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Recharge Wrap-up: Phoenix Cars delivers ZEUS to Navy, Volt saves gas compared to i-MiEV

Phoenix Cars has delivered its first Zero Emissions Utility Shuttle (ZEUS) flatbed truck to the US Navy. The electric flatbed will be used to transport maintenance materials around Naval Base Ventura County Port Hueneme. The Phoenix ZEUS features a 100-mile range, and can charge in just three hours. It also features vehicle-to-grid technology and direct power capability, allowing it to function as a mobile power station. ZEUS customers enjoy an eight-year/300,000-mile battery warranty and round-the-clock technical support from Phoenix. Phoenix launched an electric passenger shuttle last year, and years ago worked on an electric sport utility truck before shifting over to larger vehicles. Read more in the press release from Phoenix Cars. A man found that he used less gas by trading in his Mitsubishi i-MiEV for a Chevrolet Volt. Ben Rich saved fuel in part by using his Volt for road trips rather than needing to rent cars. Rich also found other benefits to driving a Volt, including more comfort, more freedom of movement and less range anxiety. Rich often had to turn off the heat in the winter to eke out precious miles in the Mitsubishi, which he needn't do in the Chevy, though he did have a gripe about the Volt using the gas motor to warm the car. Read more at Green Car Reports. EV drivers using the ChargePoint network have traveled over 196 million miles without gasoline. ChargePoint has tallied over 9 million charging sessions for a total of 65 gigawatt hours of energy. Based on national efficiency averages of three miles per kWh and 23.9 miles per gallon, this has saved 8.2 million gallons of gasoline and 60 million pounds of CO2. This accounts for what ChargePoint calls a "huge environmental impact." Read more in the release from ChargePoint below. The Environmental Impact of ChargePoint Drivers Campbell, Calif.– We all know electric vehicles (EV) have enormous environmental advantages over gas vehicles. Plug-in EVs reduce carbon-based greenhouse gases, improve air quality and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. EV drivers on the ChargePoint network have had a huge environmental impact. With over 9 million charging sessions delivering 65 gigawatt hours of energy, EV drivers have avoided over 60 million pounds of CO2 and 8.2 million gallons of gasoline, and driven over 196 million gas-free miles. *Based on national averages: EV efficiency of 3 miles per kWh, gas efficiency of 23.9 mpg and a net savings of 0.924 pounds of CO2 per kWh.

2014 Chevy Corvette Stingray order guide hits the web

The official debut of the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is only part of the excitement for fans of Chevy's virtuoso sportscar. Although we got to see the car and some of its preliminary specs in Detroit and Geneva, there is still no word on pricing and some of the juicier data points we've been waiting for - such as confirmed power output, EPA estimated mileage figures and performance numbers. Until then, CorvetteBlogger has gotten its hands on the order guide for the coupe version of the car - in both base and Z51 iterations - revealing tidbits like standard and optional features and available color combinations.
Some other new details made it onto the order guide, such as our first interior specs for the coupe including slightly less hip room and headroom, more shoulder room and the same amount of legroom. To see the full order guide, head on over to CorvetteBlogger. From what we can gather, it sounds like more information will be revealed on April 25 during a party at the Corvette Museum, and for those sun worshipers patiently waiting for a convertible, it would appear you've got another model year to wait through.

Suzuki recalls 2 million cars globally

Suzuki is recalling two million vehicles across the globe, including a number of Chevrolet Cruze sedans that it builds for General Motors, because the ignition switches may begin to smoke. None of the Cruzes being recalled were sold in the US, though. This recall is limited to the Japanese, European and Australian markets. In Suzuki's home market, 1,873,000 vehicles are being recalled, including the Cruze and a number kei cars built for Mazda (the Carol and AZ-Wagon), as well as the automaker's own Alto, Wagon R and Swift. Affected vehicles were built between 1998 and 2009. The remaining 133,000 vehicles include Cruzes and other Suzuki products sold in Europe and Australia. There have been no reports of injuries or accidents due to the 67 reported incidents, all of which come from the Japanese market, a Suzuki spokesperson told Automotive News. Related Video: