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Car flies off Pittsburgh parkway and into auto shop parking lot

A motorist lost control of their car on a Pittsburgh freeway yesterday and, after hitting a curb, flew off the freeway and crashed into the parking lot of a local auto shop. According to KDKA, an unidentified motorist was driving along Parkway West in a Kia Optima just after noon on January 30 when they missed a sharp turn near the Campbell Road exit. The Kia hit the curb, flew into the air, smashed through Snyder Brothers' Automotive's sign, and landed nose-first in the repair shop's parking lot. "It sounded like a shower of debris hitting the floor, you know, the ground out there," owner Donald Snyder told KDKA. "We ran out there and we had 911 on the phone and he told me to check him out. We were checking him out. I looked at him, he didn't have no bruises on him, no scratches, it was amazing," Snyder told reporters that this isn't the first time a car has flown off the Parkway and into their lot. In fact, it's the eighth one in nine years. "We've had cars flip over, catch on fire. Hit the building, time and time again," said Snyder. "You know, coming down 376 and when you're in the right hand lane to exit – that's a long run. I think people, they are not prepared to make that sharp turn. Also, I think people become distracted. This fellow, he didn't even hit his brakes, he just kept going straight without turning." Snyder has reported the situation to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation numerous times. He said that PennDOT keeps putting up warning signs, but they just get destroyed by the next person who misses the corner and crashes into his lot. He told KDKA that he just wants people to be careful out on the Parkway. "Slow down and be aware of that sharp turn," said Snyder. Related Video:

Recharge Wrap-up: Kia Soul EV, Renault Zoe range boosts

California has removed its limit on the number of HOV lane access stickers available for plug-in hybrids. While the state removed limits for white stickers for solo drivers of battery electric vehicles to use the carpool lane, the green stickers for PHEVs and range-extended EVs had a limit of 85,000, which was reached months ago. Now, BEVs and PHEVs will each have an unlimited number of access stickers until the program expires on January 1, 2019. Read more at Green Car Reports. Kia could improve the driving range of the Soul EV in order to better compete with newer offerings. While its 93-mile range was competitive with most EVs when it was launched as a 2015 model, the Nissan Leaf and BMW i3 have since surpassed it, and other forthcoming affordable EVs like the Chevy Bolt and Tesla Model 3 will set the bar even higher. As such, Autocar says the Soul EV should get a range boost with a mid-cycle refresh for the 2018 model year. Read more at Autocar, and at Green Car Reports. Renault said to be set to unveil a new Zoe EV with a driving range of over 200 miles. With a debut at the Paris Motor Show in October, the popular European EV hatchback will about double its current range. Using a new battery pack from LG Chem, as well as a smaller, more efficient electric motor, the improved range would help make the Zoe even more popular as people make the switch to electric driving in Europe. Read more from Electrek. Related Gallery 2016 Renault Zoe Z.E.: Geneva 2016 View 16 Photos News Source: Green Car Reports, Green Car Reports, Autocar, ElectrekImage Credit: Kia Government/Legal Green Kia Renault Electric recharge wrapup

Kia KX3 crossover concept leaked

Despite all the focus on the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show, there's another increasingly important event happening on the other side of the planet. The Guangzho Motor Show is yet another expression of China's growing automotive might. Not only does the show boast a concurrent introduction with the LA Auto Show, in the form of the Mercedes-Maybach S600, but it has at least one exclusive item, with the Kia KX3 Concept.
Looking like a Soul mixed with a Sportage, the KX3 heralds the arrival of a production model based on the Hyundai ix35, known here in the US as the Hyundai Tucson. Whether that model will make Stateside, though, is another story.
If it does, World Car Fans claims it will be with either a 2.0-liter four-cylinder or a 1.6-liter turbocharged four, both of which should be familiar to Hyundai/Kia shoppers. While WCF says there will be a manual-transmission option, we shouldn't count on any gearbox beyond a dual-clutch automatic.