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Recharge Wrap-up: BMW i3 Super Bowl ad, Tesla updates backup camera

For the fourth year in a row, fuel economy is the biggest factor in buying a new vehicle. A new report from JD Power and Associates found that, despite cheaper gas, customers still sought out fuel-sipping cars. 14 percent of survey responders cited mileage as the biggest concern when shopping for a new car, and the second most important reason to reject a vehicle. The biggest deal-breaker, though, when it comes to buying a new car is much more superficial: 30 percent of shoppers cite appearance as the main reason to avoid buying a particular vehicle. Read more at Automotive News, or in the press release below. Tesla's 6.1 Firmware update for the Model S makes maneuvering the car in reverse a bit easier. The update includes reverse guiding lines for the rear-view camera when backing up. Combined with the parking sensors, the new lines in the display make it easier to place the car into parking spots by showing where the car will be positioned based on the angle of the steering wheel. Two white lines curve with the steering to show where the car is going. Check it out in the video below or read more at Teslarati. BMW will air a new ad for the i3 during Super Bowl XLIX. The 60-second commercial will play during the first quarter of the game on Sunday, February 1. BMW didn't give the whole idea behind the TV spot away, but did hint at the concept behind the ad. "Big ideas like the BMW i3 take a little getting used to, and the creative idea surrounding our spot will play on this analogy," says BMW's Trudy Hardy. Despite Cheap Gas, Fuel Efficiency Still a Primary Concern Exterior Look/Design Top Reason Buyers Don't Even Consider a Vehicle WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: 14 January 2015 - Despite gas prices falling to their lowest levels since 2010, fuel economy-for a fourth consecutive year-remains the most influential factor among the majority of new-vehicle buyers in determining which vehicle they select, according to the J.D. Power 2015 U.S. Avoider StudySM released today. The study, now in its 12th year, examines the reasons consumers purchase, reject or do not consider-or avoid-particular models when shopping for a new vehicle. According to the study, 14 percent of new-vehicle owners cite gas mileage as the most influential reason for selecting the vehicle they ultimately purchased. At the segment level, gas mileage is the primary purchase reason among buyers of compact, small and midsize cars and compact MPVs.

Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla Model S races TVR Tuscan S, Chicago considers E15

Continental might end a partnership with Korean battery manufacturer SK Innovation due to low demand. Lower-than-expected growth and an abundance of competition have cast a shadow over the partners' plans to supply lithium ion batteries for electric cars. Continental CFO Wolfgang Schaefer sees interest in EVs, but says consumers "are delaying their purchases," leading the Germany-based company to find a way to end the deal. Read more at Bloomberg. Chargemaster has installed the Rapid EV quick charging network in Wiltshire, England. The six "triple standard" chargers are equipped with CHAdeMO, DC 44 kilowatt CCS Combi and AC 43 kilowatt Type 2 plugs to support a wide variety of electric vehicles. The charging stations are linked to the country's Polar network, and can charge cars to 80 percent in 20 minutes. The chargers are free to use. Read more at Hybrid Cars. A bill in Chicago could allow retailers to sell E15 within city limits. The suggested amendment to the Chicago Clean Air Choice ordinance is intended to help reduce air pollution and promote energy security and independence by supporting ethanol. "By reducing our dependence on fossil fuels by increasing ethanol usage, this ordinance is supporting a renewable fuel that is grown in America, keeping American dollars and troops at home, instead of sending them overseas," says Alderman Anthony Beale. Read more at Domestic Fuel. Probably just because they could, Auto Express pitted a Tesla Model S against a TVR Tuscan S in a drag race. The publication put the cars through multiple runs throughout the day with the electric car up against the inline-6-equipped TVR on an 1800-meter runway, and posted the cars' best times for the day. We won't spoil the results here, so watch what happens in the video below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: Bloomberg, Hybrid Cars, Domestic Fuel, YouTube: Auto ExpressImage Credit: YouTube: Auto Express Green Tesla Ethanol Electric Racing Vehicles Videos recharge wrapup

Why stories of low Tesla Model S sales should be salted

Trying to guess Tesla Model S sales in the US has become a parlor game of sorts. Thing is, it's a game not worth playing, Daily Kanban says. We're on board with that. Guessing Model S sales with any sort of accuracy is difficult, if not impossible, because Tesla, unlike other automakers, doesn't publish monthly sales figures (it only does so quarterly). Additionally, the California-based company lumps its global sales into one quarterly total. That means domestic Model S sales aren't disclosed either. So, when Tesla publishes its 2014 sales figures later this month, that's all the public will know: the 2014 global sales of the Model S. No more, no less. Daily Kanban went on its rant largely because some publications sounded an alarm of sorts by saying Model S sales plunged between December and January. The site also compared estimates by Autodata, Automotive News and Inside EVs with actual US registrations (as captured by Polk Automotive) and basically uncovered a lot of spitting into the wind. For the record, we stopped calculating Model S estimates in our green-car monthly sales estimates because of such lack of transparency. Here's hoping that Tesla eventually starts making its US sales figures public, but until then (and we'll likely be waiting a long time), it's anyone's guess. Featured Gallery 2015 Tesla Model S P85D: Detroit 2015 View 18 Photos News Source: Daily Kanban Green Tesla Electric ev sales