Electric Vehicle News and Reviews (Page 361)

Electric Vehicle News and Reviews

Electric vehicles (EVs) have come a long way in a short time. Barely a decade has passed since the ambitious Silicon Valley startup Tesla Motors introduced the world to an electric car capable of traveling more than 300 miles on a single charge. Since then, Elon Musk and Tesla have convinced many dubious onlookers that electric vehicles are not only here to stay, but that they can become the future of transportation.

Other automakers have joined the EV movement at very different rates. The Nissan Leaf, for example, debuted in 2010 and went on to become the best-selling all-electric vehicle in the world for a time. Competition from the BMW i3 followed, as well as the plug-in hybrid Chevy Volt and its all-electric successor the Chevy Bolt EV, but only the Tesla Model 3 has been able to steal the Leaf's crown. Heading into a new decade, electric vehicles are set to go from strength-to-strength, with new models like the Hyundai Kona Electric and Kia Niro EV competing in the entry-level category and the Audi e-Tron, Porsche Taycan, or Jaguar I-PACE vying with Tesla at the top end of the market.

With entire classes of vehicle still lacking an electric version, such as pick-up trucks and affordable SUVs, there's huge potential for expansion and growth in the EV marketplace. For now, Tesla is still blazing the trail, but legacy manufacturers are lining up to electrify their fleets and promising startups like Rivian and Byton are waiting in the wings with exciting new electric vehicles.

The future is bright for EVs and you can keep up to date with all the latest stories right here on Torque News.

Am I the only one who thinks the Tesla Model X is a move in the wrong direction?

By Armen Hareyan on September 2, 2015 - 4:44PM

If Elon Musk wants to make Tesla a mainstream car, is it going to the wrong direction with Model X? People are hoping for a Tesla model that will cost less than $30,000 and go 200 miles on a single charge, while Tesla is coming up with a Model X, which costs $132,000 and going to $144,000 with upgrades.

Who is Tesla’s latest celebrity customer?

By Douglas Stansfield on September 2, 2015 - 9:07AM

We all have seen reports of famous people stepping in to buy Tesla Model S, but this one might influence more buyers than anyone else. Is it the President? Is it the Queen of England? Who could be more influential than these two people? Well, I think this person can influence more people.

U.S. Electric Vehicle Sales In August Drop Below 2013 Levels

By John Goreham on September 2, 2015 - 7:20AM

EV sales numbers have been bad for months, but August is a disaster.

Who is the BMW i8 really for?

By Douglas Stansfield on September 1, 2015 - 3:43PM

Which one would you choose if you were in this buyers marketing group of cars? If you were to segment the $100k plus car segment, which one would the BMW i8 actually be a part of? Super Premium Hybrid Sports Car Market, maybe? Put it up against the Fisker Karma, the Porsche PanAmera S E-Hyrbrid? If you are ready to purchase a new car in this segment would styling alone be the deciding factor? Would overall performance be the key indicator of your purchase decision?

Really: What Are The Problems You See With Tesla Model S?

By Armen Hareyan on September 1, 2015 - 2:24PM

Hello everyone, in one of the car forums a forum member asked about the real limitations of Tesla Model S, which I thought to bring up here in TorqueNews for a discussion. Except the known limitations of the range the charging time, what are the real problems you have encountered while driving or owning a Tesla Model S?

Toyota hybrids outsell EVs 8 million to 1 million to date

By John Goreham on August 24, 2015 - 11:51AM

Milestones continue to be made even as U.S. green-car sales drop like a rock.

New Poll Shows Interest in Hybrids and Electrics May Have Peaked

By Aaron Turpen on August 23, 2015 - 4:35PM

A new Harris poll, along with sales data, seems to show that the total number of electrified vehicles (hybrids, battery electrics, plug-ins) may have peaked.

Nissan Leaf Electric Vehicle long distance Road Trip gone bad

By Douglas Stansfield on August 22, 2015 - 12:18PM

Can you plan a long distance trip with a Nissan Leaf? Should you even attempt it? How scary is it to go outside the 80 mile safe zone of the Nissan Battery’s comfortable range?
Can eco driving and expert planning prevent inevitable “fill up” problems from occurring?

Toyota Prius fun facts ahead of the all-new 2016 reveal

By John Goreham on August 19, 2015 - 3:33PM

The all-new 2016 Prius will be revealed to journalists on September 8th in Las Vegas. Here are a few Prius facts some other publications may leave out of their announcement.

Millions of Miles of Range In A Standard Nissan LEAF

By Douglas Stansfield on August 15, 2015 - 9:19AM

What if you could drive from Maine to Florida and not even need to stop for a charge while driving your Nissan Leaf. Forget about all the EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) that has been installed by Tesla for their Model S Electric Car. Technology is scheduled to be tested in England that will enable just that. Long Distance travel with no stops for charging.

4 Key Range Improvements for the 2016 Chevy Volt Confirmed

By Patrick Rall on August 6, 2015 - 12:40PM

We knew that the 2016 Chevrolet Volt was getting a new look, a new interior, a new gasoline engine and a new battery system, but General Motors has now confirmed 5 key facts on the new range extended electric sedan – all of which are vastly improved efficiency numbers when compared to the outgoing 1st generation Volt.

Could Future Electric Vehicle Range News Be Hurting Current EV Sales?

By Douglas Stansfield on August 6, 2015 - 2:08AM

With month over month sales declines from Tesla S and Nissan Leaf cars, are we seeing a slowdown because of the declining gas price or is there something else that is causing sales declines?

