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Honda officially starts '14 Accord Plug-in Sales in New York, California

Posted Jan 21st 2013 9:00AM

Trying to make up some of the ground it lost to competitors in the advanced-powertrain field last year, Honda has officially started sales of its 2014 Accord Plug-in Hybrid vehicle (PHEV).

The 2014 Accord PHEV is now available at some California and New York dealerships. The car, whose specs were announced in November, has a base price of $39,780 and can be leased for as low as $429 a month. Most notably, the model has a 115 mile per gallon equivalent (MPGe) rating, beating out the 98 MPGe rating for the Chevrolet Volt and the 95 MPGe rating for the Toyota Prius Plug-in. The model will also be the first gasoline-powered vehicle to get the California Air Resources Board's (CARB) Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle 20 (SULEV 20) rating, meaning that the car emits no more than 20 milligrams of emissions per mile.

The Accord PHEV can go 13 miles in electric-only mode, and the big question is whether that – and the other features – are enough to jumpstart the automaker's advanced-powertrain sales for 2013, after a moribund 2012. The automaker's hybrid and electric vehicle sales last year totaled 17,292 units, down 45 percent from 2011.

Honda may look to Toyota for clues on how the US will respond for PHEV spinoffs of existing vehicle models. Last year, Toyota sold 12,750 Prius Plug-ins, about five percent of the total Prius line. The Prius Plug-in has an MSRP of $32,760.

Read here for Autoblog's First Drive impressions of the Accord PHEV, and check out Honda's press release below.

Related Gallery2014 Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid: LA 2012

News Source: Honda via Plug In Cars

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Detroit's 'Anti-Auto Show' shows another side of the automobile

By Danny King RSS feed

Posted Jan 20th 2013 9:02AM

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Some would say this is akin to biting the hand that feeds you, but at least the creators of the so-called North American Anti-Auto Show in Detroit appear to have a sense of humor about it.

The 'show' is actually an art exhibition put on by the Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit at the city's Cobo Center, and the event started Friday night with a $1-a-head "green carpet" gala, the New York Times reports. Repurposed crushed cars, skateboards, scooters and pictures of animals crossing railroad tracks are being displayed in the exhibit, which obviously has an environmental focus to it. The first (and thus far only) Anti-Auto Show in 2001 raised money for about a dozen bike rack installations around Detroit, but the show hasn't been held since. The bike racks are still there, though.

This year, the "anti" show reappears alongside the "real" North American Auto Show, which runs through January 27.

News Source: New York Times

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European EV sales will jump fivefold by decade's end

By Danny King RSS feed

Posted Jan 19th 2013 4:54PM

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To paraphrase the old Elvis Presley tagline, more than 800,000 Europeans can't be wrong. That's the conclusion of Pike Research, which estimates that sales of electric vehicles in Europe will jump more than fivefold between now and the end of the decade.

Specifically, EVs will account for about four percent of the European new-car market in 2020, up from 0.7 percent last year. That means that about 827,000 EVs will be sold throughout the continent in 2020. Pike acknowledges there are conflicting factors that need to be taken into account when estimating EV growth. While Europe's higher fuel prices will help push EV sales, the broader prevalence of fuel-efficient diesel vehicles may hamper automakers' effort to get potential customers to consider EVs.

Earlier this month, French electric and hybrid vehicle association AVERE-France said that more than 5,6000 EVs were sold in France last year, doubling its 2011 total and accounting for about one in every 6,200 of the country's vehicles. By comparison, about one in 20,000 US vehicles was a new EV last year. Check out Pike Research's press release below.

News Source: Pike Research

Image Credit: Autolib

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Federal court denies trade groups' request to ban E15

By Danny King RSS feed

Posted Jan 18th 2013 6:00PM

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For those keeping score in the battle between advocates and opponents of higher ethanol blends in gasoline (fuels such as E15, which is 15 percent ethanol and 85 percent gasoline), chalk one up in the "advocates" column. Earlier this week, a US federal appeals court upheld last year's decision to allow public sales of E15 and denied a request from oil and food trade groups to look at possibly reversing the decision, Reuters says.

The court backed a 2-1 decision made last August that said claims from groups like the American Petroleum Institute and the Grocery Manufacturers Association were "speculative." Naturally, ethanol advocacy group Growth Energy called the decision "a major victory" while opponents, including the American Automobile Association, weren't as sanguine.

