Category Archives: electric vehicles

2016 Model Volt Debuts at NAIAS Next January

Global Chevrolet Chief Marketing Officer Tim Mahoney says the next generation Chevrolet Volt hybrid will debut at the 2015 North American International Auto Show in Detroit next January. Continue reading

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New Mitsu Infotainment System – Any Media on Any Screen

“Any media on any screen” allows sharing from one screen to another with a tap on the screen. There is also interactivity between the two screens, allowing passengers to play games or send photos back and forth. There is control from the front seat, allowing adults to preview and override rear seat programming. The cameras installed above each rear seat screen to allow monitoring of rear seat occupants. Continue reading

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Honda Kills Insight Hybrid Production this Summer

During 2013 Only 4800 Insights were sold, a 20% decline year-over-year. By comparison, Toyota sold 234,000 of its multi-bodied Prius line. Total Honda and Acura hybrid sales of all types were less than 15,000 in 2013. Continue reading

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Taxpayer-funded Bankrupt Fisker Sold to Chinese Wanxiang

This completely sorry story started in 2010 when DOE awarded Fisker $529 million in loans as part of an effort to help development of so-called advanced-technology vehicles. Part of the loan was for redeveloping a closed General Motors plant in Wilmington, Delaware to build a small electric car, code named Nina, that has yet to appear. Continue reading

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Kia Soul EV Debuts at CAS. Range of 80 to 100 miles claimed

Kia Motors America held a global unveiling of the 2015 Soul EV at the Chicago Auto Show today. Scheduled for sale in Q3 of 2014, the Soul EV will be Kia’s first all-electric car sold in the U.S. The Soul EV joined a refreshed 2014 Optima Hybrid on stage. Continue reading

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2014 Honda Civic Hybrid on Sale rated at 45 MPG Combined

The biggest change appears to be a new Display Audio with 7-inch touchscreen that allows users to pinch, swipe and tap – ala smartphones – to access audio, phonebook, media, vehicle information and an optional navigation system. Continue reading

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Tesla Recalls its Model S EV Chargers for Fires

It is not clear if Tesla complied with U.S. safety regulations requiring a recall within five days of a known defect since the awareness of the problem goes back to late 2012. Continue reading

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NHTSA Probe Forces Ford Focus EV Recall for Stalling

Once again, sloppy computer programming is responsible. The powertrain control module simply shuts off the Focus EV, just like a Microsoft operating system locking up your computer, but with potentially far dire consequences. Continue reading

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Tucson Fuel Cell EV $499 Month Next Spring

The move – part image enhancing green marketing and part technology preview – will put pressure on other automakers to respond. Honda and Toyota have announced plans to sell a limited number of fuel cell sedans in the Los Angeles area by 2015, dependent on a government project to build an expensive hydrogen-refueling network. Continue reading

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Honda Fuel Cell Concept Debuts at Los Angeles Auto Show

Honda’s next generation fuel cell-electric vehicle has what is for the moment the world’s first fuel-cell powertrain packaged completely in the engine room of the vehicle. This not only allows more interior space, but it gives the Japanese automaker some flexibility in the use of fuel cell technology in different vehicle types. Continue reading

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Cadillac, Saks Fifth Avenue to Offer Limited Edition ELR

Cadillac and Saks Fifth Avenue will offer a limited edition 2014 ELR this year in the Saks Holiday Catalog. The so-called 2014 Saks Fifth Avenue Special Edition is limited to 100 electric vehicles with a White Diamond exterior paint color only available with this package. Continue reading

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Automotive Waste Heat Recovery Closer to Production

Not surprisingly, given increasingly stringent fuel economy and CO2 regulations, much advanced research is being done to see how this wasted exhaust heat can be used. Two areas show promise – generating electricity from the heat, and/or using the exhaust heat for a vehicle’s heating and ventilation system. Continue reading

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Fuel Cell Faceoff in LA – Honda v Toyota

The battle of the ‘green press releases continued today as both Honda and Toyota teased their upcoming fuel cell electric vehicles that will appear in the U.S. at the Los Angeles Auto Show this month. Continue reading

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Third Tesla Model S Fire in Two Months

Tesla’s claim that gasoline cars catch fire, in defense of the second fire, while true, ignores questions about how many actually catch fire after a crash or hitting road debris adjusted for the vehicle population and miles driven. While it could be just a run of bad luck, three fires with such limited exposure need looking into. Continue reading

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Eight States Want 3.3 Million EVs on U.S. Roads by 2025. Here come More Subsidies for the Rich

Eight states, representing 27% of the total U.S. new vehicle market, have announced a joint plan to put 3.3 million allegedly zero-emission electric vehicles on America’s roads by 2025. “Alleged” because EVs are elsewhere emissions vehicles when you take into account how the electricity is generated. Continue reading

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