2011 Ford Expedition El 4x4 8-passenger Sunroof Tow 50k Texas Direct Auto on 2040-cars

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Ford Explorer is America's new favorite police car

There is a new vehicle that you should keep an eye out for when you're going a little too fast down the Interstate. Ford's Explorer-based Police Interceptor Utility was the bestselling new law enforcement model in the country last year, and signs show that won't be changing anytime soon.
Ford sold 14,086 Interceptor Utilities in 2013, up 140% from the year before, and 10,897 Interceptor Sedans, up 31%, according to USA Today. Overall, the brand's police sales were up 48 percent, and they were enough to boost the company's law enforcement vehicle market share by 9 points to nearly 50 percent.
The success comes just a few years after it made the decision to finally retire the long-serving Crown Victoria-based cruiser for two more modern vehicles. "We had to reinvent the category," said Chris Terry of Ford Communications to Autoblog. The automaker had to convince police departments that a unibody chassis without a V8 could perform better than a model that had been a law enforcement staple for years.

Recharge Wrap-up: Ford 1.0L EcoBoost a hit in Europe; Build a tiny inverter, win $1 million

In Europe, Ford's 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine is the best-selling turbocharged gasoline engine. The three-cylinder motor powers 20 percent of new Fords sold in Europe. Earlier this year, it won its third International Engine of the Year award, and between January and June, it was sold in about 120,000 cars. So far this year, 38 percent of Fords sold in the Netherlands, 35 percent in Denmark and 32 percent in Switzerland have been powered by the 1.0-liter EcoBoost. The engine's turbocharger spins at 248,000 rpm, and provides 24 psi of pressure. The engine produces up to 138 horsepower, depending on the version. Read more in the press release below. When lithium-ion battery packs are retired from the road, remanufacturing, repurposing, and recycling are worthwhile options, according to a study by Mineta Transportation Institute. The study included a cost-benefit analysis of those three options, and found remanufacturing to be the best route. To get the most out of them, batteries should be tested and have their damaged cells replaced then put back to use. Repurposing is the second best option, using the remaining available charge for something besides cars. Recycling on its own isn't profitable, but it could make economic sense with "increased technological breakthroughs." Learn more at Recycling International or download the report here. A smaller inverter for EVs can win you $1 million. The Little Box Challenge is an open competition to build a power inverter with a density of at least 50 watts per cubic inch. Google and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) are offering the hefty prize to the team that builds the inverter with the highest power density within an enclosed volume of 40 cubic inches. Teams must register by September 30. Read more at Green Car Congress or learn more at the Little Box Challenge website.

Recharge Wrap-Up: Tesla, CarCharging and the EPA

Credit Suisse analysts are bullish on Tesla. The group gives the electric car company's stock an "outperform" rating with a target price of $325. For its continued success, Credit Suisse cites the vehicles' superior technology, in turn offering more torque, roominess and reliability. Says analyst Dan Galves said of Tesla's competition with ICEs, "If Tesla can get to cost-parity with Internal Combustion vehicles and still offer $1,400 to $2,500 per year fuel savings to the consumer, it won't be a fair fight." Read more at Yahoo Finance or at Business Insider. In other Tesla news, Tesla Model S owners will be able to unlock and start their car using an iPhone. The Tesla app is adding this functionality soon, perhaps with the update to iOS 8. It's not yet clear how this function will work, but it's one more innovative convenience feature that Model S owners can enjoy. That means drivers will have less to carry in their pockets or purses when they go for a drive. Read more at 9 to 5 Mac. CarCharging Group has remotely lowered the amperage on some of its residential users' Blink charging stations to 24 amps. This will slow down the charging time for affected customers with 6.6-kilowatt charging by about 15 percent. The company cited safety reasons for the move, with concerns about overheating. The amperage reduction is temporary, until CarCharging is able to provide replacement parts for the chargers. Some are concerned about the delayed action, as well as the fact that the reduction was handled without owner permission. Read more at Plugin Cars. Ford is halting test drives and sales of certain C-Max hybrid and Focus models due to a safety concern. Cars made during a single week this month at a Michigan factory may not have enough ball bearings in the steering gear assembly, which could lead to loss of control. None of the affected cars have been sold, Ford says, and about 50 units are currently at dealerships. Just over 600 will need to be recalled. Dealerships have been notified of the problem. Read more at Reuters and the The Detroit News. A new EPA report shows that urban air in the US is becoming less toxic since the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. The report shows a 66-percent reduction in benzene, almost 60 percent reduction in mercury from man-made sources, 84 percent less lead and more.