Wind power is expected become America's top renewable energy source in 2019. The recent government shutdown may have held up the sale of some new fuel-efficient cars—and another one may hold up even more. Our latest Twitter poll asks how important it is to our readers for electric cars to be made in America. All this and more on Green Car Reports.
New patent filings from Ford show a hybrid system that looks tailor-made for the upcoming 2020 Mustang Hybrid or F-150 Hybrid that the company has promised. It shows a design planned for rear-wheel drive cars, with electric motors driving the front wheels. And while it could use any type of gas engine, the one in the drawings is clearly a V-8.
Data from the federal Energy Information Agency shows that wind power is about to surpass the old renewable mainstay, hydro, as the largest source of renewable electricity in the U.S., starting in 2019.
The 35-day government shutdown brought to light a lot of processes that don't happen without federal oversight. One is the certification of new cars for sale. With a backlog already built up on the EPA's first day back in operation, another shutdown could threaten rollouts of future models—especially those with fuel-efficiency or emissions technology.
Our latest Twitter poll asks, "How important is it that your next electric car be made in the U.S.?"
Nissan's newly-minted chairman, Hiroto Saikawa, has stepped down following friction in the automaker's partnership with Renault. Saikawa replaced Carlos Ghosn after he was arrested for alleged financial crimes against the company. Ghosn was the driving force behind Nissan's alliance with Renault, which has been called one of the most successful in auto-making history.
Finally, AAA proposes implementing standardized names for new active safety features to avoid buyer confusion. The organization conducted a study of the systems across 34 brands and sometimes found more than 34 names for the same features.
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