What’s Behind the Push for Electric Cars
A reader says U.S. automakers are responding to tougher emissions standards in China and Europe, not America.
Electric Nissan SUV, EPA vs ethanol, VW vs Pikes Peak, 6-minute battery recharges: Today’s Car News
Today, it appears the future may include more electric SUVs, less ethanol in gasoline, a VW electric hill-climbing race car, and much, much faster battery recharging. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Last week, Toshiba announced a battery cell that could offer the long-sought recharging time as quick as a gasoline refill. The EPA is now run... Volkswagen is developing an all-electric race car for Pikes Peak 2018
Volkswagen is developing an all-electric race car for the world’s most famous mountain race, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado, USA on 24 June 2018. The all-wheel-drive prototype’s goal is to set a new record for electric cars at the finish line, 14,000 feet above sea level. The new motorsport project is part of Volkswagen’s process of transforming itself into the leading producer of electric vehicles. By 2025, the Volkswagen brand will already offer 23 all-electric models.
"The Pikes Peak hill climb is one of the world’s most renowned car races. It poses an enormous challenge and is therefore perfectlly suited to proving the capabilities of upcoming technologies," explains Dr Frank Welsch, Member of the Board responsible for Development. "Our electric race car will be equipped with innovative battery and drive technology. The extreme stress test posed by Pikes Peak will give us important feedback that will benefit future development, and it will showcase our products and their technologies."
The vehicle is being developed by Volkswagen Motorsport in close cooperation with Technical Development in Wolfsburg. "The race on Pikes Peak is a new beginning for us. We are developing an all-electric race vehicle for the first time," explains Sven Smeets, Volkswagen Motorsport Director. "The project is also an important milestone in our new motorsport orientation. Our team is literally electrified about taking on this incredible challenge." Volkswagen Motorsport last participated in the Pikes Peak mountain race in 1987 with a spectacular twin-engined Golf which barely missed finishing. "It is high time for a rematch," continues Smeets.
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb—which insiders also call the ‘Race to the clouds’—has been run since 1916 in the Rocky Mountains near Colorado Springs. The race course is 12.4 miles long, and it climbs 4,700 feet to the summit at just over 14,000 feet above sea level. The current record in the class of electric prototypes is 8 minutes 57.118 seconds, set by Rhys Millen in 2016.
Volkswagen targets Pikes Peak with electric-car tech from future models
The next Pikes Peak International Hill Climb race is eight months away still, so a press release on a carmaker's entry into next June's event comes out of left field. But for Volkswagen, it's another small step to underscore its major commitment to battery-electric vehicles as its two-year-old diesel emission cheating scandal continues to... Will Nissan have an electric SUV concept at Tokyo Motor Show?
Automakers spend a lot of time trying to work out how electrified powertrains, autonomous driving technology, connectivity, and sharing will turn their industry upside down. Or not. Meanwhile, globally but especially in North America, one trend is clear right this moment: utility vehicles are hot. When Nissan put out a teaser video on Tuesday for... Proposed ethanol cuts bring EPA up against Iowa’s powerful politician
Following years of debate, the EPA said earlier this month it will study the possibilities of cutting the amount of ethanol in the United States' gasoline supply. Since 2007, the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has required growing amounts of ethanol to be blended into U.S. fuel supplies, with E10—a mix of 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent... Toshiba claims 6-minute recharge for new electric-car battery cell
Electric cars pale in comparison to gasoline or diesel-powered cars when it comes to the time presently required to add energy for more driving distance. Although automakers have begun to curb "range anxiety" with longer-distance electric cars, battery charging times on lengthy road trips remain a hurdle for many buyers. The fastest "quick... Tesla Model 3 poll, 2018 Camry Hybrid mileage, UAW jobs, Mercedes electric cars: Today’s Car News
Today, we've got a gas-mileage test of the 2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid, a roundup of Canadian news about electric cars, a threat to the UAW, and a poll on the future of the Tesla Model 3. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Our most recent roundup of electric-car news in Canada includes awards for EV-friendly dealers, a surge in Solo sales, and... Mercedes, Smart, Daimler trucks update electric-car, electrification plans
