Could a full-size pickup truck ever get a fuel-economy rating of 37 mpg? California-based Achates Power believes it can, and its novel engine uses a design that dates back to the earliest days of internal combustion to do so. The company announced its two-stroke, opposed-piston diesel engine for pickup trucks in 2014, and revealed a prototype of... Full-size diesel pickup truck that gets 37 mpg? Achates says yes
Could a full-size pickup truck ever get a fuel-economy rating of 37 mpg? California-based Achates Power believes it can, and its novel engine uses a design that dates back to the earliest days of internal combustion to do so. The company announced its two-stroke, opposed-piston diesel engine for pickup trucks in 2014, and revealed a prototype of...
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) closed its investigation into the fatal Florida crash last May of a Tesla using the company's Autopilot driver-assist system. The Model S in question collided with a tractor trailer that turned left in front of it, killing the driver, who was the electric car's sole occupant. At the time...
Today, a study on electric-car emissions is based on questionable assumptions, General Motors offers B20 biodiesel capability in several car and truck models, and a Wyoming bill would essentially ban utilities from using renewable energy. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Two U.S. agencies concluded that 2016 was the hottest year on record...
Transitions into new technologies always generate confusion and misinformation, and certainly that has been the case with modern electric cars. Buyers, automakers, and analysts debate their cost, suitability, real-world range, wells-to-wheels carbon footprint, and recyclability, among other issues. Six years after the first modern electric cars...
While renewable-energy use has grown substantially over the last few years, the regulatory environment remains volatile. Some states have worked hard to stimulate renewable energy, supporting infrastructure projects and offering incentives to consumers who install home solar arrays. But others have tried to restrict renewable energy, often at the...
The harsh reality of high costs and the inexorable heft of the auto industry have claimed another electric-car startup. GreenTech Automotive opened a plant in Mississippi in 2014, first saying it would manufacture a small, two-seat electric vehicle called the MyCar there. It later struck a deal with Chinese automaker JAC Motors to develop an...
When it comes to reducing emissions, fleet operators generally have fewer options than individual buyers of passenger cars. There are fewer zero-emission vehicle options for vehicles that see commercial use, although those vehicles often cover more miles every year than the average passenger car. But fleet buyers have embraced alternative...
Despite scientists having reached a consensus years ago, considerable debate still appears to be raging over the reality of climate change. Climate-science deniers can count several people appointed to key environmental-regulatory positions in the incoming presidential administration among their ranks. Despite their views, it is impossible to deny...
Today, a Tesla owner reacts to the automaker's new fees for Supercharger DC fast charging, a new report hints at the possible cost of the Faraday Future FF 91 electric car, and a German court orders Volkswagen to reimburse a diesel owner. All this and more on Green Car Reports. While the demise of Victory Motorcycles seems to spell the end for the...
How do you advertise new and innovative zero-emission vehicles, whether they're electric or fuel-cell cars? It's a question that's bedeviled carmakers and their marketers, who continue to experiment with messaging, different audiences, and programs to get people into the cars. The challenge is likely even greater for hydrogen fuel-cell cars, since...
A lot has been said about Volkswagen's use of "defeat device" software in diesel cars to cheat on emissions tests, but a German court may win the prize for most-creative description. VW "defeat device" software is like putting horse meat in lasagna, three German judges decreed during a recent hearing related to the diesel scandal. Besides...
Well, never let it be said that this site's readers don't practice what they preach. We asked our Twitter followers when they thought they would buy their very last gallon of gasoline ever. Remarkably, one third of them (35 percent) said they had already done so. DON'T MISS: What will you be driving 10 years from now? Poll results That means they...
If you're planning on buying a green car, have you ever wondered if you'll be making the purchase at a green dealership? As cars get more efficient, the carbon emissions related to the infrastructure for manufacturing and selling them should be considered as well. Honda has made some efforts in that direction with its "green dealer" program. DON'T...
It’s a new era in Teslaworld: the end of unlimited free Supercharging. Starting a few days ago, anybody who orders a new Tesla Model S or Model X will receive an annual allotment of 400 free kilowatt-hours (good for about 1,200 miles). After that, they will have to pay for use of the Supercharging fast-charging network, at prices that vary...
Continuing low gas prices are often blamed for the current popularity of crossover utilities and SUVs, along with any sales struggles green cars may experience. But would a sudden increase in gas prices cause shoppers to flock to more fuel-efficient vehicles? If so, how high would gas prices have to get in order for consumers to start changing...
At the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show, Faraday Future released a number of details about the FF 91, its first production electric car. It quoted a range of 378 miles, courtesy of a 130-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. It also cited a power output of 1,050 horsepower, enabling the FF 91 to reach 60 mph from a standstill in less than 2.4...
Today, we review what we know so far about the 2018 Nissan Leaf, our updated electric car price guide includes information on every available 2017 model, and the Empulse electric motorcycle is no more. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Looking for a new electric car? We have pricing and specifications for all currently-available models. Two...
As it works to recover from its diesel emission scandal, the Volkswagen Group is rapidly embracing electric cars. By 2025, the company hopes to be selling 1 million electric cars per year, and plans to launch 30 different electric models across multiple brands in the coming years. According to a news report, China—for several years, the...
With auto-industry lobbyists pushing to have the Trump Administration roll back current and future emission and fuel-economy rules, automakers clearly see the new U.S. regime as more friendly to the needs of business. And it's possible that indeed, the EPA's vehicle emission limits, the NHTSA's fuel-economy rules, and various other regulations (on...
The Nissan Leaf is by far the highest-volume electric car ever sold, with total sales now having passed 250,000 units. First launched in 2011, the Leaf got some updates for the 2013 model when production for North American sales moved from Oppama, Japan, to Smyrna, Tennessee. It got a battery capacity upgrade for 2016, boosting its rated range...