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Nissan Leaf ends 2013 with best sales month ever, but can't catch Chevy Volt

Nissan and Chevrolet both ended 2013 with solid sales figures for their plug-in vehicles, the first two that were released (all the way back at the end of 2010) from major automakers. As has been the story for most of 2013, December sales for the Nissan Leaf and the Chevy Volt were roughly the same. When we left the year-to-date running tally at the end of November, the Volt was at 20,702, while the Leaf was at 20,080. As you can tell from the image above (if you've been noticing the trend in these EV sales monthly flash-reports), the Leaf outsold the Volt, but was it enough to put the Nissan on top for the year? In 2013, Nissan sold 22,610 Leafs, more than twice as many as in 2012. Almost. The Leaf made a valiant attempt, and did have its best month ever with 2,529 units sold. That means that for 2013, Nissan moved a total of 22,610 Leafs, more than twice as many as in 2012 (that year, Nissan sold only 9,819 Leafs in the US) and actually more than 2012 and 2011 Leaf sales combined (which was 19,493). Nissan continues to see the effects of its price drop and expanded sales areas, with Georgia rapidly becoming a Leaf hotbed. Nissan's Paige Presley said that Atlanta was once again the Leaf's number one market and that, "sales are expanding deeper into Georgia markets such as Macon and Columbus." The Volt saw a boost upwards from a November slump and sold 2,392 units in December. That puts the plug-in hybrid's annual total at 23,094, just down from the 23,461 sold in 2012. For all of 2013, though, the Volt outsold the Leaf by 484 vehicles. In a competition like this, we'll count that as a win for both sides. We will our more detailed monthly green car sales report, which covers more of the fuel efficient vehicles on the market, up soon. News Source: GM, Nissan Green Chevrolet Nissan Electric Hybrid PHEV ev sales hybrid sales

Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla sells Model S 85 and 70D in Malaysia, Chevy Spark EV built using clean energy

Tesla will send Model S 70D and Model S 85 EVs to Malaysia for leasing to government-linked companies. Only those companies will have access to the models as a two-year lease, which will be imported and leased by Malaysian Green Technology Corporation. The plan is part of an initiative by the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water to allow government officials and other influential people to get to know the electric vehicles and the benefits that come along with them. Most of the 120 vehicles available will be the 70D model, and the lessee companies will have the option to purchase the cars at the end of the two years. Read more from Paul Tan's Automotive News. Wanxiang is hosting students from Delaware in China as part of a program to learn Mandarin and visit schools and science and technology sites. Wanxiang, the auto parts company that acquired Fisker (which had manufacturing based in Delaware) and battery maker A123 Systems, will give the students tours of its solar technology facilities, among other places, and see what daily life is like for families in the region. The program helps students interested in science and technology to foster marketable skills — like learning a foreign language — that will help them get jobs in industries around the world. Read more at Delaware Online. The Chevrolet Spark EV's electric motor (pictured) and drive unit are manufactured using clean energy. The e-motors building of the General Motors Baltimore Operations complex has a new rooftop solar array and uses LED and CFL lighting, helping the building recently earn LEED Silver certification. The landfill-free facility also takes advantage of the 1.23-megawatt solar array on the grounds, helping it source six percent its energy from renewable sources. The plant has reduced its energy intensity by 15.5 percent in three years, and continues to work toward reducing consumption and sourcing clean energy. "We believe reducing our environmental footprint is good for the climate and good for our business," says GM Executive Director of Global Public Policy Greg Martin. Read more in the press release below. Spark EV Motor Plant Fueled by Green, Clean Energy ENERGY STAR®, USGBC and Maryland state agency recognize facility's efforts WHITE MARSH, Md. – Chevrolet recently began selling the Spark EV to Maryland commuters able to take advantage of the state's robust charging infrastructure.

Poor headlights cause 40 cars to miss IIHS Top Safety Pick rating

Over the past few months, we've noticed a number of cars and SUVs that have come incredibly close to earning one of the IIHS's highest accolades, the Top Safety Pick rating. They have great crash test scores and solid automatic emergency braking and forward collision warning systems. What trips them up is headlights. That got us wondering, how many vehicles are there that are coming up short because they don't have headlights that meet the organization's criteria for an "Acceptable" or "Good" rating. This is a revision made after 2017, a year in which headlights weren't factored in for this specific award. This is also why why some vehicles, such as the Ford F-150, might have had the award last year, but have lost it for this year. We reached out to someone at IIHS to find out. He responded with the following car models. Depending on how you count, a whopping 40 models crash well enough to receive the rating, but don't get it because their headlights are either "Poor" or "Marginal." We say depending on how you count because the IIHS actual counts truck body styles differently, and the Infiniti Q70 is a special case. Apparently the version of the Q70 that has good headlights doesn't have adequate forward collision prevention technology. And the one that has good forward collision tech doesn't have good enough headlights. We've provided the entire list of vehicles below in alphabetical order. Interestingly, it seems the Volkswagen Group is having the most difficulty providing good headlights with its otherwise safe cars. It had the most models on the list at 9 split between Audi and Volkswagen. GM is next in line with 7 models. It is worth noting again that though these vehicles have subpar headlights and don't quite earn Top Safety Pick awards, that doesn't mean they're unsafe. They all score well enough in crash testing and forward collision prevention that they would get the coveted award if the lights were better.