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Recharge Wrap-up: Ford steals Best Green Brand spot from Toyota, EV buyer survey goes online

Chevrolet is one of the Top Global Green Brands of 2014, according to brand consultancy firm Interbrand. Chevy ranks number 32 on the list, which cover brands across a wide variety of segments. The report measures brand perception and brand performance, and the gap between the two is small for Chevrolet. "The company is not only actively demonstrating its environmental commitment," says Interbrand CEO Jez Frampton. "It's communicating those efforts in an authentic way that resonates with customers." Chevrolet cites its Spark EV, Volt and Cruze models as reason for its green cred. This is the first time Toyota didn't take the top spot. Being 32nd is good and all, but other automotive brands ranked much higher than the Bowtie. Ford, Toyota, Honda and Nissan took the top four spots in the report, respectively, with BMW, Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz all besting Chevrolet. The big takeaway here is that Ford topped the list. In the Top Global Green Brand list's four-year history, this is the first time Toyota didn't take the top spot. Ford was second on the list last year, and 15th in 2012. "Ford embodies everything the business of the future must be: efficient, visionary, flexible, adept at problem-solving, cooperative, and focused on creating shared value," Interbrand says on its website. "From unveiling a first-of-its-kind solar-powered vehicle, the C-MAX Solar Energi Concept, to partnering with peers across sectors to do the seemingly impossible - like creating bio-plastic out of tomato fiber with Heinz-Ford is showing us what's possible." It bears mentioning that Ford's most recent MPG adjustments came after the study was conducted. Ford is also making the news for its 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine earning International Engine of the Year for the third straight year. Awarded Best Engine Under 1.0 Liter, the turbocharged three-cylinder motor earned high praise from judges. "This year's competition was the fiercest yet, but the 1.0-liter EcoBoost continues to stand out for all the right reasons – great refinement, surprising flexibility and excellent efficiency," said International Engine of the Year co-chairman Dean Slavnich. "The 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine is one of the finest examples of powertrain engineering." The 123-horsepower engine powers the Fiesta 1.0-liter EcoBoost, and will be available in a version of the Ford Focus in the US later this year. See more about the award in the press release, below.

2015 Chevrolet Silverado Custom glitzes up volume model [UPDATE]

UPDATE: The original prices listed in Chevrolet's press release did include destination charging, despite not being specifically called out as such. We've edited the story to reflect this. The Chicago Auto Show's reputation as the home of special edition debuts grows stronger today, as Chevrolet is complementing the news that it'd unveil the Silverado Midnight Edtion and Colorado GearOn special editions in the Windy City with the debut of the Silverado Custom. And yes, it's different than the higher-spec Custom Sport that debuted just last month in Detroit. What's so custom about the Silverado Custom, you ask? Well, not a whole lot. The new truck is based on the popular Silverado LS Double Cab, and adds, among its most noteworthy features, a set of 20-inch, five-spoke wheels. From there, chrome is the order of the day, with shinier front and rear bumpers, mirror caps and door handles. The top portion of the front bumper, which is finished in black plastic on the standard LS, is matched to the body color on the Custom model. Standard LS interior features, like the 4.2-inch MyLink system with 4G LTE wireless internet, 40/20/40 cloth front seats, remain in place on the Custom, while it's a similar story with the powertrain. Choices below the sheetmetal will force buyers to choose between a 5.3-liter V8 or a standard 4.3-liter V6, and two- or four-wheel drive. Chevy is pricing a V8-equipped Silverado Custom 4x2 at $33,820 (including $1,195 in destination charges). Adding four-wheel drive brings the price up at $37,800, although as we said, selecting the 4.3-liter V6 will yield a more affordable Custom. Check out the full press release on the newest member of the Silverado clan, available below. 2015 Silverado Custom: Back to Basics, with Style $33,820 starting price for a well-equipped double-cab V-8 CHICAGO – Chevrolet takes aim at the heart of the pickup market with the Silverado Custom, which offers Chevy Truck capability and dependability in a stylish package, priced within reach of many truck customers. "The economic recovery has led to booming sales of high-end pickups like the Silverado High Country," said Sandor Piszar, marketing director for Chevy Trucks. "But there are also millions of customers in the heart of the market who want a great looking, well-equipped truck at an affordable price.

2023 Grand National Roadster Show Mega Photo Gallery | Hot rod heaven

POMONA, Calif. — From an outsider's perspective, it would be easy to assume that the Grand National Roadster Show has always been a Southern California institution. After all, it celebrates the diverse postwar car culture of the region — hot rods, lead sleds, lowriders, and more. However, the show had its roots in NorCal in 1950 when Al Slonaker and his hot rod club showed their custom cars at the Oakland Expo. The GNRS moved to Pomona, California, in 2004. By then it had grown exponentially and seen about a dozen more car customization trends come and go. However, the show and its centerpiece award, the America's Most Beautiful Roadster prize, celebrate what is perhaps the first of those trends: the American hot rod in its purest form. Today, in its 73rd year, the GNRS is the oldest indoor car show in America. Annually it welcomes 500-800 cars, gathered into special themes like Tri-Five Chevys or Volkswagen Bugs. At this year's show, which was last weekend, a special hall was dedicated to pickup trucks built between 1948-98, including mini-trucks, groovy camper bed conversions, and resto-mods.  However, of all the vehicles presented, only nine are eligible for the America's Most Beautiful Roadster award. Winners get their names engraved on a 9-foot-tall perpetual trophy that was, according to The Ultimate Hot Rod Dictionary, the largest in the world when it debuted in 1950. Slonaker chose the word "roadster" initially because "hot rod" bore slightly negative outlaw connotations in 1950. Only American cars built before 1937 of certain body styles — roadsters, roadster pickups, phaetons, touring cars — are eligible, and they cannot have roll-down side windows.  Cars in the running for the cup cannot have been shown anywhere else before their debut at the GNRS.  Contestants for this accolade essentially build their cars to the a platonic ideal of a hot rod. This year the honors went to Jack Chisenhall of San Antonio, Texas, for his "Champ Deuce," a 1932 Ford Roadster. It's exactly what you picture when you think of a hot rod, but distilled to its absolute essence.  Other standouts included "Green Eyes," a two-tone green 1959 Chevy El Camino  with a heavily metal-flaked bed, "Blue Monday," a 1964 Buick Riviera lowrider, and a personal favorite, "Purple Reign," a purple and black 1951 Mercury. Cars may have started out as tools, but there aren't shows like this filled with custom refrigerators.