Mercedes-Benz has already laid out its plans for a portfolio of electric and electrified vehicles, and now parent company Daimler has announced further strategy refinements for Mercedes-Benz and its other brands. The Smart brand will become all-electric, it said, while its commercial truck operations will continue to add electrified powertrains to... Mercedes, Smart, Daimler trucks update electric-car, electrification plans
Mercedes-Benz has already laid out its plans for a portfolio of electric and electrified vehicles, and now parent company Daimler has announced further strategy refinements for Mercedes-Benz and its other brands. The Smart brand will become all-electric, it said, while its commercial truck operations will continue to add electrified powertrains to…
2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid gas-mileage review: going the distance
Toyota can’t be blamed for a lack of effort: The 2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid is dripping with it. From the creased hood and cascading brow to the Modernist center console enclosed by flickers of chrome, the mid-size stalwart is anything but lazy. Our first, limited exposure to the hybrid sedan left us impressed, but with unanswered questions... 2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid gas-mileage review: going the distance
Toyota can’t be blamed for a lack of effort: The 2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid is dripping with it. From the creased hood and cascading brow to the Modernist center console enclosed by flickers of chrome, the mid-size stalwart is anything but lazy. Our first, limited exposure to the hybrid sedan left us impressed, but with unanswered questions... UAW wakes up to job threat posed by electric cars, as German unions have already
With an evolving shift to electrified and plug-in electric cars, the changes that will bring to the auto industry are far from limited to the powertrains. The entire mass-production and vehicle assembly process the industry pioneered a century ago will require major restructuring, it appears. Electric cars require significantly fewer parts and... UAW wakes up to job threat posed by electric cars, as German unions have already
With an evolving shift to electrified and plug-in electric cars, the changes that will bring to the auto industry are far from limited to the powertrains. The entire mass-production and vehicle assembly process the industry pioneered a century ago will require major restructuring, it appears. Electric cars require significantly fewer parts and... What’s ahead for Tesla Model 3? Take our Twitter poll
Auto-industry CEOs virtually never admit that the new product that could make or break the company is "in production hell," but that's now obviously the case for the Tesla Model 3. Deliveries last months totaled just 220 units, far below Tesla CEO Elon Musk's July projection of 1,500 during September. Reports have emerged saying every Model 3... What’s ahead for Tesla Model 3? Take our Twitter poll
Auto-industry CEOs virtually never admit that the new product that could make or break the company is "in production hell," but that's now obviously the case for the Tesla Model 3. Deliveries last months totaled just 220 units, far below Tesla CEO Elon Musk's July projection of 1,500 during September. Reports have emerged saying every Model 3... Canada electric-car news: EV Awards, surging Solo sales, electric-bus boom
Coming in mid-October, Canadian Thanksgiving roughly coincides with the return of ice hockey. This year, the country’s plug-in electric vehicle fans have their own reasons for giving thanks—and not just because the National Hockey League followed Tesla’s lead and expanded into Nevada. Among the items are the latest annual... Canada electric-car news: EV Awards, surging Solo sales, electric-bus boom
Coming in mid-October, Canadian Thanksgiving roughly coincides with the return of ice hockey. This year, the country’s plug-in electric vehicle fans have their own reasons for giving thanks—and not just because the National Hockey League followed Tesla’s lead and expanded into Nevada. Among the items are the latest annual... Powerful Polestar, banning cars with engines, Best Car To Buy 2018, wireless charging: Today’s Car News
Today, the three finalists for our annual Best Car To Buy award, a powerful plug-in hybrid coupe from Volvo's Polestar, the importance of wireless charging, and the Netherlands takes the lead. All this and more on Green Car Reports. First, the Dutch planned to ban sales of new cars with combustion engines after 2025. Now, the Netherlands plans to... Powerful Polestar, banning cars with engines, Best Car To Buy 2018, wireless charging: Today’s Car News
Today, the three finalists for our annual Best Car To Buy award, a powerful plug-in hybrid coupe from Volvo's Polestar, the importance of wireless charging, and the Netherlands takes the lead. All this and more on Green Car Reports. First, the Dutch planned to ban sales of new cars with combustion engines after 2025. Now, the Netherlands plans to...