Electric Vehicles

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2019 Honda Insight comes of age as handsome four-door hybrid

The original Honda Insight debuted as a 2000 model and received more mockery than respect. It was a far-from-perfect, two-door subcompact that looked like a mechanical peanut on wheels. With its unique appearance, the Insight garnered more attention as an oddity than it did for its now-important legend. It was the first mass-produced hybrid available in the United States. It was ugly, simultaneously cool and it got whooped in sales a few months later when the Toyota Prius debuted. Key Takeaways Insight grows up into a midsize four-door hybrid sedan: Honda replaced the two-door subcompact hatchback with a mainstream four-door design that finally looks like a conventional sedan rather than a mechanical peanut on wheels. 151-hp hybrid powertrain with 1.5-liter

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#83 GIG one-way rental car debuts in Sacramento

Tony Bizjak, the long-time transportation writer for the Sacramento Bee, recently wrote an article and was the driver in the publication’s online video about GIG. It’s the new on-demand, one-way rental car service available in Sacramento and other select cities. Bizjak is the first of our two guests on Episode #83 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Our second guest is Mike Blasky, the Media Relations Specialist of AAA for Northern California, Nevada and Utah. He’s based in Walnut Creek, California. GIG (Get In, Go) is working in conjunction with AAA on the project. GIG relies on the Toyota Prius hybrids in San Francisco Bay Area, but the Sacramento region is using all-electric Chevrolet Bolts. An estimated 260 Bolts will be

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#79 Autonomous future featured at GPU Technology Conference

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:54 — 34.2MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreThe huge truck cab couldn’t have been any more conspicuous. It dominated the back of the main showroom at the recent GPU Technology Conference in San Jose, California, and attracted plenty of attention. The all-electric prototype from TuSimple is aimed at providing cheaper, more-efficient long-hauling trucking. TuSimple, with offices in China and the United States, is among numerous startups working to automate parts of the long-haul trucking and parcel delivery industries. As part of the technology, semi-trucks would be allowed to operate beyond the 11-hour daily restriction for human drivers. Bruce Aldrich and James Raia, co-hosts of The Weekly Driver Podcast, interview with Xiaodi

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Kaiyun Motors offers new, cheap EV pickup for $8,950

Cheap new vehicles aren’t a new phenomenon in certain countries. But so far it’s only been wishful thinking for a few niche manufacturers in the United States — until now. Kaiyun Motors will soon arrive. It will soon introduce the Pickman, an all-electric pickup in the U.S. It has a base price of $8,950. The price was listed mistakingly listed previously at $5,700, but it was for a non-street legal version of the truck not available in the U.S. The Pickman has a 5.5 horsepower engine and a top speed of 35 miles per hour. It’s classified as a low-speed or neighborhood electric vehicle (LSV/NEV). Kaiyun Motors Co Ltd. was founded in 2014 and is based in Xingtai, China. Kaiyun

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#7 The Weekly Driver Podcast (video): Electric vehicle guru

Alex Guberman is as prolific and passionate as anyone in the electric vehicle industry. He has a vast following on YouTube to prove it. A recent transplant from the Silicon Valley in the San Francisco Bay Area to Sacramento, California, Guberman publishes and narrates E For Electric on YouTube. Now driving his third Tesla, Guberman produces three videos per day for his channel. He breaks electric vehicle news. He discusses trends in the industry. And he provides strong opinions. A new business friend, Guberman is our guest on the new episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Guberman, a native of Moscow, Russia, who moved to the United States with his parents in

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#76, Alex Guberman, YouTube electric vehicle maverick

Alex Guberman is as passionate as anyone about the electric vehicle industry. A recent transplant from the Silicon Valley in the San Francisco Bay Area to Sacramento, California, Guberman runs E For Electric on YouTube. Guberman, now driving his third Tesla, is prolific. He produces three videos per day for his channel. He breaks electric vehicle news. He discusses trends in the industry. And he provides strong opinions. A new business friend, Guberman is our guest on this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Guberman, a native of Moscow, Russia, who moved to the United States with his parents in 1992, his success in the electric vehicle industry. Guberman is often a

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#6, The Weekly Driver Podcast (video): All-Electric Rivian examined

The all-electric Rivian concepts, the R1T pick-up and R1S SUV, have gained substantial attention since their debuts last November at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The vehicles’ debut is scheduled for late 2020 through direct sales. Michael McHale, the company’s director of communications, is our guest on this week’s episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with McHale the pending debut of the vehicles and how the innovated truck and SUV could change the automotive landscape. The company has been touted as a competitor to Tesla, a proposition it welcomes. Rivian was founded nearly 10 years ago by Mainstream Motors in Florida. Its name was changed to Avera and now Rivian. The SUV and

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#75, Rivian gearing up for electric SUV, pick-up debuts

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:23 — 47.2MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreRivian debuted two concepts last November at the Los Angeles Auto Show and attracted as much attention as any vehicle at the automotive industry’s first major show of the year. The all-electric concepts, the R1T pick-up and R1S SUV, have gained substantial attention since. The vehicles’ debut is scheduled for late 2020 through direct sales. Michael McHale, the company’s director of communications, is our guest on this week’s episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with McHale the pending debut of the vehicles and how the innovated truck and SUV could change the automotive landscape. The company has

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2019 Chrysler Pacifica leader of a van pack of one

