As anyone who follows the EV scene has surely noticed, auto dealerships are widely considered to be a major bottleneck on the road to EV adoption. Sales staff tend to be poorly informed about plug-in vehicles, and many dealerships make little effort to present them to buyers as an option. In the worst cases, salespeople… Read more »
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As EPA moves to water down fuel economy standards, GM tries to change the subject
The Trump administration is determined to roll back US fuel economy standards, but for now at least, it will have to go through a complex legally mandated process, including a period of public comments, a customary formality that ended last week. Also last week, GM issued a press release in which it made no comment… Read more »
What’s going to happen with US emissions regulations?
Q&A with emissions standards expert Michael Steel of the law firm Morrison & Foerster For better or for worse, the proliferation of plug-in vehicles that has occurred over the past few years is largely the result of government regulation. Automakers are producing some excellent EVs, but (except for a certain California carmaker) to put it… Read more »
China to set deadline for fossil fuel phase-out
China has announced that it will set a deadline for automakers to end sales of fossil-fuel vehicles in the country, the world’s biggest auto market. Norway, the Netherlands, the UK and France have already announced plans for bans. The government is working with regulators on a timetable to end production and sales, Xin Guobin, China’s… Read more »
Teardown of Chevy Bolt points to massive disruption ahead
It’s not unheard-of for financial analysts to tear down a vehicle to get an accurate estimate of what it costs to produce. Back in 2015, a consulting firm took apart and reverse-engineered a BMW i3. More recently, a team from UBS disassembled a Chevy Bolt and published a cost analysis of the new EV. However,… Read more »
Sierra Club multi-state study of the EV shopping experience finds room for improvement
There are over 30 plug-in vehicles available in the US from a variety of automakers, and in most parts of the country, infrastructure is quickly proliferating. A recent Union of Concerned Scientists and Consumers Union survey found that 55 percent of drivers in Northeastern states and 65 percent in California are interested in EVs. So… Read more »
Hyundai joins the plug-in club with the 2016 Sonata PHEV
Around the world, automakers are facing ever-tightening emissions regulations, and they understand very well that improving the efficiency of their internal-combustion engines isn’t going to be enough to bring them into compliance. Each OEM has crafted its own strategy to reduce the average emissions of its fleet. Hyundai has opted for an “all-in strategy,” developing… Read more »
Why is Ford suddenly advertising its Focus Electric after 3 years?
Many EVangelists believe that the plodding progress of plug-in sales has a lot to do with the automakers’ minimal marketing efforts. So it’s welcome news that Ford has launched a new ad campaign for its Focus Electric. It seems to be a substantial buy (although Ford declined to talk about budgets), with TV ads running… Read more »
Mitsubishi remains committed to the US, plans to introduce Outlander PHEV
Plug-in pundits have long been puzzled by the sorry sales of Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV. Starting at $22,995, it’s the cheapest EV in the US market, it’s available throughout the country, and it has sold well in Japan and Europe. Why hasn’t Mitsubishi managed to move more than a handful here? Some speculated that the Japanese automaker,… Read more »
Chrysler announces plug-in hybrid minivan
Chrysler will launch a plug-in hybrid version of the next-generation Town & Country minivan late next year, about a year earlier than the company had previously indicated. Other hybrids, including a full-size crossover, are also in the product pipeline. The plug-in minivan, which would be a first for the industry, will get 75 MPGe, according… Read more »