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Recharge Wrap-up: Toyota i-Road and COMS in France, Tesla tours Northeast, EV attitudes in UK

Toyota's i-ROAD and COMS teeny, tiny, city EVs are joining the Citelib carsharing fleet in Grenoble, France. The ultra-compact EVs, which will become available in October, are meant to supplement the Grenoble metropolitan area's existing public transit infrastructure, which includes trams, buses and trains. Toyota's i-ROAD and COMS will be connected to the transit systems IT infrastructure, allowing users to visualize their route on their smartphone or computer, and reserve and pay for their car before they get dropped off near the charging station (or the other way around). Then, the user finishes (or begins) their trip with one of the EVs. Surveys show that use of public transport is increasing in Europe, but most users still have to walk 15 minutes or so to reach their destination. Adding the i-ROAD and COMS carsharing service to their commute makes the trip into the city center quicker and more flexible, while keeping the air clean. See more below. Toyota is providing 70 vehicles to the Citelib program as part of a three-year test, while French energy company EDF is contributing 30 charging stations to the project. The i-ROAD is a three-wheeled EV that seats two people, and it features Active Lean technology for stability and comfort in the corners. Its footprint is about one-fourth that of a regular car. The four-wheeled COMS EV seats one, but also features a small storage compartment in the rear. The Tesla Model S is going on tour throughout the Northeastern US to give test drives to the public. Beginning July 4 in Montauk, NY, and ending August 30 in Vergennes, VT, people will get the chance to take a 15-minute spin in what many consider to be the best electric car available as part of Tesla's Fully Charged tour. If you live in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut, New Hampshire or Vermont, the Model S may be coming to a town near you (check the schedule here) and you'll get the chance to drive the car with a product specialist in the passenger seat to answer your questions. You can even bring up to three guests in the back seat. So if you live in one of the states where Tesla can't sell cars or doesn't have a store, this is your chance to get to know the vehicle and decide if you want to buy one. Or you can just see what it feels like to silently go from 0-60 in 4.2 seconds (hint: it's pretty cool). A UK Survey shows five percent of people there are considering buying an electric vehicle.

Honda, Subaru airlifting parts to bypass port labor diputes

It should be abundantly obvious that a vital element in building cars is actually having the components on hand to assemble them. A labor dispute on the West Coast between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and management is not making that quite so easy for some Japanese automakers. Work slowdowns at the ports have pushed Honda and Subaru parent Fuji Heavy Industries into flying some parts into the country. The two automakers began shipping by airplane late last month to avoid production delays, according to Bloomberg, but it has been an expensive solution. Subaru's chief financial officer said the decision cost around $60 million more per month than sending components by cargo ship. They aren't the only companies dealing with the problem, either. Toyota reportedly stopped overtime assembly at some of its factories here because of the delays in getting parts, according to Bloomberg. The dockworkers have been negotiating on a new contract since May 2014, and the current offer on the table to them has offered a 3 percent raise, according to Bloomberg. Although, the union is reportedly considering another slowdown at 29 ports along the West Coast in the coming days. News Source: BloombergImage Credit: Nick Ut / AP Photo Auto News UAW/Unions Honda Subaru Toyota shipping port labor dispute

Toyota Avalon celebrates 20 years with Touring Sport Edition

The Toyota Avalon may not have the sportiest image on the market. Heck, it doesn't even have the sportiest image in the Toyota lineup. But the Japanese automaker is out to fix that perception, at least a little bit, with the launch of the new Touring Sport Edition.
Announced together with some minor updates to the entire Avalon line - consisting primarily of enhanced safety and infotainment systems - the Avalon XLE Touring Sport Edition celebrates the 20th anniversary of Toyota's large sedan line. Setting this special edition apart are a black paintjob, HID headlights, LED daytime running lights, 18-inch alloys (similar in design to those on the Scion FR-S) and an interior decked out with perforated leather with dark blue trim... plus, of course, the requisite special badges inside and out.
Only 2,500 units will be offered with a $37,170 sticker price that puts it near (if not quite at) the top of the Avalon range that's capped by the $41,700 Avalon Hybrid Limited. Pricing has increased on most models by around two percent, and you can scope out all the details of the updates to the full range in the press releases below.