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2015 Green Car Of The Year finalists announced, run alt-fuel gamut

The 2015 edition of the Green Car of the Year award is following right in the footsteps of previous years with a variety of alt-fuel powertrains making the just-announced finalists list. You've got your plug-in vehicle (the BMW i3), your compressed natural gas (the Chevy Impala Bi-Fuel), your high-efficiency diesel (the Audi A3 TDI), your 40+ mile-per-gallon gas engine (the Honda Fit) and, finally, a car that can do a little bit of everything (the VW Golf). The Golf is available – at least in some parts of the US – with three different powertrains: a 2.0-liter diesel, a gasoline engine and all-electric drive. The Impala can burn either natural gas or gasoline in its 3.6-liter engine. The A3 is an efficiency champ, able to get 73.5 mpg on some European tests. The i3 can be a pure electric vehicle or come with a short range extending engine. And the Fit brings 41 miles to the gallon in a practical, affordable package. The GCOY award is announced every year at the Los Angeles Auto Show by Green Car Journal. The committee doesn't just take the fuel-saving technology into account, but also a vehicle's "availability to the mass market." Last year, the Honda Accord Hybrid/Plug-In Hybrid won top honors, following up on wins from the Ford Fusion models (plug-in hybrid and hybrid) for 2013, the Honda Civic Natural Gas for 2012 and the Chevrolet Volt for 2011. FINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR 2015 "GREEN CAR OF THE YEAR"" Green Car Journal to Reveal Winner of 10th Annual Award at LA Auto Show" Press & Trade Days, November 20 LOS ANGELES, CA (October 21, 2014) – Green Car Journal has announced its five finalists for the magazine's high-profile 2015 Green Car of the Year® program. The 2015 models include the Audi A3 TDI, BMW i3, Chevrolet Impala Bi-Fuel, Honda Fit, and VW Golf. The Green Car of the Year® award, an honor widely recognized as the auto industry's most important environmental accolade, celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. An increasing number of vehicle models are considered for the Green Car of the Year® program each year, a reflection of the auto industry's expanding efforts in offering new vehicles with higher efficiency and improved environmental impact. Green Car Journal has been honoring the most important "green" vehicles every year at the LA Auto Show, since its inaugural award announced at the show in 2005.

GM outsold VW globaly in first quarter, Toyota reports numbers next week

General Motors released its first quarter sales figures this week, reporting that it sold 2.36 million cars and trucks worldwide. That figure represents an increase of 3.6 percent when compared to the same period last year. GM's growth was attributed to many factors, including global Cadillac sales that were up 26 percent and Chevrolet posting a one percent increase over last year (this marked Chevy's tenth straight year of record global sales).
Volkswagen came in just behind GM, as the German automaker reported global sales from January through March at 2.27 million vehicles, an increase of five percent when compared to last year. While that number was strong, VW is cautioning that markets outside China and the US, such as those in Europe, are becoming a challenge as economies falter.
Yet to report sales is Toyota, current holder of the global world sales crown (the Japanese company sold 9.75 million cars last year, against 9.29 million sold by GM and 9.1 million vehicles sold by VW). Even though GM and Toyota both say they don't care who sells the most units, it is unquestionably a strong bragging point and sales equate to revenue. That said, Toyota will report its first quarter numbers next week.

Recharge Wrap-up: 2015 Fuel Economy Guide available, how Porsche ships 919 Hybrid

The EPA and Department of Energy have released the 2015 Fuel Economy Guide. Unsurprisingly, the groups say that this year features more fuel efficient and low-emissions vehicles than previous years, and they span a greater variety of vehicle types. The guide also provides "best-in-class" lists, greenhouse gas ratings and estimated fuel costs for each vehicle. The EPA and DOE hope that car buyers will use the guide to help choose cars that are better for the environment and the climate. Check out the guide for yourself or read more in the press release below. To get from one WEC race to the next, Porsche ships its 919 Hybrid LMP1 cars by air. As the team travels around the world - from continent to continent - it must take 35 tons worth of cargo with it, including two LMP1 cars. That means draining fluids, partially dismantling the cars, and fitting everything into a 747. The team also ships items by sea, which requires shipping extra sets of items due to the longer shipping times. "It's all about efficiency," according to Porsche. Read more in the press release below. Terra Motors is unveiling the A4000i electric scooter, which it will sell in Europe, at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan. The A4000i, which features smartphone connectivity, will be the company's European flagship model. Terra Motors will begin selling in Italy, and plans to make arrangements to sell in several more countries shortly after. Terra hopes to set up manufacturing in Europe, as well. Also on display at EICMA is the company's Bizmo II electric scooter, which has a driving range of 93 miles on a single charge. Read more in the press release below. Volkswagen is providing a 2015 e-Golf to Stanford University for research. The car will be used to study electric mobility, improvements in the driving experience and people's driving behavior and attitudes toward EVs. "Volkswagen's longstanding relationship with Stanford has allowed us to push the boundaries of automotive research and innovation," says Volkswagen's Ewald Goessmann, "and we look forward to extending our work together to drive advances in electric vehicles." See the video and read more in the press release below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. EPA, DOE Release 2015 Fuel Economy Guide for Car Buyers The U.S.