Careful Nissan Leaf drivers should never see the unwelcome little yellow icon that signals "turtle mode" or have to deal with what comes next – rock mode and a phone call to roadside assistance. In general, towing and electric cars are an unhappy combination. That is, unless it's the electric car doing the towing.
If you think ending the ethanol subsidy puts all fuel sources on an equal footing, think again. While there has been a great deal of vitriol directed toward subsidies for alternative energy and plug-in vehicles, very little has been heard about the ways in which fossil fuels are
First Congressman Mike Kelly (R-PA) introduced legislation calling for an end to the tax credit given to purchasers of electric vehicles, now the Washington Post editorial board has joined in the call.
Americans have gained weight over the last thirty years, and not just around the midsection. American garages and driveways have also put on pounds as cars have become larger and more powerful. A new study from MIT says that, if not for the increase in vehicle weight, we could already be exceeding vehicle mileage targets still years away.
It hasn't happened for most Totoya Prius drivers, but one day – perhaps 150,000 or so miles down the road – it will. An indicator light will appear on the dash to signal that the battery pack is past its prime and needs to be replaced.
Quick, which is easier to find: a public charging station for an electric vehicle or a station that offers E85? Despite the much larger number of flex-fuel vehicles on the road, it turns out that when you bring the fight down to electricity vs. ethanol, EV drivers have nearly a 2-1 edge.
Want a super-sleek plug-in hybrid 2 1/2 ton subcompact sports sedan capable of going 0-60 in under six seconds while still managing at least 32 miles on pure electrons... before it starts slurping up gasoline at 20 mpg? Of course you do. Want to pay $95,000 for the base model? Maybe not so much.
That falling ball in Times Square didn't just signal the end of 2011, it was also the death knell for thirty years of ethanol subsidies. That in turn could signal an abrupt rise in prices at the pump.
Mitsubishi's i-MiEV first rolled out for Japanese fleet sales in 2009, and it's been on sale to the general public in Japan for 18 months. Since then, the car has become available in several European markets and even picked up a 500-unit order
Few electric vehicles are actually "zero emissions," but calculating the exact carbon footprint of an EV can be daunting. Not only do different utilities each use a different mix of coal, nuclear, hydro, wind, and solar, many areas also offer individuals the opportunity to buy "greener" power. These deals don't actually guarantee the source of the electrons arriving at your home, but they can help ensure that your utility expands or purchases power from sources that are more environmentally frie
A Level 2 home charging solution is a critical bit of kit for any electric vehicle manufacturer. GM offers the Voltec home charger to pair with the Chevy Volt. Nissan offers the somewhat pricey AeroVironment charg
In the wake of a post-accident fire at a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration facility and with a safety probe underway, GM is considering a redesign of the battery used in the plug-in hybrid Chevy Volt.
The Federal Transit Authority has awarded $117 million to 46 transit projects across the nation. The projects were selected from 266 applications to the competitive 2011 Sustainability Initiative. Criteria for choosing these projects includ
Alaska contributes a sizable percentage of the oil produced in the United States, but that doesn't mean that gas there is cheap. Not only are most refineries located half a continent away, some towns in Alaska are so isolated that transportation costs make up a large part of the overall price for everything available, including gas.
A legal firm representing a small group of construction companies, dump truck operators, and contractors has filed suit to block new fuel economy standards for medium-duty trucks.
There's no doubt that the Toyota Prius has been a hit. A year ago, worldwide sales of the hybrid hatchback passed two million and, with annual sales of over 400,000 units, the Prius practically defines the idea of a green car for many people. Toyota is expanding the Prius from a model into a family with the larger Mark Sumner
A raft of production delays slowed the arrival of the first Fisker Karma. Though the initial round of vehicles were finally delivered, the delays mean that Fisker will only ship 1,500 of the four door plug-in hybrids in 2011, well short of th
Electric vehicles typically come with a home charging cord, and additional stations for 120v or 240v connections are relatively inexpensive. However, when you start trying to cram electrons into a battery in a hurry, the cost can rise steeply. In particular, "Level 3" quick charging stations can be a significant investment, with costs starting around $20,000.
It's not always easy to tell how a company is performing just by looking at the numbers. In the second quarter of 2011, for example, Tesla Motors revenues hit a record $58 million, with losses of $59 million. This fell just short of Wall Street expectations, and Tesla stock took a beating. In the Mark Sumner
