Originally published on EV Obsession. Are you sitting down? General Motors said this past week it plans to begin producing a fully autonomous car with no steering wheel and no pedals — not in some far off time, but next year. It says Chevy Bolts fitted with 4th generation autonomous technology will start rolling off
Originally published on CleanTechnica. Aside from the amazing Tesla Model S 70D, Cadillac ELR, BMW i8, and Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid — four high-priced heavyweights in the electric car segment — I test drove the Chevy Volt (for the first time!), Nissan LEAF (for the second time), and BMW i3 (for the second time) last week
Originally published on EV Obsession. For the second year in a row, the Tesla Model S was the “best overall” car on the market, according to Consumer Reports in its 2015 “10 Best American Cars You Can Buy” ranking. Something that got a lot less hype is that the Chevy Volt was named “best green car”
Kelley Blue Book (KBB) has awarded the Chevy Volt the “best buy of 2015” designation in the electric/hybrid car category. That’s an impressive designation in a category that includes the BMW i3, Nissan LEAF, Tesla Model S, and Toyota Prius. Of course, if you actually look at the benefits of electric cars, I think you
A couple of Via Motors employees decided to have a little fun and see how the two compared on a long commute. They drove 43.3 miles to work, 86.6 miles round trip. While the Volt driver could have plugged in at work, he decided to treat the trip more like it would be at a
Warning: the commercial below is a locally produced commercial that doesn’t benefit from the high-quality graphics and production quality of nationwide commercials. Nonetheless, the commercial nails a few things in the messaging (better than many national-level commercials). One of the biggest benefits of electric cars for most consumers is surely the convenience of charging at
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again—electric cars are much nicer to drive, and they’re also much more convenient (despite common misperceptions. Imagine never having to go to a gas station again. Imagine charging your car while you sit on the couch and chill out, while you sleep, or while you work. Not
Originally posted on EV Obsession. I was decided I would finally perform and write up a cost comparison of the Chevy Spark EV and the Chevy Spark gas drinker. Notably, reviewers such as those at Consumer Reports have concluded that the Chevy Spark EV is a nicer car overall. But let’s look at some lifetime
The Union of Concerned Scientists’ Clean Vehicles program recently released an updated version of its rather comprehensive “backgrounder” on electric vehicles — “how much the technology is growing in the country, the opportunities it presents for consumers and automakers, and the challenges facing its adoption,” to be specific. Also included in the updated backgrounder is
Originally published on EV Obsession: With EV sales increasing, more affordable models are starting to come into the marketplace. GM, in a bid to cash in on this market, recently released the Chevy Spark EV. In limited release, in California and Oregon, the five door compact car (after federal and state tax incentives) goes for $19,995 in
This article was first published on EV Obsession under the title, “EV & Hybrid Sales Are Up 80,000 Cars In 2013 (August US Sales Update).” The numbers are in for “mass-market” 100% electric vehicle (EV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), and conventional hybrid electric vehicle sales. Well, the numbers are in from everyone but Tesla
June was a great month for the Chevy Volt — 2698 units of the popular plug-in hybrid sold during June, a 53.3% increase over June 2012. With no more than 1626 units sold during any of the other months of 2013, the uptick in sales must be pleasant news or the company. June also marks
General Motors (NYSE:GM, TSX: GMM) and Honda (NYSE: HMC) announced on Tuesday, July 2, that they will collaborate to develop hydrogen-powered cars. They have joined in a long-term, definitive master agreement to jointly develop a next-generation fuel cell system and hydrogen storage technologies. For the past decade, automakers have touted electric power as the best
So, apparently, General Motors (GM) has finally decided that it must part ways with the Heartland Institute, due to the institute’s extremist position on global warming — that is, its global warming denial. GM, the largest automaker in the world, has announced that it’s pulling funding from the Heartland Institute. While GM doesn’t have
A biotechnology scientist has predicted that genetically modified cows will soon begin the commercial production of a form of human milk.
The claim came as a herd of 200 cows which have already had their genes tweaked was showcased in Beijing as part of …
The Center for Food Safety and Earthjustice have teamed up to file a lawsuit against the USDA for their approval of GM alfalfa.
After initially saying ‘NO’ to Monsanto’s pilot project, Mexico has succumbed and agreed.
Genetically modified (GM) food researchers still have a long way to go to show that GM foods are actually safe. In fact, the most recent news is that they cause miscarriages in animals. That’s what a scientist researching Monsanto’s Roundup Ready genetically modified crops has found. The miscarriages are linked to an organism that was
From the last day or so, other than what we’ve covered, here are some top global warming and environmental politics stories: Monsanto and the USDA, Sittin’ in a Tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G OK, maybe not the best way to start this, but it is almost Valentine’s Day & that did get your attention. The USDA recently approved
Here’s some of the biggest global warming and environmental politics news and commentary from the last week or so, along with some fun cartoons. Rocket Fuel in Our Water? The inspiration for the cartoon above, among other things: information that there is rocket fuel (or a component of it) in water supplies across the U.S.
A transgenic chicken has been developed that blocks transmission of the avian flu to other chickens. The new technique — some aspects of which are not clear even to the geneticists developing it — holds out great promise for preventing human illness as well as unnecessary animal deaths. But nothing is quite that simple when
The National Research Council reports that the use of genetically engineered crops results in less harm to wild life, less soil erosion, and greater cost savings. Its findings could impact agricultural practices in other nations.
The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) has recently reported a link between genetically modified (GM) foods and adverse health effects. The AAEM is advising precaution because GM foods have not been properly tested for human consumption and because there is significant evidence of probable harm. Therefore they advise: Physicians to educate their patients, the
