2020 Kia Soul EV rated for 243 miles, improved efficiency

2020 Kia Soul EVIn just one model year, Kia has more than doubled the rated driving range for the Soul EV. The 2020 Kia Soul EV, which is expected to reach dealerships this spring, will go 243 miles on a charge—four more miles than the Kia Niro EV—according to the EPA, in ratings that were released earlier this week. DON’T MISS: 2019 Hyundai...

Dogs are cool, especially in Teslas with new Dog Mode

Tesla Model 3 Dog ModeJudging from recent news reports, it's all too easy to focus on the limitations on electric cars—range, recharge speeds, and most recently, their cold weather performance. Some things, though, electric cars can do that others can't. Take Tesla's new Dog Mode, announced by CEO Elon Musk on Twitter on Wednesday. The new feature, being pushed...

Mileage or money? Fiat Chrysler pays for missing fuel economy targets

 2019 Ram 1500 North EditionIt turns out there's more than one way for automakers to meet fuel-economy targets. One is to develop and sell more fuel-efficient cars and trucks. The other—as demonstrated over the years by quite a few automakers—is to pay fuel economy fines to the U.S. Treasury as a course of doing business. That's the course Fiat Chrysler took for...

An old tradition, auto shows, could give electric cars a boost

Volkswagen ID Neo concept, 2016 Paris auto showLast summer, Volkswagen Group chairman Dr. Herbert Diess said that he doesn’t believe new-car shows will exist (in their present form) a decade from now, and that “motor shows are dead.” You might think Volkswagen of America didn't get the memo. This year it's investing more of its marketing dollars in auto shows, and it will...

Bill could add Washington state to roster of California EV adoptees

Carpool lanes I-5, Seattle, Washington [Credit: SounderBruce-Wikimedia Commons]Just as the Trump administration is attacking California's right to require electric cars to be sold in the state, California may be gaining support elsewhere. A new bill introduced in Washington state on Monday would add the state to the 10 others that follow or are in the process of adopting California's electric-car mandate. Last month...

Shoppers willing to pay more for electric cars, survey finds

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric cars outside dealership    [photo: Patrick Reid]Electric and alternative-fuel cars aren't just for early-adopting geeks anymore. A new survey by InnovateMR about Americans' car-shopping practices found that a high proportion of younger consumers and those with higher education levels would opt for an alternative-fuel car, even if it cost more. MUST READ: AAA says interest in electric cars...

Qualcomm sells wireless charging patents to WiTricity

2018 BMW 530e iPerformance wireless chargingIt's one of the worst nightmares for electric-car drivers: They go out to jump in their car, and somebody forgot to plug it in. Automakers and technology companies have talked for years about developing wireless charging, but it hasn't developed in part because of disagreements over standards, and, some would say, patents. CHECK OUT: How much does...