Oklahoma Supreme Court rules state’s electric-car tax unconstitutional

2018 Mini Cooper S E Countryman All4 plug-in hybrid, Catskill Mountains, NY, July 2017When the Oklahoma Legislature passed a bill earlier this year that imposed new fees on owners of hybrid and electric cars only, it was swiftly sued by the Sierra Club. Now the Oklahoma Supreme Court has rendered its verdict in that suit, filed in August. In a 6-3 decision, the state's highest court struck down the bill as an unconstitutional tax...

Seven Western states sign deal to expand electric-car charging networks

ebee streelight charging stationThe Western United States will soon see an electric-car charging network covering 5,000 miles of roadways. Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced that he and six other governors in western states have agreed to develop a network of fast-charge stations in the region. The announcement expands upon Colorado, Nevada, and Utah's previous...

Head of EPA ignores environmental groups, meets only with corporations

EPA administrator Scott Pruitt  [photo from 2014]Scott Pruitt, head of the Environmental Protection Agency, has had a very busy schedule since being confirmed to lead the agency set up to protect America's air, water, and land from pollution. Unlike his predecessors, Pruitt—a climate-science denier and aggressive advocate of fossil fuels—has largely ignored environmental groups and...

EPA to study cutting amount of ethanol in U.S. gasoline

FlexFuel badge on E85-capable 2009 Chevrolet HHRSince 2007, the Renewable Fuel Standard has required increasing levels of ethanol in gasoline blends sold in the U.S. Most fuel stations across the United States no longer offer pure gasoline, with E10—a blend of 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gasoline—prevailing. After years of debate, the EPA has now announced it will study the...

Electric trucks to grow fast from now through 2030: report

Cummins Urban Hauler Tractor conceptIn the coming years, the world's auto industry will continue to shift its product mix to electric and electrified vehicles to meet growing concerns over carbon emissions and stringent fuel-economy regulations across the globe. However, the passenger-car segment isn't the only area that will see electric powertrains implemented. A new study...

Range Rover plug-in hybrids on sale in U.S. in March 2018

Land Rover Range Rover Sport 0-60 mph testingSix years after Land Rover confirmed it would introduce a Range Rover plug-in hybrid, the luxury-SUV brand has now provided an official on-sale date. Land Rover Range Rover and Range Rover Sport plug-in hybrid models will both go on sale in the United States in March of 2018. However, the two plug-in SUVs will be global vehicles and differ from...