump Administration will treat current fuel-economy and emissions standards. Continued low gas prices are driving a boom in SUV and crossover sales, something reflected in the number new...

Plug-in electric car sales in Dec: Bolt EV launches; Leaf, Volt rise

First 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV buyers, Fremont, California: Bobby Edmonds, Bill Mattos, Steve HenryAs sales results trickle in from automakers throughout the day, industry analysts will be waiting to see whether enough buyers signed on the line to make 2016 a new record sales year. Among cars with plugs, however, the trend was clearly up—and December saw the first sales of the long-awaited 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV, the 238-mile...

Hyundai Ioniq, Sonata plug-in hybrids available anywhere in U.S.

2017 Hyundai IoniqSome manufacturers only offer their plug-in hybrid models in certain markets, even as hybrid models are now generally offered nationwide. Like electric cars, plug-in hybrid sales are sometimes limited to markets deemed suitably friendly to these types of vehicles by their makers. But Hyundai has a more ambitious strategy. DON'T MISS: 2017 Hyundai...

Sales of ‘green’ cars remain low; is it a problem of fear?

2017 Chevrolet VoltDespite a proliferation of new models and continuing pressure from stricter emissions standards, sales of hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and battery-electric cars so far remain low. Even successful models can only muster a fraction of the sales volumes enjoyed by their internal-combustion counterparts. The nationwide launch of a redesigned...