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Recharge Wrap-up: Uber drops rates in NYC, Renault Zoes for Rungis, Nissan Leaf is recycled

Uber is really taking it to cabbies in New York City. The car-hailing smartphone app has temporarily cut rates to its lowest-cost UberX service by 20 percent, now making it much more competitive - even cheaper in many cases - to request a ride from the app than to hail a NYC taxi. Also, tip is included in Uber's rate, while yellow cab fares do not include tip. However, Uber's rates vary depending on certain variables such as traffic and demand. Uber has been the target of protests by cabbies in other cities, but the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission seems confident about the competition for the time being. Read more at CNN Money. Formula E is officially partnering with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, an environmental charity organization focused on climate change, clean energy, biodiversity and water management. Formula E will host fundraising activities during its events to benefit the foundation, as well as its other charity partner, One Drop. The Prince of Monaco, besides his passion for environmental issues, is also an automotive enthusiast with a massive car collection, so the all-electric race series seems like a perfect fit for his organization. Read more at Formula E's website. Semmaris has purchased a fleet of seven Renault Zoe electric cars for its Rungis International Market outside of Paris. The fleet is part of an effort to reduce the market's carbon footprint, as well as as part of an awareness campaign for clean technology. Rungis Market is a destination for some 25,000 customers, many of whom run businesses (especially restaurants) and travel to Rungis for supplies, the sort of trip for which electric vehicles make a lot of sense. The market will also install charging stations, and create an electric carsharing service for use on its campus. Read more about the program in the press release below. The Nissan Leaf has reduced CO2 emissions by 151,000 tons, but its green cred also extends to recycling. About 25 percent of the Nissan Leaf - or about 827 pounds of the car - is made from recycled materials. Those materials include metals such as copper, steel and aluminum, as well as plastics and fabrics. The body uses recycled metals, the seat fabric uses recycled PET from plastic bottles, sound insulation comes from recycled clothing and the center console is made from recycled electronics. Even some of the recycled materials get recycled.

Renault Sc'enic minivan crosses over with new Xmod variant

Renault has given us all the goods on its newest crossover, the Scénic Xmod, one month in advance of the vehicle's world debut at the Geneva Motor Show. The Xmod seeks to punch up the Scénic line of small MPVs with all-wheel drive and slightly butched up looks. (It's a formula that has panned out well for the French automaker before, with the likes of the Scénic RX4 and Scénic Conquest, for what it's worth.)
Visually, the Xmod takes us on a trip to crossover land, with increased ride height, beefier front and rear bumpers, side sill guards and a pair of utile, chrome-finished roof bars. Special alloy wheels and a set of LED daytime running lights complete the visual package.
Renault is also touting the use of its new Grip Xtend traction control system that includes a driver-adjustable knob to tailor the traction control to different surfaces, but the model is not available with all-wheel drive.

Mercedes reveals new seven-seat Citan Crewbus

Even though the commercial vehicle segment here in the US is still dominated by American automakers, Mercedes-Benz continues to be a top automaker for global work vehicles, including its recently introduced Citan. Built as a part of the Daimler-Renault alliance and sharing its design with the Renault Kangoo, the Mercedes-Benz Citan gets some notable upgrades including an optional diesel engine, available custom body conversions and a new stretched, seven-passenger model.
Going on sale next spring, the Citan Crewbus (shown above) adds a third row of seating with two seats in the back that can slide fore or aft to maximize passenger comfort, or they can be removed altogether for more cargo space. Currently, the Citan is only sold in Europe, but that will soon expand to include Asia, Chile and the Middle East. We asked a Mercedes spokesperson if there's a chance we'll ever see the Citan in the US to compete against small commercial vans like the Ford Transit Connect, Nissan NV200 and Chevrolet City Express, and the response was that there are "no plans" to do so.
Scroll down to check out the press release as well as galleries for both the new Crewbus and other variants of the 2014 Citan.