Tesla Model Y Unveiled
Tesla has completed its quartet with the unveiling of the Model Y compact crossover this week. The new model is slated to make its retail debut in the fall of 2020 with three of four trim levels – that’s presuming…
John O'Dell
I’m John O’Dell – the green car guy – and for more than 25 years I’ve been an automotive writer, editor and analyst specializing in alternative vehicles and fuels.
Tesla Raising Prices, Keeping Stores
One problem in writing about Tesla is that there’s a good chance that everything you wrote about on Monday will change by Wednesday. Case in point: Days after announcing that it would close most of its showrooms and cut prices…
2019 RAV4 Hybrid: First Drive
(RAV4 Hybrid cargo area information updated 3) Toyota sells a boatload of RAV4s, close to 430,000 last year, but barely one in ten is RAV4 Hybrid. Here’s a brave prediction: That’s about to change. The 2019 RAV4 Hybrid sits on…
VW Shows Off ID Dune Buggy
Volkswagen’s electric dune buggy took its first public bow this week at the Geneva Auto Show. The automaker still calls the open two seater – formal name “ID Buggy “- a concept. But it provided lots of specific data about…
$35,000 Tesla Model 3, Finally
Tesla has finally committed to that long-promised $35,000 Model 3, opening on-line orders for the car late this week. Available options can add up to $15,000. The base “Standard Range” model is pretty bare-boned – manually adjusted front seats, cloth…
Nissan Leaf Plus Pricing
Nissan says 2019 Leaf Plus pricing will start at $37,445. That’s for the base S Plus trim, with 226 miles of range. The mid-trim SV Plus is priced at $39,405. [Estimated Reading Time: 40 sec.] The line-topping SL Plus carries…
Jeep PHEVs, EVs On the Way
Jeep’s parent, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, says a new $4.5 billion capital plan will clear the way for electrification of a bunch of new Jeep models. The company already has said it intends to offer electric Jeeps in the future with…
EV News: Porsche Macan, Volvo Polestar 2
More good news for the electric vehicle world. Porsche plans to electrify the second generation Macan crossover when it debuts in 2021, and Volvo next year is launching Polestar 2, an “avant garde” 5-door EV. The Polestar appears to be…
2019 Leaf Plus – Nissan Joins Mid-Range EV Club
(Updated 3/1/19 to include Leaf Plus pricing and base Tesla Model 3 comparative data.) It’s taken a while, but Nissan finally has joined the 200-mile EV club with its 2019 Leaf Plus. The Leaf Plus adds 50 percent more battery…
Did Used ‘Green Car’ Already Get a Clean Air Sticker?
(Originally posted 2/21/19; updated 3/4/21 with active link for VIN listing of stickers issued prior to 2017 and a DMV phone number for checking on stickers issued in an after 2017.) The question’s become a burning one since California kicked…