2017 Zero electric motorcycles: more range, more power, better options

2017 Zero electric motorcycle lineupAutumn is here, the leaves are changing and as the riding season winds down we continue our annual tradition of discussing what’s new for the Zero Motorcycles lineup of electric motorcycles. This year Zero has a few surprises in store to broaden their bikes' appeal to new riders. There are now 14 configurations of Zero Motorcycles ranging in...

VW Group cars had highest recall rates, even before diesel scandal

2016 Volkswagen PassatIt's been over a year since the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) disclosed Volkswagen's use of illegal "defeat device" software in diesel cars to cheat on emissions tests. But VW had another dirty little secret waiting to come to light. That is its recall rate: cars from its Volkswagen and Audi brands have had the highest rate of recalls...

2017 electric cars with more than 100 miles of range

2017 Nissan Leaf  In the six years since modern electric cars first went on sale in large numbers, the field has matured significantly. There are now several models that offer at least 100 miles of range, and many are widely available to consumers. That includes the Tesla Model S and Model X, starting at about $70,000, as well as several models that are more...

2017 Ford Focus Electric preview

2017 Ford Focus ElectricThe 2017 Ford Focus Electric has been one of last electric cars remaining in the current model year for which we haven't had information. Now Ford has released a few specifications, and a photo of a 2017 Focus Electric window sticker sent by a reader fills in more of the gaps. The good news: after several years with a bottom-of-the-list range of...

Which electric car will history view as most important? Poll results

2012 Tesla Model S SignatureIt wasn't even close. When we asked our Twitter followers which electric car they thought would be judged by history as most important thus far, it was a slam-dunk. Fully four out of five survey participants voted for the same vehicle out of the four choices we offered. DON'T MISS: Tesla Model S: Green Car Reports' 2013 Best Car To Buy That car...

Autonomous Renault Zoe electric car to be tested in Boston by nuTonomy

nuTonomy autonomous Renault Zoe in BostonThe Renault Zoe electric car isn't sold in the U.S., but it will make an appearance on the streets of one U.S. city very soon. The battery-electric subcompact hatchback will serve as an autonomous-driving test bed for nuTonomy, a startup founded by researchers from MIT. The company recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the City of...

Bill to cap ethanol in U.S. fuel supply gains momentum

U.S. Capitol BuildingEfforts by the U.S. Congress to cap the amount of ethanol blended with the U.S. fuel supply appear to be gaining momentum. The current Renewable Fuel Standard, passed as part of the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act, has proven increasingly unpopular among certain legislators. But ardent support from the renewable-fuels industry and the...

2017 Toyota Prius Prime vs 2017 Chevrolet Volt: plug-in hybrid video test

2017 Toyota Prius Prime and 2017 Chevrolet Volt with Green Car Reports editor John VoelckerThey'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...

VW Dresden ‘glass house’ factory to build e-Golf electric car

2017 Volkswagen e-GolfWhen it launched its Phaeton luxury sedan back in 2002, Volkswagen decided that its most opulent car ever should have an equally opulent assembly plant. So it built the "Transparent Factory," a glass-walled plant in Dresden, Germany, that was intended solely to handle Phaeton production. The Phaeton was a vanity project of VW Group's...

BYD partners with U.S. firm to launch all-electric garbage truck

BYD and Wayne Engineering electric garbage truckHere's an electric vehicle that really, truly stinks. While automakers are moving in the direction of more electric cars, several companies are also making efforts to electrify commercial vehicles. The humble garbage truck will be the next to be electrified—which, if nothing else, will eliminate the unpleasant noise from huge diesel trucks...

Hyundai Ioniq Electric: how maker plans to market 124-mile electric car

WaiveCar Hyundai Ioniq ElectricThe 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Electric will soon go on sale as part of a trio of Ioniq variants that also includes hybrid and plug-in hybrid models. When it arrives in dealerships, Hyundai will face the same challenge other automakers have come to know well: marketing electric cars to an uneducated and sometimes skeptical public. Instead of relying...

VW to build Atlas TDI diesel in U.S., but only for export to Russia

2018 Volkswagen AtlasThe ongoing diesel scandal means all Volkswagen and Audi TDI models are still absent from U.S. showrooms—and likely will be for some years to come. Even a new TDI diesel model that will be built only in the U.S. won't be sold here. That would be the Volkswagen Atlas TDI, a diesel version of the Atlas 7-seat crossover utility vehicle unveiled...

Why did Tesla take capabilities out of latest Model S + Model X?

2016 Tesla Model SAutomakers rarely "de-content" their cars, much less take away some of the very features that provide sizzle and PR value. But Tesla's new and more advanced "Hardware 2" electronic driver-assist features on latest cars appear to be a temporary step backwards. Announced last month, Hardware 2 is a new package of sensors for the Autopilot...