Tesla factory shutdown, VW TDIs keep moving, Buick Enspire for China, Honda Clarity poll results, electric Mercedes: Today’s Car News

Department of Transportation vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) programTesla shuts down Model 3 assembly, apparently to reduce automation and ramp up production. 300,000 VW TDIs are sitting on 37 lots around the country waiting for new owners. But are they just sitting? Buick announces a 375-mile electric SUV concept for China, and Mercedes says it will do an electric S-Class. Green Car Twitter pollsters pick a...

Tesla shuts down Model 3 production for five days amid quality concerns

2018 Tesla Model 3As press reports begin to mount up about quality issues with its critical Model 3, Bloomberg reported that Tesla will shut down the Model 3 production line to improve automation on the Model 3 assembly line at its factory in Fremont, California. The company says the shutdown has been long-planned and that it will not affect the ramp-up in Model 3...

All else equal, which Honda Clarity would you buy? Twitter poll results

2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid drive, Napa Valley, Caifornia, Dec 2017While it's not unusual for an automaker to offer several engine options in the same car model, it is unusual for those to include everything from a battery electric vehicle to a plug-in hybrid to a fuel-cell. Yet that is exactly what Honda has done with its futuristic-looking Clarity sedan. The car is now available in all three forms in...

All-electric Buick Enspire crossover SUV concept bows in China

Buick Enspire electric SUV conceptBuick unveiled Tuesday an electric crossover SUV concept bound for the 2018 Beijing auto show with promise. In addition to 370 miles of range, the Buick Enspire concept can charge up to 80 percent in 40 minutes through fast and wireless charging. Its motors combine for 410 kilowatts (550 horsepower) of total output, and the SUV can sprint up to 60...

Mercedes announces electric S-Class to compete with Tesla Model S

2018 Mercedes-Benz S560eAfter Tesla launched the first luxury electric car with the Model S, it relatively quickly took over the mantle as the best-selling luxury sedan. That didn't sit well with Mercedes-Benz or Audi, the prior kings of the $80,000-plus luxury sedan world. Both companies have now announced an onslaught of plug-in models. So far, Mercedes-Benz has stuck...

Report: Subaru may use Evoltis name for new plug-in hybrid coming next year

2018 Subaru Crosstrek first driveSubaru buyers would seem to be the perfect group to be interested in buying plug-in cars: They love the outdoors and want to enjoy it unspoiled. Yet the company has lagged in producing anything electric. Its only hybrid so far, the first-generation Crosstrek Hybrid, barely registered on the green-car scene. Behind the wheel, it barely registered...

Is the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta the most fuel-efficient small car?

2019 Volkswagen JettaOver the lifetime of a car, small things can make a big difference. When it comes to fuel economy, just 1 or 2 mpg can add up to hundreds of dollars left in owners’ pockets. That may not mean much to luxury buyers, but for compact sedans that start at less than $20,000 and their owners, every dime, dollar, and drop saved counts. Our...