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The 2017 Chevrolet Volt is expected to go on sale late this year, but will be available only in limited numbers, according to the automaker. By VICTOR E. SASSON EDITOR The good news for consumers is that the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV will have a starting MSRP of $37,495. But such options as front collision braking, forward pedestrian alert and OnStar automatic crash response is expected to push that past $40,000. In an email this week, Chevrolet delivered the bad news the Bolt will be available only in limited numbers this year. So, greedy Chevrolet dealers likely will sell each Bolt they can get their hands on for list, then pile on "added dealer profit," making the Bolt a lot less "affordable" than the company claims. There will be two versions of the Bolt -- GM's first purely electric production vehicle -- LT and Premier, but Chevrolet hasn't released the starting MSRP for the Premier trim level. The Chevrolet Bolt will have a 10.2-inch touch screen. 238-mil...

In downtown Englewood, a municipal parking garage offers five free PSE&G charging stations. Today, a Tesla Model S 90D, two Smart EVs, and a Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid hooked up to four of them. The Volt driver thought nothing of running the charge cable across the hood of the new car and possibly scratching it. By VICTOR E. SASSON EDITOR I've owned a Tesla Model S since April 2015, and have never had to pay to charge the car on trips away from northern New Jersey. I either charge the car at my home, where solar panels generate the electricity I use, or take advantage of Tesla's extensive network of free Superchargers or destination chargers at hotels and resorts. So, what do you do when you have a non-Tesla EV or a plug-in hybrid without free charging? Today, I saw the owners of four cars using free charging stations at the municipal garage in Englewood, where the first two hours of parking cost $1.50. It's likely that no matter what the rate of charge, owners of EV...

The homely Nissan Leaf EV is available with a bigger battery in the 2016 model year and added range -- up to 107 miles on a full charge. You can still get a Leaf that goes a maximum of 84 miles before you need more juice. By VICTOR E. SASSON EDITOR Jose Munoz, chairman of Nissan North America, delivered good news and bad news to consumers worried about climate change and the 53,000 deaths blamed on auto emissions every year. Speaking to members of the International Motor Press Association in Manhattan, Munoz said Nissan is "close" to launching a new-generation all-electric Leaf with a redesigned body. There was no indication whether the second-generation Leaf will have more range than the 107 miles available with a 30kWh battery in the 2016 model. Leaf lags behind Tesla The homely Leaf, introduced in December 2010, once led electric-vehicle sales in the United States, but it has changed little and has been eclipsed by Tesla, which cost more than twice as much. Meanwhile, Muno...

In this image from Elektrec.co, Porsche's Mission E all-electric concept with suicide rear doors bears a strong family resemblance to the German automaker's sports cars.  By VICTOR E. SASSON EDITOR When the Porsche Mission E -- the first all-electric car from the German automaker -- appears at the end of the decade, it will have less range than a Tesla you can buy today. The story is the same at Audi and Mercedes-Benz, two more German carmakers who are loudly talking up their plans for purely electric luxury vehicles. Tesla says its Model S P100D has a range of 315 miles on a full charge and accelerates from 0-60 in 2.5 seconds. P100D Tesla Motors has unveiled the first all-electric car with a 100kWh battery, which is available in the Model S four-door hatchback and the seven-seat Model X SUV. The California-built Model S P100D  has an MSRP of $134,500, including a $1,200 destination charge, before a $7,500 federal tax credit. In New Jersey, buyers don't have to pay the 7% ...