2007 Honda Civic Lx Sedan 4-door 1.8l on 2040-cars

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Honda Walking Assist Device begins US testing at Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago

For years, we've been wondering what implications Honda's Asimo robot could have in the real world, and now we're starting to get a sense of that. Honda announced that it will begin its first US clinical studies of the Walking Assist Device at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago in an effort to provided improved mobility for people who have suffered a stroke. While the automotive tie-in here is pretty weak, this is the first time we've heard about this device since it was unveiled back in 2008.
Weighing in at six pounds, Honda's device is fitted to the waist and legs of patients to make it easier to walk, and the 22.2-volt lithium-ion battery provides enough electricity for more than an hour of operation. According to Honda's press release, which is posted below, up to 80 percent of the almost 800,000 stroke victims each year (in the US alone) are afflicted with limited mobility, so a medical aid like this could have a big impact in the real world.

Recharge Wrap-up: First VW e-Golf in US up for auction, meet Project Ain't Fuelin'

Volkswagen is auctioning the first e-Golf in the US to raise money for Global Green USA. The auction is live now, and bidding goes until 3:30 pm Eastern on October 29. Global Green USA will use the proceeds to help find solutions to climate change, and the winner will get to enjoy emissions-free driving before the car e-Golf goes on sale in November. If you don't live in or near California, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont or Washington DC, you might want to sit this one out, as the car will only be available to pick up at dealers in those initial launch states. Go bid now, or learn more in the press release below. Berlin, Germany will use Solaris electric buses for a complete bus line in 2015. The downtown line will run 3.8 miles between Zoologischer Garten Station and Sudkreuz. The transport operator Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) will use four of the Solaris e-buses for the test, each about 39 feet long. The buses use a 200-kilowatt inductive charging system at the ends of the line to recharge in just a few minutes. The government-funded test runs through 2016, but BVG pans to use the electric buses beyond that timeline. Read more at Green Car Congress. The American Petroleum Institute (API) is worried that the Obama administration will use ethanol requirements to influence a Senate race in Iowa. In the midst of a close race against Republican Joni Ernst, Representative Bruce Braley, the Democratic candidate, is urging Obama to reject a cut in the Renewable Fuel Standard. The November election approaches, meanwhile the EPA continues to delay issuing an ethanol requirement for the year, with or without its proposed 16-percent reduction. Rejecting the cut could help get farmers and ethanol producers on the side of Braley. "We are very concerned that the signals we are seeing from the administration is that the political calculations are outweighing sound fuels policy," says API's Bob Greco. Read more at Businessweek. Project Ain't Fuelin' aims to fix up old cars to return them to original fuel economy, and then surpass it. Episode 3 of Valvoline's Under The Hood video series features Daniel Gray of MPGomatic, who is doing just that to a 1999 Honda Civic HX Coupe. He aims to get 50 mpg out of the old Civic by tuning it up, tinkering with the aerodynamics, switching to more efficient tires and other modifications.

Chevy Malibu Hybrid wins 2016 Connected Green Car of the Year

From the Washington Auto Show today, Green Car Journal's Ron Cogan announced three different fuel-efficient vehicle awards. They were: 2016 Connected Green Car of the Year: Chevy Malibu Hybrid 2016 Luxury Green Car of the Year: Volvo XC90 T8 2016 Green SUV of the Year: Honda HR-V The Volvo was nominated in two categories, but it did not win the Connected Green Car of the Year. Speaking of non-winners, the other green SUV finalists were the BMW X1 XDrive28i, Hyundai Tucson, Mazda CX-3, and Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. The other Luxury Green Car finalists included the BMW x5 xDrive40e, Lexus RX 450h, Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid, and the Mercedes-Benz C350e. Finally, the Audi A3 e-tron, BMW 330e, Toyota Prius, and Volvo XC90 T8 were the runners up for Connected Green Car. 2016 Connected Green Car of the Year, Green SUV of the Year, Luxury Green Car of the Year Winners Announced WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Green Car Journal has announced the winners of its prestigious 2016 Green Car Awards at a press conference held today during the Washington Auto Show's Public Policy Day in Washington DC. Distinguished as 2016 Luxury Green Car of the Year™ is Volvo's new XC90 T8. The Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid tops the field as 2016 Connected Green Car of the Year™ and Honda's HR-V earns Green Car Journal's 2016 Green SUV of the Year™. "These are stand-out vehicles in an increasingly sophisticated and appealing field of 'green' cars," said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and CarsOfChange.com. "To make the cut as a finalist is a real achievement in itself considering the considerable competition in the market today. Rising to the top as award winners means these three exceptional vehicles set a benchmark in the auto industry's effort to create vehicles that are desirable and efficient, while also achieving environmental milestones so important for our driving future." The Green Car Awards are a key feature of The Washington Auto Show, the "public policy show" on the auto show circuit and one that puts a priority on safety and sustainability. "We are extremely proud of our partnership with Ron Cogan, whose eagerly anticipated suite of awards help shape the national conversation on the innovations that will drive our industry and country forward," said Geoff Pohanka, chairman of The Washington Auto Show.