Automotive innovation rolls out over many years, usually decades, and usually only a few companies lead. Others hang back, waiting to see if buyers will accept new features, new powertrains, and new types of vehicles. More than six years after modern electric cars hit the market in volume, many automakers are only now deciding on their strategies...
![The White House, Washington, D.C. [Creative Commons license by dcjohn]](http://images.hgmsites.net/tmb/white-house_100170583_t.gif)
The 436 scientists who spend their days testing new vehicles and enforcing environmental rules at the National Fuel Emissions Lab in Ann Arbor, Michigan, face a very uncertain future. The lab sits in the crosshairs of President Trump's proposed budget, which eliminates 99 percent of its funding, as part of a 31-percent cut to the overall...
In recent years, governments have increasingly worked to encourage the sales of plug-in electric vehicles. Incentive programs for the purchase of a low-emission vehicle have been adopted across the world. The amounts granted and the mechanisms vary according to the individual program, but the goal is the same: reduce emissions. DON’T MISS...
Today, a Lotus powered by Tesla that recalls the legendary Roadster, another VW diesel settlement, a look at California's emission status and whether it'll stay that way, and why the Honda Clarity lineup emerged the way it did. All this and more on Green Car Reports. As always, the Renault Zoe topped the charts for plug-in electric vehicles sold...
California began regulating vehicle emissions within its boundaries before the Environmental Protection Agency was even a gleam in President Richard Nixon's eye. Since that agency was founded in 1971 with an executive order by Nixon, the state has retained the right to set its own—more stringent—emission rules. Now, under President...
The 2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell is the only model presently on sale, though the all-electric version will arrive later this year. The hydrogen-powered mid-size sedan with a rated 366 miles of range is the one that's gotten by far the most publicity from Honda, as its technology halo vehicle. Last month, at the New York auto show, Honda unveiled...
The Volkswagen diesel cheating saga has closed another chapter as a U.S. judge approved a proposed settlement for V-6 powered vehicles, the final major U.S. piece of the entire scandal. In total, Volkswagen will pay $1.22 billion in settlements with owners and to modify or buy back 88,500 3.0-liter V-6 TDI powered vehicles in the United States...
The first quarter of 2017 is now behind us, which means we get to take a peek at the European plug-in electric vehicle sale numbers. The year-to-date numbers show a significant growth in sales for most electric models, according to the recent European Alternative Fuels Observatory report. The Renault Zoe remains the top seller across the continent...
Electric motorcycles have seen a year of growth and challenges, both reflected in the offerings for 2017. Zero continues to push for its lineup to have more power, greater range, and lower prices, while new entries from Alta Motors and Energica expand available offerings. The demise of Victory motorcycles, however, seems to be the end of the...
Why did we test a $71,000 luxury sedan with an EPA rating of just 25 mpg? What did a top Volkswagen executive say that riled up Tesla fans? This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending on Friday, May 12, 2017. Friday, we wrote about spending several days with a 2017 Hyundai Ioniq...
Today, we're heartened by a cheesy ad, we've got details on the Volkswagen diesel deception, California hopes to improve its electric-car incentives, and some owners say their BMWs are spontaneously combusting. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Electric cars are slowly moving into the mainstream. How do we know? A low-budget dealership ad...
The 2017 Hyundai Ioniq comes in two versions: a nationally distributed hybrid-electric version, and an all-electric model that will be sold mostly in California and a handful of other states. There'll also be a plug-in hybrid version coming for 2018. We liked the Ioniq Hybrid when we first drove it at the launch event in February, and now we've...
It's difficult to invest in renewable, alternative sources of energy when state-run oil pays the bills. And it's even harder for renewable energy when gasoline is all but free, courtesy of the same state. Now The Financial Times has taken a look at Russia's growing lag in embracing renewable energy to offer a serious alternative to oil and...
![Chevrolet Bolt EV being charged outside Go Forth electric-car showroom, Portland [photo: Forth]](http://images.hgmsites.net/tmb/chevrolet-bolt-ev-being-charged-outside-go-forth-electric-car-showroom-portland-photo-forth_100606247_t.gif)
It's clear that incentives to buy specific cars work best when they can be applied directly at the time of sale. That's why purchase rebates are widely preferred by electric-car advocates to tax credits, which may take up to 15 months to be usable, depending on the timing of the purchase and tax filing. While the federal electric-car incentive is...
It's getting close to two years since Volkswagen admitted it had installed "defeat device" software on hundreds of thousands of diesel vehicles sold in the U.S. The fact that VW carried out the deception is a well-documented story, covering how the software worked, how the company cheated, and more. But what went on behind the scenes leading up to...
Ah, local car-dealer ads on television. You've likely seen them, usually during the local ad minute on national shows, often late at night or in the cheaper slots. They're mostly formulaic, but each one mixes several elements for its own unique blend of attention-grabbing pitch. DON'T MISS: This family has 2 Chevy Bolt EV electric cars, uses no...
The automaker came under fire from shareholders over its stock price, its leadership and even the format of the event itself.
Today, a rare Porsche plug-in hybrid surfaces, we've got the month's green-car deals, Tesla is battling car-dealer lobbyists (again!), and advocates take electric cars to Washington, D.C. All this and more on Green Car Reports. Ten years ago last month, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the EPA not only could but must regulate carbon-dioxide...
The best way to change perceptions about electric cars is to put novices in the driver's seat—quite literally in this sense. The advocacy group Plug In America went to Capitol Hill recently, with a barrage of plug-in electric and pure battery electric vehicles, in an effort to educate lawmakers on their importance. Hundreds of senate members...
![Tesla Store Los Angeles [photo: Misha Bruk / MBH Architects]](http://images.hgmsites.net/tmb/tesla-store-los-angeles-photo-misha-bruk-mbh-architects_100449435_t.gif)
Another month, another Tesla battle with auto-dealer lobbyists in another state—or so it seems in the company's ongoing battle to sell electric cars online directly to buyers. This time, the action is in Connecticut, where on Monday the legislature's finance committee approved a bill letting Tesla do just that. That bill is expected to lead...
