VW releases video of electric I.D. hatchback testing in South Africa

2020 Volkswagen ID Neo spy shotsVolkswagen has heard the naysayers. After being caught cheating on emissions tests with its diesels and being forced to promote electric cars through various legal settlements around the world, the company clearly realizes it has a steep climb to convince consumers it is serious about selling a wide range of electric cars it has planned. DON'T...

Rivian teases electric pickup and SUV planned for LA auto show

Rivian R1T electric pickup concept teaserA new startup automaker, Rivian, plans to beat Tesla to the punch with an electric pickup truck. After years of stealth, the company is finally poised to reveal its new pickup and SUV at the LA auto show later this month. This week, the company set up a media site complete with space for pictures of its upcoming vehicles, and released a teaser...

Track Mode released to make more of Tesla Model 3 Performance

2018 Tesla Model 3Tesla confirmed last Thursday that Track Mode has started rolling out for the Model 3 Performance, in an update for vehicles that have already received Version 9 of the automaker’s vehicle software. The company emphasized that Track Mode is intended specifically for closed circuits. It’s primarily a series of updates to the vehicle...

Algae blooms could be a boon for eco-diesel under DOE-funded project

University of Michigan algae biodiesel projectAlgae-based biodiesel has been hyped in the past as a renewable fuel that can be produced here in the U.S., lowering greenhouse-gas emissions without displacing food crops or taxing water supplies. And yet it still hasn’t arrived in any significant way. There’s no single factor to blame for that, rather a combination of hurdles that no...

What happens to electric cars that have been flooded?

Rich Rebuilds flooded Tesla Model S, via YouTubeWith all the floods from Hurricane Florence, what happens to electric cars? That's the question many electric car owners may be asking after the 100-year hurricane dropped more than two feet of rain in North Carolina, where a burgeoning electric car movement was springing up. The answer is: It depends. READ MORE: Tesla expands Supercharging access...

French luxury brand DS previews electric DS 3 crossover SUV

2019 DS 3 CrossbackThe French luxury arm of Citroen, DS, released plans for its first electric car last Friday. The DS 3 Crossback is a funky-looking small SUV, something along the lines of the Mini Countryman. It's set to debut at the Paris auto show early next month. While the base version will use a turbocharged 1.2-liter, 3-cylinder gas engine, the company...

Supplier tests compact 100-kwh battery pack in BMW i3

BMW i Vision Dynamics concept, 2017 Frankfurt Motor ShowUsing new battery-pack architecture, BMW battery supplier Lion Smart has crammed tripled the battery capacity into a BMW i3s. Lion Smart's 100-kiloowatt-hour battery gives the little city car a range of 435 miles on a charge, in the same footprint as the original battery pack. Lion Smart has developed a modular battery-pack design that makes...

Updated electric Isetta microcar ready for sale in Europe

Micro Mobility Systems MicrolinoMicrolino, the maker of scooters and kickboards is ready to launch an electric microcar in Europe. Run by two Swiss brothers, the company unveiled its recreation of the tiny single-door BMW Isetta at the Geneva auto show two years ago, and has now partnered with with boutique Italian coachmaker Tazzari to build up to 10,000 copies of the car a...

Electrify America launches “Jetstones” ad campaign

Electrify America 350 kw chargers at Home Depot in Chicopee, Mass.If regular automakers aren't advertising their electric cars well enough, maybe purveyors of electric-car infrastructure can fill in the gaps. Electrify America, VW's court-mandated effort to build a nationwide DC fast-charge network, is launching its first ad campaign Monday on behalf of all electric cars. Called the "Jetstones," the ad campaign...