Following the disappointing decision by Toyota, GM and Fiat Chrysler to side with the Trump administration’s campaign to strip California of its authority to set stringent fuel economy standards, some pundits and influencers began calling for a boycott. Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich tweeted, “Toyota, goodbye. The environmental goodwill you’ve built by pioneering hybrid cars… Read more »
Tag: The Vehicles
Chevy unveils the Menlo, its first EV for the Chinese market
Chevrolet has unveiled its first fully electric vehicle for the Chinese market, the Menlo. Chevy teased pictures of the vehicle back in August, when it announced it would only be available in China. The new EV has a range of up to 410 kilometers (255 miles) on a single charge. The Menlo comes with the… Read more »
Pix and specs of Ford Mustang Mach-E electric crossover leaked
Ford plans to release details of its much-anticipated Mustang Mach-E electric crossover this Sunday, ahead of the car’s debut at the upcoming 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show. However, it appears that some enterprising Ford fan has discovered some pictures and specifications of the new EV on a hidden page on Ford’s web site. The information… Read more »
FlixBus and MCI test long-range electric coach
Budget bus line FlixBus, in partnership with motor coach manufacturer MCI, has tested a battery-electric long-range bus on a round trip from San Francisco to Sacramento. After the demonstration, MCI sent the new D45 CRTe LE CHARGE to Altoona, Pennsylvania, where it will undergo the standard tests required for all new bus models to be… Read more »
Tesla to build European Gigafactory near Berlin
Now that Gigafactory 3 near Shanghai is almost ready to begin production, it’s time to start work on the next one. Speaking at a recent event in Germany, where he received a Golden Steering Wheel award from the German tabloid Bild, Elon Musk announced that Tesla has chosen the Berlin area as the location of… Read more »
GM finalizes sale of Lordstown plant to Workhorse-affiliated EV builder
Well, what do you know! It appears the historic Lordstown deal is going to happen after all. Lordstown Motors (LMC) has formally announced its acquisition of the former GM manufacturing complex in Lordstown, Ohio. LMC, a spin-off of Workhorse Group (NASDAQ: WKHS), plans to begin production of an electric pickup at the Lordstown plant starting… Read more »
Letter from South America: electric buses rolling in Chile, Colombia and Ecuador
Electric buses are on a roll worldwide, thanks to their compelling economic and environmental benefits. South America, which is rapidly urbanizing, heavily dependent on bus transit and plagued by air pollution, is emerging as a major market for e-buses. According to Intelligent Transport, South American bus networks transport nearly 13 times more passengers than European… Read more »
Honda accelerates electrification plans for Europe, passes over US
The good news: global automakers are getting more serious about electrification, announcing numerous new models and planning massive investments. The bad news: the trend is increasingly bypassing the North American market, as many of the new EVs, including models from US automakers, are to be sold only in China or Europe. Honda recently underlined this… Read more »
Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen talks EV design on Ride the Lightning podcast
It’s rare for any current Tesla exec whose name isn’t Musk to speak to the press, so Ryan McCaffrey pulled off a coup when he scored an interview with Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen for his Ride the Lightning podcast. Holzhausen, the designer of Models S, X, 3, Y and the Tesla Semi, discusses… Read more »
Trump backs down on fuel economy standards, proposes compromise figures
The War on Fuel Economy Standards took another twist, as the Trump administration backed down from its plan to freeze fuel economy standards. “People familiar with the process” told the Wall Street Journal that the administration is now considering calling for a 1.5% annual increase in corporate average fuel efficiency. This target would be a… Read more »
