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Hyundai, Mazda and Ford offering support to victims of Colorado flooding

Hyundai, Mazda and Ford have initiated programs to aid victims of the recent floods across Colorado. Hyundai is stepping in to give help directly to drivers, offering those with flood-damaged vehicles a $750 credit on a new Hyundai. "At this stressful time, the last thing flood victims should be concerned with is how they are going to replace their water-damaged or destroyed vehicles," Dave Zuchowski, executive vice president of Hyundai's American sales, said.
The Hyundai program will run from September 18 through the end of October, and will cover all citizens in counties declared disaster areas by FEMA. Residents will need to provide proof of residency and a letter from their insurance company describing the damage to their vehicle.
Mazda, on Friday, announced that it'd be donating $25,000 to the American Red Cross and a further $15,000 to the Humane Society of Boulder Valley, in the name of disaster relief. Mazda's President and CEO, Jim O'Sullivan, said, "The flooding across the states of Colorado, Texas and New Mexico has been absolutely devastating for not only the people living there but their four-legged loved ones as well. Mazda hopes that those in need can get the help they deserve through such great organizations as American Red Cross and Humane Society of Boulder Valley."

Consumer Reports criticizes small turbo engines for misleading performance, fuel economy claims [w/video]

Consumer Reports has taken aim at at small-displacement, forced-induction engines, saying the powerplants don't manage to deliver on automaker fuel economy claims. Manufacturers have long held that smaller, turbocharged engines pack all power of their larger displacement cousins with significantly better fuel economy, but the research organization says that despite scoring high EPA economy numbers, the engines are no better than conventional drivetrains in both categories. Jake Fisher, director of automotive testing for Consumer Reports, says the forced induction options "are often slower and less fuel efficient than larger four and six-cylinder engines."
Specifically, CR calls out the new Ford Fusion equipped with the automaker's Ecoboost 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine. The institute's researchers found the engine, which is a $795 option over the base 2.5-liter four-cylinder, fails to match competitors in acceleration and served up 25 miles per gallon in testing, putting the sedan dead last among other midsize options.
The Chevrolet Cruze, Hyundai Sonata Turbo and Ford Escape 2.0T all got dinged for the same troubles, though Consumer Reports has found the turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder in the BMW 328i does deliver on its promises. You can check out the full press release below. You can also read the full study on the Consumer Reports site, or scroll down for a short video recap.

Recharge Wrap-up: Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell logs moon-worthy mileage, Kolle makes Renault Kangoo ZE pickup

A French company called Kolle has made a pickup truck version of the Renault Kangoo ZE. The converted version of the electric van retains the same battery and drivetrain, offering a range of 106 miles, plus a bit more utility without the restraints of a roof over the cargo area. The tailgate is separated into two hinged doors, which swing open to the side for loading and unloading. Payload is about 1,433 pounds. The price is about $16,400, which includes incentives, but not the price of the battery. Read more at Inside EVs, and get more details at the Kolle website. Drivers in southern California have put enough cumulative miles on the Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell to reach the moon. The hydrogen-powered crossover recently surpassed a combined 238,900 miles, which is the average distance from Earth to the moon. Mileage and other helpful information is gathered from participating owners periodically. "Surpassing this fundamental stellar threshold gives us a glimpse into the unlimited zero-emissions potential for Hyundai fuel cells," says Hyundai's Mike O'Brien. "If a small fleet of hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles can accumulate this kind of mileage in just a few short months, one can only imagine the potential for a zero-emissions hydrogen vehicle future." Read more in the press release below. A cross-country trip in a pickup running on chicken fat is scheduled for March 8. Cliff Ricketts, an agribusiness and agriscience professor at Tennessee State University, originally began the trip in November, running on biodiesel made from chicken fat. The 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit pickup's transmission broke near Kansas City, cutting short the trip between Key West, Florida and Seattle, Washington. With the truck repaired, he hopes to make the 3,550-mile trip next month. During his earlier attempt, though, Ricketts logged fuel economy ranging from 36 to more than 45 miles per gallon. Read more at Domestic Fuel. HYUNDAI TUCSON FUEL CELL DRIVERS FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ACCUMULATE SUFFICIENT MILEAGE TO REACH THE MOON EMISSIONS-FREE Cumulative Zero-emissions Mileage by Fuel Cell Drivers Surpasses 238,900 Miles FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., February 25, 2015 – Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell drivers have surpassed an impressive threshold, recently accumulating more than 238,900 miles on the roads of Southern California, all while emitting only clean water vapor.