Which plug-in hybrid would you buy today if you had to? Twitter poll

2018 Chevrolet VoltThis has been something of a plug-in hybrid month. Last week we got our first drive in the 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid, which we felt was the first affordable car with a range similar to that of the Chevrolet Volt. This week we're driving the 2018 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid. DON'T MISS: 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid first drive That car and...

Trump EPA: less enforcement of laws, more leeway for polluters

Donald TrumpIn grade school, students commonly ran through the halls when teachers or other school staff weren't looking. Signs forbidding the act of sprinting past lockers did little to deter the practice, since there was no incentive not to run unless someone present was enforcing the rule. The same can be said for industrial polluters and environmental-law...

Can Honda break through buyer confusion about plug-in hybrids?

Frame from 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid With the launch of the 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid sedan, the Chevrolet Volt now has its first serious competition among long-range plug-in hybrids. About 25,000 second-generation Volts were sold last year, and this year's number will be about 20,000. Honda says it may sell about the same number of plug-in Claritys. On a media drive last...

VW CEO: European subsidies for diesel should end

Matthias MullerOne of the most powerful automotive CEOs in the industry at a company that once found monumental success in diesel-powered cars has delivered a commandment to European governments from atop his throne in Wolfsburg. Thou shalt not subsidize diesel. That commandment, from VW CEO Mattias Müller, is about as predictable as one might expect from...

Uniti electric city car debuts, with free charging in Sweden

Uniti One Electric CarIf you're looking for an electric car that comes with free charging but a Tesla is either undesirable or financially out of reach, freshly launched upstart Uniti is offering five years of free go-go electrons with the purchase of its new, compact "smartphone car." But there's just one catch. You need to live in Sweden. DON'T MISS: NEVS reveals...

2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid first drive

2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid drive, Napa Valley, Caifornia, Dec 2017There's a new plug-in hybrid in town, and it could expand the audience for cars that provide useful electric range for daily driving while retaining an efficient gasoline engine for longer trips. The 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid is the third and most important model in the Clarity lineup, which already includes the hydrogen Fuel Cell model as...

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

2017 Kia Soul EVIf you're looking to give the gift of efficient motoring this holiday season, numerous manufacturer incentives are available this month that'll save you from breaking the bank. For December, CarsDirect has uncovered leases as cheap as $159/month and discounts as much as $18,100 on fuel-efficient vehicles for the month of December. Read on to see...

2017 BMW i3 REx: drive review of range-extended electric car

2017 BMW i3 REx range-extended electric car     [photo: Chris Neff]When the history of modern electric cars is written, the BMW i3 will likely go down as something of an anomaly. Its carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic body shell, aluminum underpinnings, and battery-electric powertrain with an optional range extender are a combination not offered by any other maker, now or perhaps ever. We spent four days and 316...

New approach to electric-car battery cooling: immerse cells in coolant

XING Miss R Lithium-Ion Battery PackRegardless of how your vehicle is powered—whether it be an internal-combustion engine or a battery pack powering an electric motor—most powertrains have a common enemy: heat. For Taipei-based XING Mobility, heat is a major concern for its high-performance Miss R model as its battery cells need to rapidly discharge to generate its...