What Will Happen if EV Market Moves Up 1% of The US Car Market

By Douglas Stansfield on August 4, 2015 - 9:03AM

Nissan LEAF and Tesla Model S have started a true revolution as well as the other companies that are producing Electric Vehicles and Plug In Hybrid Electric Vehicles. Since the US market has seen the almost exponential growth in both these types of cars what will happen if this car segment moves out from the early adopter phase into the main stream market phase?

If you own a BMW i3 you could be getting paid by your utility

By Douglas Stansfield on August 4, 2015 - 8:07AM

Imagine someone offering you money to charge your BMW i3. Well some local San Francisco bay area i3 owners, got some welcomed news about a new program for the car owners from PG&E that does just that.

Learning to Love Electric: A Review of the 2015 Kia Soul EV

By Patrick Rall on August 3, 2015 - 12:39PM

I recently had a chance to spend a week driving the 2015 Kia Soul EV and while I have had a variety of other electric drive vehicles with gasoline range extending engines, this was my first extended test time in a true EV – during which I learned the many upsides and the sole downside to daily driving a pure electric vehicle.

Can a Passing Comment Shine Some Light Into Tesla’s Future?

By Douglas Stansfield on July 24, 2015 - 10:06AM

What can make batteries more efficient? What can increase their energy density? Is Tesla out in front now that the GigaFactory is taking shape? Are they coming out with new technology?

Range Race Heats UP - Will Older Model EVs get Upgrade Options?

By Douglas Stansfield on July 21, 2015 - 12:05PM

Last week I published an article asking the question when will EV range anxiety end? One week later, Tesla announces a 90Kwh battery pack upgrade to the Model S and decreased the Price for the 70Kwh Model S.

ZERO Z-Force represents a paradigm shift in motorcycle propulsion [Video]

By Parks McCants on July 15, 2015 - 7:57PM

Setting all the news-driven hype aside, ZERO Motorcycles of Santa Cruz California, may be just a bit ahead of the curve in promoting the logical progression in 2-wheeled transportation.

Toyota's hydrogen Mirai arrives in U.S. for initial sales

By John Goreham on July 14, 2015 - 9:43AM

The Mirai is about to go on sale. Here comes the inventory.

2015 BMW i8 vs. Lexus IS 350C convertible – Which is your better second car?

By John Goreham on July 13, 2015 - 9:23AM

We will let you in on a secret right away. The BMW i8 is a bit better in all but one way.

When will Nissan Leaf Drivers declare Range Anxiety Dead?

By Douglas Stansfield on July 12, 2015 - 11:38PM

Recently I posted an article that Nissan’s next version of the Leaf is planned to have 330 miles of range. Another article read that Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn stated range will be 3 and 4 times the current Leaf Range. Well that means 300 to 400 miles. So you know it is coming and the energy density of LiFePo4 cells are improving every day. Here is my surprise.

Pacific Northwest prepares for invasion of the 2016 Kia Soul EV

By Parks McCants on July 9, 2015 - 7:27PM

Korea based Kia Motors is dedicated to the manufacturing and promotion of this fun, all electric-drive 5 door hatchback, and is expanding EV availability in the Pacific Northwest. Great, what’s it cost, and when can I buy or lease one?

This New Technology Could Extend Nissan LEAF's Range to 338 Miles

By Douglas Stansfield on July 9, 2015 - 10:21AM

How far do you need to go in a single day? If you spend 6 hours a day in a car and have an insane commune as a salesman or making delivers the future of unbelievable EV Range may be here for you. This recently released video shows one thing that is truly going to be the real time game changer for sure.

This Electric Van Is The Solution for EV Fans, Who Need More Than 7 Seats

By Douglas Stansfield on July 9, 2015 - 9:53AM

Do you want to drive an Electric Vehicle, but need more seating capacity than a Nissan Leaf or Chevy Volt? Do you have a small church or small school that needs to ferry little ones from one place to another, but can’t fit them all in a Nissan Leaf?

Sinister looking zero emissions BMW i8 goes 300 miles on unlikely power source

By Denis Flierl on July 8, 2015 - 7:36AM

BMW brings out a new i8 prototype that is sinister looking. What kind of new power source does it have?

Toyota first company with a 300-mile range zero emissions vehicle

By John Goreham on July 7, 2015 - 6:12PM

EPA estimates Toyota Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle has 312 miles range.

Regional Lifecycle CO2 Emissions Comparisons

Study Shows Nissan LEAF Emits Less CO2 Than Prius Plugin and Volt In Many U.S. Markets

By Aaron Turpen on July 4, 2015 - 2:11PM

When compared to the Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid and Chevrolet Volt, the Nissan LEAF electric car produces less CO2 emissions overall in most of the U.S.

Road Trip Facts May Hinder EV Adoption

By John Goreham on June 26, 2015 - 11:48AM

Electric vehicles as a percentage of the total fleet are in decline. One problem may be America’s driving habits. As we head into the 4rth of July driving extravaganza it is worth asking if an affordable EV could do the job.

Where Do Those Old Nissan LEAF Batteries Go? Nissan and 4R Energy Have An Idea

By Aaron Turpen on June 19, 2015 - 1:47AM

When the battery in a Nissan LEAF electric car has run its course and is no longer useful for powering the electric car, it's life isn't over yet. Not if Nissan and 4R Energy have anything to say about it.

Top global competition proves why revolutionary BMW i8 is the best

By Denis Flierl on June 18, 2015 - 7:40AM

When it comes to proving why BMW is the best engine builder in the world, The 2015 Engine of the Year awards tell the story. Why is BMW i8 the best?

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