The Chrysler Pacifica is uniquely positioned. The manufacturer had difficulty deciding on its name and then placed the Pacifica in a one-vehicle segment. It’s the only electric van available. Introduced at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show, the Chrysler van’s sixth-generation debuted as the 2017 Pacifica. It was formerly the name of the manufacturer’s crossover SUV. It’s also the new designation for the former Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Grand Caravan in North American and the discontinued Chrysler/Lancia Voyager in European markets. The Pacifica is further unique since it’s offered with another first — a nine-speed automatic transmission. A continuously electrically variable transmission (EVT) is offered on the hybrid version. As a hybrid, the Pacifica is offered in Touring Plus, Touring

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NEW CAR PREVIEW: 2020 models aplenty set for debuts

Some 2019 car models haven’t arrived in dealerships, yet many 2020 new cars and trucks are on the near horizon. More sport utility vehicles, an electric version of a luxury sedan and an enduring compact sedan have been announced. Here’s a look at three 2020 vehicles set for release soon and a list of others with new editions or with multiple upgrades. Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 — The manufacturer’s first full-electric vehicle, the EQC is a crossover and another addition to the ever-increasing popularity of SUVs. The EQC, positioned between the GLC-Class and GLC-Class SUVs, features two electric motors, one for each axle, combining for 402 horsepower and 564 pound-feet of torque. Energy is stored in an 80-kWh battery pack with

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2019 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid worthy despite issues

Subaru, well-respected for its symmetrical all-wheel drive, sturdiness and belief in human and animal safety in its vehicles, now has additional versatility. The 2019 Subaru Crosstrek plug-in hybrid is the manufacturer’s debut in the segment. The Crosstrek Hybrid is offered in 2.0i, 2.0i Premium and 2.0i Limited trims, all powered by 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engines producing 148 horsepower and featuring all-wheel drive. A six-speed manual transmission is standard on the two 2.0i and 2.0i premiums. A continuously variable transmission is offered on the Limited trim, my test vehicle. Read Now: 2024 Subaru Crosstrek The top-line Crossback Hybrid is equipped with features from the lower trims but includes upgrades. Highlights range from an advanced driver-assistance system to rear cross traffic warning and

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NEW CAR PREVIEW: 2019 BMW 3 Series gets 330e

The 2019 BMW 3 Series, the perennially top-ranked sedan, recently had its global unveiling at the Paris Auto Show. It will be available to the public in the summer of 2019. The car’s seventh generation will feature a new plug-in hybrid 330e. The PHEV includes BMW’s latest eDrive Technology to enhance efficiency and performance. A vital component of the new BMW 330e plug-in is the addition of XtraBoost, a system that allows the sedan to increase system output temporary by up to 41 horsepower (30 kW). It will increase the 330e’s 252 horsepower (185 kW) output up to 293 hp (215 kW). The 330e also sees its all-electric driving range increased to up 50 percent, to 37 miles (60 km)

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VW plans electric car to compete with Tesla Model 3

Volkswagen may be giving up on the Beetle, but its continuing its quest to regain public trust and modernize its offerings with a new all-electric mid-sized sedan for $23,000. The German automaker cheated for years on its diesel emission tests, but its pending electric sedan has the name I.D. Aero. According to a Reuters report, it will cost nearly $12,00 less than the basic price of a Tesla Model 3. Reuters’ sources also reported VW will convert three of its factories in Germany to produce its Modular Electric Drive Matrix (MEB) entry. The carmaker’s goal will to manufacture 200,000 vehicles using the platform to make a family of electric vehicles. Volkswagen said its goal is selling 10 million by the

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Microlino mini-car channeling BMW Isetta debuts in Europe in 2019

More than 50 years before tiny houses, Smart cars and other mini things on wheels became recent crazes, the BMW Isetta was a trendsetter. It was known as a “bubble car.” It was stylish, got great gas mileage and zipped perfectly around narrow European streets. Now, its modern-day equivalent, the electronic vehicle (EV) Microlino, has been approved as street legal by the European Union. Designed by Wim Ouboter, production of the Microlino has started and its debut is expected in early 2019. The company already has several thousand pre-orders. The Microlino is ideally named. It’s 7 feet, 10 inches long and weighs 990 pounds. Depending on what battery is installed, the Microlino has a 50 or 134-mile range. It can

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Industry fuel cell expert clears the air on hydrogen

Nineteen months ago, Chris White did something no one else in Northern California had done. She leased a new car that operates only on hydrogen. Honda, Toyota and Hyundai are manufacturers offering hydrogen-only vehicles. Mercedes-Benz and GM also have plans for hydrogen-only vehicles, the emissions of which are water. The 2017 and 2018 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell are available for lease only in only 12 dealerships in California. Five locales are in the San Francisco Bay Area, one is in Roseville. The long-time Communications Director of the California Fuel Cell Partnership in West Sacramento, White also lives in West Sacramento. But she often travels to San Ramon on business and Truckee to visit relatives. Hydrogen stations are located in both

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Report from India: New hybrid cars coming soon

SPONSORED CONTENT Hybrid cars, vehicles using multiple means of propulsion like a diesel engine or a petrol engine paired with an electric engine, minimize the carbon footprint. And hybrid cars are being popularized increasingly by the Indian government. Hybrid cars are economically and environmentally friendly. Some of these cars are on the road, while a few haven’t debuted. Here’s a look at the pending new hybrid cars in India. Skoda Superb Plug-In Hybrid The Skoda Superb Plug-In Hybrid is among the cars soon available in the Indian marketplace. The Skoda Superb Plug-in Hybrid will make its debut in 2019 and is a much-anticipated upcoming car in India. It’s believed the vehicle will derive its power from the 1.4-litre, turbocharged petrol engine,

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