Last June, the Environmental Protection Agency allowed public sales of E15 as a way to help cut foreign-oil dependency. Since then, the debate over whether higher ethanol production and use does more good or harm to the environment has intensified, as opponents say higher ethanol blends may both damage engines and trigger food price spikes and shortages. Late last year, AAA went as far as to publicly request that the government suspend E15 sales, an idea that has spread to Maine. Earlier this week, the AAA reiterated its stance that E15 sales should be withheld until more research is done, since the group worries that engines may be damaged and vehicle warranties voided by the biofuels.

News Source: Reuters

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California Coda dealer drops all-electric Sedan price to $25,000

By Danny King RSS feed

Posted Jan 18th 2013 2:35PM

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Retail experts have long said that the best time to get discounts is right after Christmas. That's apparently the case for prospective Coda Sedan electric vehicle buyers in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Coda Silicon Valley, which is located in Santa Clara, CA, was recently offering the EVs for a low, low price of $24,995, or about a $14,000 haircut off of Coda's MSRP of $38,145, according to Green Car Reports. The offer expired earlier this week.

Still, the promotion hints that dealers may be having a hard time moving models, even in EV-mad regions such as the Bay Area. It's hard to know for sure, since Los Angeles-based Coda has never released sales figures, but we're guessing the layoffs don't inspire buyer confidence. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also didn't help matters last month when it give the Sedan a two-star rating in its frontal-impact crash tests. Neither did Inside Line, which in December critiqued the model for its braking, tire noise and vehicle-control system (check out Autoblog's own first drive review on the car here).

Last year, the US Environmental Protection Agency said the Coda had single-charge range of 88 miles.

Related Gallery2012 Coda Sedan: Quick Spin

News Source: Green Car Reports

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Better Place's second CEO in four months steps down

By Danny King RSS feed

Posted Jan 18th 2013 7:54AM

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Better Place has long promoted itself to the electric-vehicle advocate community as the expert in battery-swapping technology. Turns out, the company is proficient at swapping out its CEOs, too.

Evan Thornley, who became CEO in October, had been chief of the company's Australia operations before replacing Better Place founder Shai Agassi. Thornley is now out, the company says.

Thornley helped the company "raise the capital it needed to sustain continued operations," but won't be leading the company's effort in expanding its sales and network of battery-swapping stations in countries such as Israel and Denmark. Better Place CFO Alan Gelman will oversee the company until yet another CEO successor is tapped.

Thornley took over company leadership after Agassi, who founded the company in 2007, was pushed out in October. Reuters, citing information from Better Place shareholder Israel Corp., says the company has racked up a deficit of more than $560 million since its inception. Check out Better Place's press release below.

News Source: Better Place via Reuters

Zero Motorcycles gives $2,500 extra for gas-powered trade-ins

By Danny King RSS feed

Posted Jan 17th 2013 2:22PM

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We'll deliver the facts and leave it up to math whizzes to figure out how far an electric-powered Zero Motorcycle can go on an extra $2,500 worth of juice. We suspect it's a real long way.

Taking a page from the old "Cash for Clunkers" playbook, the California-based electric-motorcycle maker is looking to move some of its 2012 model-year inventory while taking a few emissions out of the environment by offering a little extra credit for folks who trade in a gas-powered bike for one of last year's models.

Under Zero's "Cash For Carbon" promotion, people who trade in a conventional motorcycle will get an additional $2,500 in trade-in value for a "new" 2012 model (the 2013 models are arriving at dealerships this month). Zero is also offering zero-percent interest financing for one year and a no-money-down option, in addition to the extra trade-in credit. There's also a federal tax credit worth up to 10 percent of the new-motorcycle price. "Cash For Carbon" runs through the end of March.

Zero's 2012 lineup included five models that range in price from $7,695 to $13,995. Depending on options, the electric motorcycles have a single-charge range of up to 114 miles and a top speed of 88 miles per hour. Zero Motorcycles' press release is available below.

Related GalleryZero Motorcycles 2012 line up

News Source: Zero Motorcycles

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Prius C tops ACEEE's greenest vehicle list, Ford "wins" for meanest

By Danny King RSS feed

Posted Jan 17th 2013 7:52AM

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Toyota can continue to be loved by the treehugger set, while Ford is making an appearance as Public Enemy #1 when it comes to going easy on the environment, according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) and its annual "greenest" and "meanest" list.

ACEEE named the Toyota Prius C the greenest vehicle, placing the compact hybrid just ahead of the Honda Fit Electric Vehicle and the standard Prius. The Prius Plug-in Hybrid and Honda Civic Hybrid rounded out the ACEEE top five. The Prius C gets a combined 50 miles per gallon.

