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The slow death of the manual transmission
I've never owned a car with an automatic transmission. From my 1969 Datsun 2000 roadster to the 2011 Mini Countryman S that currently sits in my garage, I've had a long line of vehicles that required more than just pressing on the accelerator and pointing it toward a destination. Yes, there were a few years when my wife had a Honda CR-V with an automatic transmission. But my cars have always required me to actually shift gears. I plan on continuing this tradition for as long as possible. But I know eventually I'll be forced to drive a car with my left leg sitting idle.
Chevy beats Tesla to a sub $30,000 long-range EV
Oregon and California residents can now buy an electric car with an EPA range of 238 miles for under $30,000. Chevy's pricing configurator for its Bolt EV is now online, and as expected, the base LT model with a 10.2-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay (or Android Auto) and a rear vision camera costs $37,495, or exactly $29,995 after the $7,500 federal tax credit. If you get the premier model with all the options (including driver assist features) it'll cost $44,950, or $37,450 after US tax credits. As Chevy warned earlier, the DC fast charge option is $750 extra on all models.
The world's fastest electric car, and more in the week that was
Tesla finally sealed the deal on its acquisition of SolarCity this week, and the merger is already producing incredible results. The two companies just completed a project to power an entire island on solar power. In other energy news, researchers in Israel developed found a way to make solar panels 70 percent more efficient. Two Chinese companies are building a massive solar plant in the exclusion zone near the Chernobyl nuclear reactor. And Sweden announced plans to cut its tax on solar energy by 98 percent.
Automakers are beating Silicon Valley at its own game
When Google unveiled its self-driving car and rumors surfaced that Apple was also working on a car, it looked like the future of driving belonged to Silicon Valley. Turns out, automakers were up to the challenge, and the "hobbies" of tech giants are going to be left behind.
Volkswagen's long-distance EV, and more in the week that was
This week Elon Musk unveiled his long-awaited plan to establish a self-sustaining city on Mars - and he's targeting a ticket price of about $100,000 per traveler. Meanwhile, Volkswagen showcased a breakthrough electric car that will cost less and travel further than the Tesla Model 3 and the Chevy Bolt. Aerovelo shattered a world speed record by hitting 89.59 mph in a super-streamlined bicycle, and we spotted a swap-in wheel that turns any bike into an electric vehicle in 60 seconds flat.
The first Chevy Bolt EV you see might be your Lyft ride
Shortly before General Motors scooped up the pieces of failed Uber competitor Sidecar back in January, they invested $500 million in Lyft for a partnership to create a self-driving vehicle network. In August, news broke that the car giant made an offer to buy the ride-sharing company, but was rebuffed. Their intertwined saga continues today, as they announced that Lyft drivers would be among the first to get Chevy's Bolt electric vehicles.
The all-electric Chevy Bolt costs $30,000
Chevy has hemmed and hawed over the ins and outs of its Bolt electric vehicle's pricing, but now we have some specifics. Driving one off the lot with the "well equipped" LT trim package comes with a rear camera, 10.2-inch touch screen and a Regen-on-Demand paddle will set you back $37,495 according to the automaker.
Uber's self-driving cars, and more in the week that was
It's official: Self-driving cars are here. This week Uber's autonomous taxi fleet picked up its first passengers in Pittsburgh, while Ford announced that its self-driving car will have no steering wheel, gas pedal, or brakes. Ford is also working on cars that can harvest drinking water from thin air -- and then dispense it from a dashboard tap. In other auto news, the Chevy Bolt scored an EPA-certified driving range of 238 miles -- further than the base Tesla Model S. Tesla sued an oil exec for allegedly impersonating Elon Musk to steal trade secrets. And design studio Duffy London debuted the solar-powered super yacht of the future.
Behind the wheel of GM's 238-mile range electric car
Chevy's new Bolt shows up in San Francisco's SOMA district at the height of rush hour. It comes around the corner evading cars, buses and wandering Giants fans on their way to the game a few blocks away. It's urban chaos and it's the exact environment the long-range EV will encounter when new customers drive it out of showrooms sometime before the end of the year.
