Price cut and monthly sales spike for Toyota Mirai fuel-cell sedan

2017 Toyota MiraiSometimes journalists miss the forest for the trees, and we'll plead guilty on this one. When we wrote last week that the Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel-cell sedan was little-changed for the 2017 model year, with only one new color added, we missed one important element. That was, as several readers informed us, that while the retail price remained...

Formula E electric-car race coming to New York City next July

Formula E car in New York CityMost drivers likely associate New York City with grueling traffic, scarce parking, and other aggravating situations. But could the Big Apple soon become known for... electric race cars? The Formula E electric-car race series is coming to New York City next summer, organizers announced earlier this week. DON'T MISS: Electric motorcycles return to...

Tesla sues Michigan over ban on direct sales of its electric cars

Tesla Store Los Angeles [photo: Misha Bruk / MBH Architects]Earlier this month, an application for a dealer license submitted by Tesla Motors was denied by the state of Michigan. It was the final decision in a process that kicked off in October 2014. That was when a last-minute wording change in state franchise law foreclosed the electric-car maker's ability to sell cars directly to buyers, its business...

2018 Chevrolet Equinox crossover: only turbo engines, diesel optional

2018 Chevrolet EquinoxThe 2018 Chevrolet Equinox crossover utility vehicle, unveiled last night in Chicago, will have three engine options, all turbocharged. And bucking recent "death of diesel" predictions, one of those three will be a 1.6-liter diesel that gets a 40-mpg highway rating. The 2018 Equinox will be the first compact utility vehicle in the U.S. with a...

Venturi VBB-3 sets new electric-car speed record (pending certification)

Venturi Buckeye Bullet 3French automaker Venturi used to be known for its distinctive supercars, often turbocharged to give their humble mechanicals a lot more potency. After limited success, the company was rebooted around the turn of the century to focus on electric car technology. The company has since come out with a handful of pricey, oddball electric cars, while...

U.S.P.S. picks AM General to build next-generation mail trucks

U.S. Postal Service Grumman AM General, the firm best known for building Hummer H1s in both civilian and military versions, has been selected by a rather different governmental agency to create a prototype with a different kind of civic duty in mind. Postal trucks, those white boxes that deliver you mail, haven't changed in decades. But that's all set to change. DON'T MISS...

Know what a ‘baller’ is? Wanna be one for clean energy?

Sometimes, even good intentions can't cover up poor execution. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently launched a campaign to promote clean energy in general, and electric cars specifically. The program's name, you may ask? It's entitled, "How to be a clean energy baller." DON'T MISS: How can automakers sell more electric cars? Sierra Club...

Volkswagen launch pure-electric e-Crafter with up to 400km range

Volkswagen have unveiled a 100%-electric version of its Crafter delivery van at the Hannover commercial vehicle show in Germany.

The electrically powered Crafter Concept vehicle demonstrated is near production-ready with a cargo capacity of up to 1.7 tonnes

Powered by a 100 kW / 290 Nm electric motor fed by a 43 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, the e-Crafter concept can travel up to 200 km between charges.

The batteries can be charged back up to 80% in 45 minutes using a 40 kW DC charger.

Anticipating future battery developments, the e-Crafter's design will allow a reconfigurable range of up to 400 kilometres as new technology become available.

First vehicles on sale in 2017

2017 Toyota Mirai price stays same, fuel-cell car adds new color

2017 Toyota MiraiThe Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel-cell car will enter its second model year in the U.S. virtually unchanged, including its pricing. The 2017 Mirai continues to be Toyota's technology halo car, the highest-selling fuel-cell car in the U.S., though it remains limited to certain California regional markets. Its base price remains $58,365, the same as...

2017 Chevy Bolt EV: here’s what can go wrong for electric-car pioneer

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV, road test, California coastline, Sep 2016The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV will be on dealership floors within several weeks, cementing its position as the first affordable 200-mile electric car. It will beat planned 200-mile electric cars from BMW, Nissan, Tesla, Volkswagen, and other makers, and that's all to the good for plug-in car advocates. But the Bolt faces numerous hurdles to success...

U.S., China peer-reviewed reports lay out huge subsidies for fossil fuels

Oil well (photo by John Hill)Critics of the renewable-energy industry argue that it's unfair that energy sources such as wind and solar often benefit from government subsidies. But the volumes and amounts of subsidies received by the fossil-fuel industry are substantial, as new analysis shows. In December 2013, the U.S. and China announced plans to undertake a reciprocal peer...