Meanwhile, Ford swept the "top" three spots when it came to ACEEE's meanest list of vehicles that are least friendly to the environment. Specifically, Ford's F-350 FFV and F-250 FFV trucks, and the E-350 Wagon van were especially noteworthy for their environment-destroying ways, ACEEE said. Yes, these big vehicles were designed for different purposes than the fuel-sippers in the greenest list.

Last year's winner, the Mitsubishi i electric vehicle, failed to crack this years "greenest" list. Mitsubishi last year broke the eight-year stronghold of the Honda Civic Natural Gas on the ACEEE greenest list. Read ACEEE's press release below.

Related GalleryToyota Prius C

News Source: American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy

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Bob Lutz: Volt plug-in powertrain should have gone into Escalade first

By Danny King RSS feed

Posted Jan 16th 2013 7:55PM

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Now he tells us. Bob Lutz, who helped spearhead the development of the Chevrolet Volt at General Motors, told UK's Autocar that the Volt's extended-range plug-in powertrain would've been better developed for full-size SUV than a smaller-sized car because of the greater opportunity to cut fuel use compared to gas-guzzling models like the Cadillac Escalade.

Lutz figures prospective customers would be more wiling to pay the plug-in premium if the model in question was an SUV rather than a small-to-mid-sized car because of the greater potential for savings. Despite the actions that he took in the development of the Volt, he now says that he would've first designed an extended-range powertrain for a model like the Escalade before making the powertrain available in smaller vehicles.

Lutz is currently drumming up support for automotive startup Via Motors. This week, Lutz and Via presented three converted GM models at the Detroit Auto Show, including a pickup truck, a SUV and a van. Via, which is expected to price the models at between $70,000 and $80,000, estimates that it will produce 2,700 units in 2013 and about 20,000 in 2014.

Related Gallery2011 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid Platinum: Review

News Source: Autocar

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Natural-gas truck sales will advance about 15 percent a year through 2019

By Danny King RSS feed

Posted Jan 16th 2013 3:59PM

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Driven by fleet and long-distance truck operators who want to save money in the face of climbing gasoline prices, global natural-gas truck sales will likely increase about 15 percent a year for the next six years, Pike Research predicts.

While compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles are far more prevalent than liquefied natural gas (LNG) trucks (there are only about 100 LNG refueling stations worldwide), sales of LNG vehicles will increase about 17 percent a year, compared to CNG's growth rate of about 14 percent. In all, Pike expects about 930,000 natural-gas vehicles will be sold worldwide between 2012 and 2019. Currently, the US has about 1,100 CNG refueling stations, compared to just 61 LNG stations, according to the US Department of Energy.

Vehicle makers and prospective customers have looked to natural-gas fueled vehicles as a way to cut dependency on oil that's produced in politically unstable regions, especially given the abundance of natural gas in North America. General Motors is one of the companies that have expanded the number of trucks that can run on CNG, and Honda has long produced a CNG-powered Civic for US drivers. Check out Pike Research's press release below.

Related Gallery2013 Chevrolet SIlverado 2500 HD Bi-Fuel

News Source: Pike Research

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San Diego company adding 19 E85 pumps at California stations

By Danny King RSS feed

Posted Jan 16th 2013 8:08AM

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Count Pearson Fuels, and the state of California for that matter, is among proponents of boosting ethanol content in light-duty vehicle fuel. San Diego-based Person received a $1.35-million grant to add pumps that distribute fuel with an 85-percent ethanol mix – i.e. E85 – at 19 new gas stations throughout the Golden State.

Pearson, which estimates that the number of California's flex-fuel vehicles runs into the "hundreds of thousands," estimates that the pumps will displace more than 2.7 million gallons of traditional gas a year and will cut greenhouse-gas emissions by more than 25,000 tons annually. The company, which received its grant from the California Energy Commission (CEC), already distributes E85 at about a dozen stations throughout the state, including locations in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Jose.

Selling gas with a higher ethanol content has been a hot-button issue of sorts, with proponents saying it cuts foreign-oil dependency and helps US farms while opponents claim that it's bad for the environment, creates food shortages and can damage engines. The US Environmental Protection Agency last June legalized public sales of a 15-percent ethanol blend (E15), which has 50 percent more ethanol that current standard fuel. Some states such as Maine have gone as far as saying they may ban sales of E15.

Despite having the most registered vehicles in the US, California trails states such as Minnesota, Illinois and Iowa when it comes to E85 stations. Of the country's approximately 2,500 E85 stations, 88 are in California, according to the US Energy Department. Pearson Fuels' press release is available below.

