Why lithium-ion cells with hollow cores matter (Apple Car or not)

Apple storeOne of the biggest news stories in the automotive industry has been a car that still isn't officially confirmed to exist. It's "Project Titan," Apple's much-discussed project to allegedly develop an electric car. Now, reports out of South Korea indicate that the most unusual feature of this rumored electric car—if it exists—could very...

German upper house asks EU to ban all gas, diesel cars by 2030

2016 BMW M2 production in Leipzig, GermanyLast week, the German Federal Council adopted a bipartisan measure that would ban all internal-combustion engines on German roads after 2030. While its actions only apply within Germany, language in the measure asks the European Union to ensure that all such cars are banned within the EU after that year at the latest. Type approval for road...

Hydrogen fuel-station finder app launched by Air Liquide

Air Liquide hydrogen fueling stationElectric-car drivers can rely on several different locator apps to find nearby public charging stations as they travel. While only a handful of public hydrogen fueling stations are operational at the moment, drivers of fuel-cell cars now have their own station-tracking app as well. Hydrogen-infrastructure company Air Liquide launched the new app...

Nissan Leaf S quietly gets 30-kwh battery upgrade, higher price

2016 Nissan LeafFor 2016, the model year just ending, the Nissan Leaf electric car got a larger-capacity battery for all but its lowest trim level. The Leaf SV and SL models this year have been fitted with a 30-kilowatt-hour battery, up from the previous 24-kwh capacity, that boosts their EPA-rated range from 84 to 107 miles. The base Leaf S version, the only one...

Chevy Bolt EV allocations: dealer in California gets electric-car update

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV, road test, California coastline, Sep 2016As its new electric car gets closer to public sale, General Motors has apparently made its first allocations of 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EVs to Chevy dealers. The news comes via a posting on the GM-Volt forum from a southern California dealership. Rick Alpern, the general manager of Keyes Chevrolet in Van Nuys, California, wrote that the dealer had...

Tesla Autopilot 8.0 better, still needs improvement, says Consumer Reports

2016 Tesla Model SThe magazine Consumer Reports has been one of the most vocal critics of Tesla's Autopilot driver-assistance system. It has called for Tesla to disable Autopilot's automated-steering feature, calling the technology "too much, too soon." It also called on Tesla to stop using the "Autopilot" name, claiming it could be misleading. DON'T MISS: Consumer...

EPA proposes to add more ethanol blends to ‘Flex Fuel’ category

FlexFuel badge on E85-capable 2009 Chevrolet HHRBack in 2007, the Energy Independent and Security Act included a Renewable Fuel Standard intended to boost adoption of lower-emission alternative fuels. It mandated increasingly-large amounts of ethanol to be blended with the U.S. fuel supply. Just under a decade later, the legislation has attracted criticism from both opponents of ethanol and the...

At 133 MPGe, Toyota Prius Prime wallops BMW i3 on energy efficiency

2017 Toyota Prius Prime PremiumMove over, BMW: there's a new efficiency champion in town this year—and you'll have to give back that laurel wreath you've worn since 2014. Last week, final EPA fuel-efficiency results were released for the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime plug-in hybrid. When running in all-electric mode, that car is now the most energy-efficient vehicle you can buy...