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Recharge Wrap-up: Ford announces e-bike project, Honda Accord Hybrid availability catches up

Supplies of the Honda Accord Hybrid have apparently caught up with demand. Honda originally launched the Accord Hybrid for the 2014 model year, but lack of availability plagued interested customers and eager dealers alike. Honda cited "component supply constraints" - likely batteries, electric motors and the like - for the lack of available vehicles. Now, "The supply of Accord Hybrids in general is in line with the supply of the regular Accord sedan," according to Honda's Angie Nucci. Read more at Green Car Reports. Apple is seeking a resolution to a lawsuit accusing the company of poaching employees from lithium-ion battery maker A123 Systems. A123 has requested a court order stopping a former employer from breaking an employment agreement, as well as keeping Apple from encouraging the person to do so. Apple has requested more time to respond to that court order. A123 has also filed a suit accusing five employees of breaking nondisclosure agreements and going or trying to go to work for Apple. Insiders say that Apple is developing an electric car that could go into production as early as 2020. Read more at Automotive News. South Dakota's Ethanol Infrastructure Incentive Program is helping retailers fund ethanol storage. The state government has set aside $300,000 as part of the program to fund ethanol storage tanks at gas stations. The program, which originally set out to reimburse retailers for building ethanol flex-pumps, is now helping them expand their ethanol capacities. Retailers can apply for funds for pumps and storage through June 30. Read more at Argus Leader. Ford is expanding its Global Mobility Plan with the Handle on Mobility electric bike experiment. The foldable MoDe:Me e-bike is for personal use and commuting, while the MoDe:Pro is built for commercial duty, with both powered by a 200-watt motor and 9-amp-hour battery. The bikes use an iPhone app called MoDe:Link, which provides various information and controls important bike functions. Through the app, the bikes offer navigation (with traffic data, available public transportation and charging locations included), with handlebar vibrations letting the rider know when and where to turn and automatically activating turn signals. The bike can sense and alert the rider to other vehicles on the roadway. Pedal assist is based on heart rate, allowing the rider to arrive at their destination comfortably. See the bikes in the video above, and read more from Ford.

Honda, Chevy reveal low-drag speedway aero for Indy 500

As the two automakers currently participating in the IndyCar Series, both Chevy and Honda were invited this year not only to provide engines to the teams on the starting grid, but to develop their own aerodynamics packages as well. Both revealed their designs for the road-course races a few months ago, but with the Indy 500 approaching at break-neck speed, they've now unleashed their aero approaches for speedways. Both are based on the Dallara DW12 chassis introduced to the series a couple of years ago, but sacrifice some of their downforce at the altar of speed. And you can tell as much from looking at them: both Honda (above) and Chevy (below) have streamlined their designs, with single-plane front wings, lower-profile rear wings and fewer winglets on the body and around the wheels in between. The idea is to allow the cars to reach higher top speeds with less drag, while offering the necessary amount of downforce for the banked turns. With the four opening road-course rounds complete, teams using either automaker's equipment will keep the existing aero kits on their cars for the Grand Prix of Indianapolis on the infield course next week, then switch to the speedway package for the Indianapolis 500 later this month. Then it'll be back and forth for the rest of the season as the circus switches between road courses and speedways. Honda Unveils 2015 IndyCar Super Speedway Aero Kit Apr 30, 2015 - SPEEDWAY, Indiana - To be used at the Indianapolis 500 - Manufacturer seeking 11th Indianapolis 500 victory since 2004 - First public running to take place Sunday at Indianapolis Honda today debuted the "Super Speedway" aero kit of aerodynamic upgrades and components its teams will use at this year's 99th running of the Indianapolis 500. The Honda Super Speedway Aero Kit, produced by Honda Performance Development, Honda's racing arm in North America, includes a variety of individual aerodynamic components fitted to the existing Honda-powered Dallara Indy car chassis. All are intended to give Honda's six Indy car teams – encompassing a potential 17 '500' entrants - the ability to maximize performance at the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval and other large ovals ( over one mile in length) on the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule. "We're excited to unveil our Super Speedway aero kit, the newest element in this era of enhanced manufacturer competition in the Verizon IndyCar Series," said Art St. Cyr, president of HPD.

Auto sales in March and first quarter down nearly across the board

Nearly every major automaker reported weak U.S. sales for March and the first quarter of 2019, citing a rough start to the year, but said a robust economy and strong labor market should encourage consumers to buy more vehicles as 2019 rolls on. GM, which no longer releases monthly sales figures, saw first-quarter sales fall 7 percent, with declines across all brands. Sales of Silverado pickup trucks fell nearly 16 percent and the high-margin Chevy Suburban large SUV dropped 25 percent. Ford also no longer releases monthly sales numbers, but is due to release its first-quarter sales figures on Thursday. According to industry data, Ford's sales fell 2 percent in the quarter and 5 percent in March. Ford representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment. FCA reported a 7 percent fall in U.S. sales in March and a 3 percent drop for the first quarter. All of FCA's brands dropped in March, except for Ram, which saw a 15 percent increase in pickup truck sales. "The industry had a tough first quarter, but with spring finally starting to show its face and continued strong economic indicators ... we are confident that new vehicle sales demand will strengthen going forward," FCA's U.S. head of sales, Reid Bigland, said in a statement. Toyota reported a 3.5 percent fall in U.S. sales in March and 5 percent for the first quarter, hurt by declining demand for its Corolla sedans and Camry vehicles. "While some of our competitors are abandoning sedans, we remain optimistic about the future of the segment," Toyota said in a statement. Nissan posted a 5.3 percent drop in sales in March, and its first-quarter sales were down 11.6 percent. Honda and Hyundai bucked the trend. Honda's U.S. sales rose 4.3 percent in March and 2 percent in the quarter, while Hyundai's were up 1.7 percent and 2.1 percent, respectively. Passenger-car sales suffered throughout the January-March quarter compared with the same period in 2018 as Americans continued to abandon them in favor of larger, more comfortable pickup trucks and SUVs, which are far more profitable for automakers. The battle for market share in the particularly lucrative large-pickup truck market intensified in the quarter, as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' Ram brand outsold the U.S.' No. 1 automaker General Motors' Chevrolet-brand trucks. The two automakers have both launched redesigned pickup trucks.