The Chevy Bolt will have a 238-mile range
Chevy has finally announced the range of its upcoming Bolt all-electric vehicle. At 238 miles, the relatively inexpensive EV should squelch some of the range anxiety that's kept drivers from making the switch from gas-powered vehicles.
Tesla's plan for world domination, and more in the week that was
Tesla is known for producing some of the world's best electric cars, but founder Elon Musk has even bigger plans for the company: world domination. Musk's new masterplan will grow the company to produce trucks and buses while using battery technology and solar infrastructure to transition the world away from fossil fuels. Meanwhile, the world's first "Tesla Town" is coming to Australia, and every home in it will feature solar panels and a powerwall. Driverless cars are almost here: This week Mercedes-Benz unveiled the fully autonomous bus of the future, while a GM exec confirmed plans to launch a self-driving Chevy Bolt EV with Lyft. And we spotted a crazy truck that's able to lay its own road across treacherous terrain in just six minutes.
Lyft and GM will test self-driving fleet within a year
General Motors and Lyft's planned network of on-demand, self-driving taxis will begin testing in one undisclosed city sometime in the next year, the Wall Street Journal reports today. While the details of the plan are still scarce, the accelerated timeline will put a fleet of publicly available autonomous vehicles on the road ahead of either company's major rivals in Silicon Valley.
Chevy is getting the Bolt EV ready for production
The all-electric Chevy Bolt is on schedule to start being built by the end of the year. The automaker announced today that pre-production of the vehicle has begun. The company is currently finishing up its testing of auto-plant tools and process needed to actually build the car.
Inhabitat Week in Green: All the EVs at CES, and more!
Want to see the future of transportation? Look to CES 2016, where innovators debuted the state of the art in high-tech mobility. Chevrolet kicked things off by launching the first electric car for the masses, the 2017 Bolt EV. It gets 200 miles per charge and will cost around $30,000. (Check out our interview with GM engineering chief Pam Fletcher here.) Meanwhile, the mysterious startup Faraday Future showcased an insane 1,000-horsepower electric vehicle that looks like a rocket ship and Ehang showcased an autonomous helicopter that can carry you up to 11,000 feet without a pilot. And a Chinese "hoverboard" company made the news when federal marshals raided their booth over copyright concerns.
Taking a spin in the electrified Chevy Bolt EV
There's a reason the Chevy Bolt EV received Best of CES from Engadget. Even though we drove a model that's about 80 percent of what will end up in production, the promise of a solid compact car that's also a long-range electric vehicle was certainly there. We were also only able to squeeze in a few laps on the closed track with the car. But in that time, we got to try out the drivetrain options and the new and customizable infotainment system.
Chevy unveils its pure-electric Bolt
Chevy's Bolt is finally here. The pure EV was unveiled at the company's event at CES and it's got a ton of technology that you can get in the near future unlike a few concept cars that were unveiled earlier in the week. It's the everyperson's electric car that Tesla is working on and Chevy is delivering.
GM and LG are working together on the Chevy Bolt electric car
In an unexpected, but interesting partnership, General Motors and LG today revealed they're working together on the development of the Chevy Bolt. This electric vehicle, which will reportedly launch in 2017 for $30,000, is expected to last over 200 miles on a single charge -- a lot more than the 2016 Volt hybrid. GM says LG's expertise in battery technology was a key factor to deem it a worthy associate, having previously worked with the South Korean company on the original Chevy Volt. As a result, LG is going to provide a number of components for the upcoming Bolt, including the onboard charger, battery cells and pack, battery heater and infotainment system.
WSJ: GM to release the $30,000 Chevy Bolt electric vehicle in 2017
Looks like General Motors is about to go head to head against Tesla with a new electric vehicle called Chevy Bolt (yes, Bolt with a B) -- at least according to The Wall Street Journal. The publication's sources say the Bolt can travel 200 miles on a single charge (the 2013/2014 Volt can only last 38 miles on a charge) and will be available in 2017 for $30,000. That makes it a direct competitor to Tesla's Model 3, which has very, very similar specs and pricing. The WSJ also reveals that the car will "be designed to look more like a so-called crossover vehicle" and use battery manufactured by LG Chem Ltd. in South Korea.
