Politics be damned: Electric cars aren’t really so polarizing

The White House, Washington, D.C.  [Creative Commons license by dcjohn]In these days when the political dividing lines can seem insurmountable, Democrats, Republicans, and Independents have something in common: Regardless of their political affiliation, a majority say that they view electric vehicles positively. A new survey from Climate Nexus has found that 77 percent—a strong majority—views EVs...

Chinese automaker GAC teams up with Nio for EV, postpones US launch

2019 Nio ES6Nio last week announced a joint venture with state automaker GAC to sell electric cars in China. It's especially of interest in the U.S. because both companies have their sights set on selling electric vehicles here. The equal-split venture, to be called GAC Nio New Energy Vehicle company, will build and sell EVs under a new Hycan brand in China...

Electric car ads: Latest from Nissan and Audi take very different approaches

2019 Nissan Leaf PlusDoes driving an electric car feel like flying? Nissan has released a new ad campaign for its Leaf electric car suggesting that—and featuring professional wingsuit flyer Roberta Mancino. At one point, with the road turning electric blue below and behind the car, the car turns into a wingsuit, allowing Mancino, the driver, to glide down from a...

Chevron taps retirees to oppose EV charging in Arizona

Chevron signAstroturf lobbying organizations have been a fixture of the EV opposition and anti-climate-action movement—indeed of American politics—for a long time. A new report in the Arizona Republic tells us that support for electric cars still hasn't moved us past that. Chevron is tapping its retirees to mount a letter-writing campaign in...

Bosch puts diesel scandal behind, pivots to electric—and fuel cells?

Volkswagen TDI 'clean diesel' television ad screencapRegulators, carmakers, and everyone still reeling from the ramifications of the Volkswagen diesel scandal have to face the future—and that means, for some of the companies involved, putting the scandal behind them and moving on with a variety platter of new technologies. Last week, the German supplier Robert Bosch confirmed a settlement with...

What kind of EV incentives are most effective? Twitter poll results

Carpool lanes I-5, Seattle, Washington [Credit: SounderBruce-Wikimedia Commons]Last week, we looked at how Norway went from subsidizing the sale of a few electric cars to making it normal to buy an electric car, and wondered how they did it. It took not only tax abatements and incentives for electric cars, but also longstanding, onerous Norwegian taxes on gasoline and diesel vehicles. We wondered, from the perspective of our...

Trump administration takes aim at National Climate Assessment

Hurricane Florence approaches U.S. East Coast Sept. 12, 2018As the Trump administration works to reverse efforts across the government to reduce climate change, the biggest thorn in its side has perhaps been the quadrennial National Climate Assessment, a report last published in November, which the administration buried by releasing on Black Friday, as Americans hit shopping malls in record numbers. The...