Faraday Future promised $1.5 billion, says FF 91 will arrive by end of this year

Follow John Starting a car company is not only very, very hard—as Tesla, Fisker, and many others testify—but requires breathtaking sums of money. Now struggling Faraday Future, the electric-car startup firm whose entrepreneurial Chinese backer is facing legal action in his home country, appears to have found a well-heeled savior. The new investor is reportedly… Continue reading Faraday Future promised $1.5 billion, says FF 91 will arrive by end of this year

Plug-in electric car sales fall in Jan after year-end surge (update)

While 2017 saw higher U.S. sales of plug-in electric cars than any previous year, expectations for 2018 sales are running even higher. The Chevrolet Bolt EV will be available in all 50 states for a full year, the new 2018 Nissan Leaf with a 151-mile range is now on sale, and of course the Tesla… Continue reading Plug-in electric car sales fall in Jan after year-end surge (update)

BMW says it can build electric cars and regular ones on same platforms: interview

Follow John As the auto industry plans more electric cars in higher volumes for the 2020s, one of the great debates is whether they will need to be designed from the ground up solely for battery power. Doing so allows designers to offer larger cabins due to the more compact drive motors and electronics. One… Continue reading BMW says it can build electric cars and regular ones on same platforms: interview

2020 Jaguar XJ luxury sedan to be reborn as all-electric Tesla Model S competitor

Almost since the two legendary British brands were brought together in 1998, Jaguar has played second fiddle to its sibling Land Rover. The maker of traditional, sporty British sedans was left in search of a mission as increasingly upscale Land Rovers and even pricier Range Rovers proliferated, essentially saving the company. Recently, Jaguar has broken… Continue reading 2020 Jaguar XJ luxury sedan to be reborn as all-electric Tesla Model S competitor

Number of electric cars California needs to cut 2030 emissions unclear: 4 million or 7 million?

2018 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid charging at Crevier BMW, Santa Ana, California, Dec 2017 Enlarge Photo One of California’s largest electricity producers recently published a white paper that analyzed how the state will achieve its 2030 greenhouse-gas targets—and it called into question targets set forth by California regulators. Specifically, Southern California Edison (SCE) said the… Continue reading Number of electric cars California needs to cut 2030 emissions unclear: 4 million or 7 million?

Ford 300-mile all-electric SUV may be named Mach 1; due 2020

Follow John [embedded content] The big new debuts at the 2018 Detroit auto show are largely pickup trucks, one of them being the new mid-size 2019 Ford Ranger. Ford also introduced a new Bullitt Mustang, honoring the 51st anniversary of the legendary 1968 movie, and a high-performance ST version of the Edge crossover. (Is it… Continue reading Ford 300-mile all-electric SUV may be named Mach 1; due 2020

Mazda rotary engine may find new life in self-driving Toyota e-Palette project

Mazda’s famed rotary engine may spin once again. The automaker confirmed the development of a range-extending rotary engine with Toyota for use in a shared future project. Toyota revealed the e-Palette concept on Monday at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The vehicle, a battery-electric and self-driving prototype, previews one possibility for Toyota to… Continue reading Mazda rotary engine may find new life in self-driving Toyota e-Palette project