Posted on

Tesla builds Supercharging “moat” to keep out competition: analysis

Tesla Supercharger site in Rocklin, California, before expansion [photo: George Parrott]Competitors are coming for Tesla. Just as the young company begins to ramp up production of its bread-and-butter Model 3 to what CEO Elon Musk has called sustainable levels, Tesla's European rivals are beginning to roll out their own electric cars. That has some investors worried about whether the upstart automaker can survive the onslaught from...
Posted on

2019 Toyota Prius C preview: $900 price increase, fewer options

2018 Toyota Prius cThe most affordable hybrid on the market just got a little less so. The 2019 Toyota Prius C will cost $900 more, with a sticker of $22,450, including destination, based on a recent official price list released by Toyota and shared by our partners at CarsDirect. Toyota has replaced its traditional Prius trim lines—One, Two, Three, and...
Posted on

Beyond the federal tax credit: A Guide to Clean Car Incentives

Chevrolet Bolt EV being charged outside Go Forth electric-car showroom, Portland [photo: Forth]The king of all financial incentives for plug-in cars is, of course, the federal tax credit of up to $7,500. It’s not the only one, though. With Tesla’s federal tax credit already on its way to expiring and GM’s close behind, it’s worth knowing where to look for other incentives for those who want an electric car. The...
Posted on

IIHS: Self-driving systems aren’t that, and aren’t ready for prime time

Tesla Model S Autopilot testing with IIHS [CREDIT: IIHS]Self-driving systems aren't ready for prime time, says a new report by IIHS. The Institute tested five cars: two Teslas, a BMW, a Mercedes-Benz, and a Volvo, all with systems that earned top marks in its tests of advanced driver safety aids. In new tests on its track and on public roads, all of the systems made mistakes that could be fatal without...
Posted on

Mazda CX-5 diesel gets 28-mpg EPA city rating

2018 Mazda CX-5The Mazda CX-5 diesel took one step closer to production by receiving an EPA rating. Jalopnik made the find and reported the ratings on Wednesday. With front-wheel drive, the CX-5 diesel is rated at 28 mpg city, 31 highway, 29 combined. With all-wheel drive those numbers each drop by 1 mpg for ratings of 27 city, 30 highway, and 28 overall. The...
Posted on

OpEd: Who pays for principle in Trump’s war on lower emissions and trade?

Exhaust emissions from tailpipe [photo: Simone Ramella, 2005, used under Creative Commons 2.0]Last week the Trump administration unveiled a broad drawdown of fuel-economy regulations that had been aimed at cutting emissions from passenger vehicles. In the 978-page proposal, administration officials argued those rules implemented by the Obama administration would create lighter, potentially more fuel-efficient vehicles that would be less...
Posted on

California warns it won’t follow lower EPA fuel economy, emissions rules

Traffic at the I-10 & I-405 interchange in Los Angeles, California (by Mario Roberto Duran Ortiz)In response to an EPA proposal to freeze emissions and fuel economy standards, California said it will not honor federal vehicle certifications if the proposal goes through. "The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has proposed amending the California Low-Emission Vehicle III Greenhouse Gas Emission Regulation to ensure that cars and light-duty...
Posted on

2019 Land Rover Range Rover plug-in hybrid pricing starts at $96,145

2019 Land Rover Range Rover P400eBy 2024, Land Rover will have a whole new lineup of hybrid and electric luxury SUVs. As we learned yesterday, that lineup will include plug-in hybrid and electric versions of its small Evoque crossover SUV. Now the company has released pricing for its largest, most luxurious plug-in hybrid, the Range Rover P400e. Both will join the Range Rover...