GM to expand Chevy Bolt EV sales, bring battery production to US

2018 Chevrolet Bolt EVAs part of a sweeping update on General Motors' electric-car plans, CEO Mary Barra announced the company will expand production and sales of the Chevy Bolt EV. At the same time, GM is expanding battery production for the Bolt EV from South Korea to a new factory in Michigan. In a blog post on LinkedIn on Wednesday, Barra laid out the company's...

Ford requests exception to electric-car noise rule for police cruisers

2018 Ford Police Responder Hybrid Sedan pursuit-rated police carIt's tough to sneak up on bad guys in a loud car. That's Ford's argument in requesting an exception to a long-awaited rule that will require electric cars to make noise when they're driving at low speeds, according to a report in The Verge. First proposed in 2010, the rule has had a long gestation, and is set to finally take effect in 2020. Many...

Volvo puts Ikea-like living room in self-driving concept car

Volvo 360C conceptWith its latest self-driving car concept, Volvo wants to take on the airline industry. Without a need for a steering wheel, Volvo opened up the interior of its 360c concept to accommodate a coffee table, a card table, a desk, and even a first-class airline-style bed. The company says the self-driving capability and Ikea-like interior furnishings...

Battery electrics steal sales from hybrids

Honda Clarity lineup at Honda R&D Center, Tochigi, Japan, June 2017Strong sales of electric cars and plug-in hybrids in California seem to have a downside. According to an analysis by the California New Car Dealers Association, all of those new plug-in cars are replacing traditional hybrids, not conventional cars. So the fuel and emissions savings aren’t what they could be. Data from the CNCDA’s...

Toyota recalls 2016-2018 Prius models for fire risk

2016 Toyota Prius, Catskill Mountains, NY, Dec 2015Toyota is launching one of its largest recalls on one of its most popular models—the Prius hybrid. Covering all Toyota Prius and Prius Plug-in models built between June 2015 and May 2018, the recall involves a wiring harness for the car's hybrid power control unit, which can chafe and start a fire, the company told Reuters. The problem...

The new 2020 Tesla Roadster that wasn’t in Switzerland

2020 Tesla Roadster at 2018 Grand Basel show - Image via BluewinTesla made a lot of noise about a big surprise it planned for the Grand Basel auto show, a celebration of architecture and design in Switzerland's northern industrial city. The company teased that it might show a new pre-production prototype of its new Roadster. The much-hyped car has twice appeared in running form, once at its official debut in...

2020 Mercedes-Benz EQC specs revealed

2020 Mercedes-Benz EQCMercedes-Benz released initial specs of its newest electric car, the EQC crossover SUV, Tuesday in Stockholm. The answer to the inevitable range question about its rival to the Jaguar I-Pace: "about 200 miles," Mercedes says. The SUV's 80-kwh lithium-ion battery sits under the floor between front and rear sub-frames. DON'T MISS: Mercedes EQC...

GM working on ultra fast charging system for Chevy Bolt EV

Charging Chevy Bolt EV before trip across Maryland   [image: Brian Ro]Automakers are in a new race, not for miles per hour on a track or the street, but in miles per hour regained while an electric car is sitting at a charger. GM is the latest automaker to join the race toward faster-charging electric cars, with a new project to develop an "extreme fast charger" that can deliver up to 180 miles of range to a Chevy...

Commentary: How to make your voice heard on fuel economy freeze

EPA Acting Administrator Andrew WheelerDrivers are not helpless in the face of government plans to roll back fuel economy standards. A joint August proposal from the EPA and NHTSA to freeze planned increases in fuel economy standards is out for public comments until Oct. 23. Public comments can make a difference. DON'T MISS: Trump administration releases proposal to weaken fuel...

2019 Honda Insight review update: Putting the Civic on notice

2019 Honda InsightThat sound you hear isn’t the 2019 Honda Insight’s hybrid powertrain whirring along. It’s the undertaker coming for the vaunted Honda Civic nameplate. The 2019 Insight isn’t just a better hybrid, it’s a better compact car. I spent a week moseying around in an Insight Touring, a well-equipped $29,000 compact sedan with...

Formula E develops new off-road Extreme E racing series

Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy race car dynamic debut during 2018 Formula E Berlin ePrixFormula E, the first all-electric worldwide racing series, plans to expand beyond street racing to remote parts of the planet with a new series. Called Extreme E, the new series would use SUV-like race cars to tackle the wilds of lands such as the Arctic and the Himalayas. Formula E CEO and founder Alejandro Agag confirmed the new series to...

Byton begins road testing its electric car in China

Byton M-Byte electric SUV prototypeChinese electric-car startup automaker Byton has begun testing its upcoming M-Byte electric car in China, the company said Tuesday. The company introduced the car at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January, and gave reporters rides to demonstrate its self-driving and electronics capabilities. Byton said Tuesday that it had begun...

Dyson plans to build electric-car test track in Britain

Dyson Hullavington campus for electric car developmentIn another step to show it's serious about building an electric car, Dyson, the British vacuum-cleaner maker, has laid out plans to build a test track in Britain. Reuters reported Thursday that Dyson plans to build a vehicle test track at a former World War II airfield in Wiltshire, England, to go along with previously announced plans for an...