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2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class will be the world's most aerodynamic series production vehicle

By Danny King RSS feed

Posted Jan 15th 2013 3:24PM

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2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class - live in Detroit

It may not look it, but the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class is aerodynamic as all get out. How slippery is it? Well, the compact sedan has a drag coefficient of 0.23, which will make it the world's most aerodynamic series production car when it goes on sale in the US this September. By comparison, the most recent body update for the Toyota Prius cut the drag coefficient of that hybrid model to 0.25 from 0.26, while the 2013 Nissan Leaf electric vehicle has a 0.28 drag coefficient, down from 0.29 for the 2012 version. The Tesla Model S? 0.24.

The Mercedes CLA-Class was shown off at Detroit's Westin Book Cadillac Hotel before the start of the Detroit Auto Show, but won't see the light of day on the show floor. Instead, the model is officially being unveiled later this week in at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Berlin.

The CLA-Class will have a 1.8-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder that delivers 208 horsepower. The model is expected to be priced at about $30,000. You can read more about it here.

Related Gallery2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class: Detroit 2013

News Source: Autoblog

Image Credit: 2013 Steven J. Ewing / AOL

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SF Bay Area will get more quick-charging stations for Nissan Leafs

By Danny King RSS feed

Posted Jan 15th 2013 8:04AM

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Northern California Nissan Leaf owners may be in for their own San Francisco Treat of sorts, as the automaker said it's planning to deploy more quick-charging stations that will be accessible to the electric vehicles, Plug In Car reports.

Nissan spokesman Tim Gallagher, speaking with the San Francisco Bay Area Leaf Owners Association, said that Nissan will add "a lot" of quick chargers during the next 60 days or so, with many being deployed at Nissan dealerships. Gallagher didn't say whether they'd be free to use or would charge drivers.

Still, such chargers, which will use the Japanese-based CHAdeMO standard, will be able to add as many as 60 miles of range to the Leafs in about 25 minutes. More access to quick chargers will likely help Nissan continue its sales upswing for the Leaf, especially in the EV-happy Bay Area. Nissan Leaf sales last month jumped 56 percent from a year earlier to 1,489 units, allowing total-year Leaf sales to overtake 2011's numbers and reach 9,819 units. A big price drop on the 2013 model won't hurt, either.

Related Gallery2012 Nissan Leaf

News Source: Plug In Cars

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Maine considering banning E15 sales

By Danny King RSS feed

Posted Jan 14th 2013 7:09PM

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Maine is located in the upper northeast corner of the continental US, but the state is thinking throw itself smack-dab in the middle of the controversy involving sales of gasoline blends with higher percentages of corn-based ethanol. The Pine Tree State's Department of Environmental Protection is mulling over writing a bill that would ban public sales of gasoline with more than 10 percent ethanol, the Bangor Daily News says.

Some Maine regulators are expressing concern that gasoline blends with 15-percent ethanol, i.e. E15, could potentially damage engines of both light-duty and recreational vehicles. Granted, Maine would only enact the ban if at least two other New England states do the same because going it alone would force Maine refiners to produce a custom blend for the state only, and such a "boutique blend," the newspaper says, could cause Maine's gas prices to jump.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) legalized public sales of E15 last June in part as a way to reduce foreign-oil dependency. Since then, the EPA has been under fire from a variety of entities ranging from environmentalists to auto groups who fear engine damage and voided warranties as well as environmental damage and food shortages spurred by the additional demand for corn.

News Source: Bangor Daily News

Image Credit: Visit Maine

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California Coda dealer drops all-electric Sedan price to $25,000

Honda officially starts '14 Accord Plug-in Sales in New York, California

Related Gallery2014 Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid: LA 2012

Detroit's 'Anti-Auto Show' shows another side of the automobile

European EV sales will jump fivefold by decade's end

Federal court denies trade groups' request to ban E15

California Coda dealer drops all-electric Sedan price to $25,000

Related Gallery2012 Coda Sedan: Quick Spin

Better Place's second CEO in four months steps down

Zero Motorcycles gives $2,500 extra for gas-powered trade-ins

Related GalleryZero Motorcycles 2012 line up

Prius C tops ACEEE's greenest vehicle list, Ford "wins" for meanest

Related GalleryToyota Prius C

Bob Lutz: Volt plug-in powertrain should have gone into Escalade first

Related Gallery2011 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid Platinum: Review

Natural-gas truck sales will advance about 15 percent a year through 2019

Related Gallery2013 Chevrolet SIlverado 2500 HD Bi-Fuel

San Diego company adding 19 E85 pumps at California stations

2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class will be the world's most aerodynamic series production vehicle

Related Gallery2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class: Detroit 2013

SF Bay Area will get more quick-charging stations for Nissan Leafs

Related Gallery2012 Nissan Leaf

Maine considering banning E15 sales

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