GREEN SHIFT
Ok, linten up. Green is not the colour of nerds
Changing attitudes on vehicles and driving
U.S. Republican leaders and Fox News alarmists might take exception, but for the second consecutive year the Chevrolet Volt has dominated Consumer Reports’ annual owner-satisfaction ranking. Ninety-two per cent of responding Volt owners in a poll of the magazine’s subscribers said they would buy a Volt again, reports industry journal Automotive News. Several other fuelefficient models also scored highly, including Toyota’s Camry Hybrid, Prius and Prius C as well as Nissan’s Leaf plug-in electric car. The Volt’s dominance in the independent, not-forprofit organization’s poll for the second straight year is sweet affirmation for GM executives “who’ve battled bad press from early soft sales, scathing criticism from opponents of ‘green-car’ subsidies, and a U.S. government safety probe that turned up no significant risks.”
Consumer Reports ranks Volt “most loved car”:
BMW i brand concept line expands:
“Sustainable premium-class motoring with zero local emissions” is the goal of the BMW i3 Concept Coupe unveiled at the recent Los Angeles Auto Show. As another version of the four-door i3 concept sedan that bowed last year, the three-door coupe is another step to getting the first all-electric model from the BMW i brand into series production. The i3 brand, represents “a pioneering form of urban mobility,” says BMW. It conveys “an undeniable sense of dynamism.” Like the i3 Concept sedan, the coupe is propelled by an electric motor developed by the BMW Group. It develops 170 horsepower and peak torque of 184 pound-feet, channeling its instantaneous power delivery to the rear wheels through a single-speed transmission.
New cars already beating 2016 economy mandate:
Some said it couldn’t be done, but one in four new vehicles currently sold in the United States meets U.S government emissions standards set for 2016, according to a report by the Environmental Protection Agency. Nearly 90 models sold today either meet 2016 standards of 35.5 miles per U.S. gallon (6.63 L/100 km or can be made to meet them with “cheap and easy” improvement or adjustments. Half run on gasoline, however, and of those, none could meet the 54.5-mpg (4.32 L/100 km) bar set for 2025. The Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) requirements are expected to add about $2,000 US to the cost of each new car by then, indicating that automakers will need to greatly accelerate the move toward electrification.
An attractive provincial rebate on home-and-office electric vehicle rechargers will start in Ontario in January. Worth the lesser of $1,000 or half the cost of a 240-volt charging station, the rebate aims to encourage more vehicle buyers, both private and commercial, to adopt electric technology, and to reward those who have already flipped the switch. A 240-volt charger typically cuts in half the time needed to recharge a battery-powered electric vehicle. Ontario also has a $5,000-to$8,500 rebate in place toward the consumer purchase price of new electric vehicles.
Ontario gets electrically proactive:
Fiat showed its upcoming electric mini hatchback at the recent Los Angeles Auto Show, promoting not just its plug-in electric powertrain, but also the extent to which the runabout can be personally customized by its owner, and touting its many EV-only gadgets and features. Drive comes by way of a 111-horsepower electric motor with 147 poundfeet of torque that should ensure spritely, quiet, emissions-free acceleration. Riding on 15-inch Firestone low-rollingresistance tires, its range is expected to be about 125 kilometres per charge, but Fiat says reports of more than 160 kilometres isn’t uncommon. Multi-contrasting exterior colour combos include an e-Sport package, while the interior can be outfitted “hundreds” of different ways.
Fresh-faced Fiat 500 E stands out:
London bears down on downtown vehicle traffic:
London's notorious downtown “congestion charge” could soon exclude only fully electric vehicles and a few hybrids, gouging revenue from the drivers of other efficient but non-electric vehicles. New city emission rules would cut current congestion-exempt vehicle emission limits by about 25 per cent, leaving only ele-ctric vehicles and a handful of hybrids that operate below the proposed new standard. Britain’s This Is Money magazine reports that only about 19,000 mostly small diesel-engined vehicles in the city that don’t pay the about $16 US daily charge. If approved by Mayor Boris Johnson, the move would boost congestion-charge revenues, currently around $170 million US, and might help plug-in electric vehicle sales as well.