1988 Mazda Rx-7 on 2040-cars

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Automakers want to stop the EPA's fuel economy rules change, and why that's a shortsighted move

With a Trump Administration looming, the EPA moved quickly after the election to propose finalizing future fuel economy rules last week. The auto industry doesn't like that (surprise), and has started making moves to stop the EPA. Ford CEO Mark Fields said he wanted to lobby Trump to lower the standards, and now the Auto Alliance, a manufacturer group, is saying it will join the fight against cleaner cars. The Alliance represents 12 automakers: BMW, Fiat Chrysler, Ford, GM, Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Toyota, VW, and Volvo. Gloria Bergquist, a spokesperson for the Alliance, told Automotive News that the "EPA's sudden and controversial move to propose auto regulations eight months early - even after Congress warned agencies about taking such steps while political appointees were packing their bags - calls out for congressional action to pause this rulemaking until a thoughtful policy review can occur." The EPA was going to consider public comments through April 2017, but then said it would move the deadline to the end of December. That means that it can finalize the rules before President Obama leaves office. The director of public affairs for the Consumer Federation of America, Jack Gillis, said on a conference call with reporters last week when the EPA originally announced its decision that it is unlikely that President Trump will be able to roll back these changes. Gillis also said on the same call that any attempt by the automakers to prevent these changes would be history repeating itself. "These are the same companies that fought airbags, and now promoting the fact that every car has multiple airbags," he said. "These are the same companies that fought the crash-test program, and now are promoting the crash-test ratings published by the government. So, it's clear that they're misperceiving the needs of the American consumer." There are more reasons the Allliance's pushback is flawed. Carol Lee Rawn, the transportation program director for Ceres, said on that call that the automotive industry is a global one, and many automakers are moving to global platforms to help them meet strict fuel economy rules around the world.

'Ringbanana' Miata is improbable 9-minute Nurburgring car

The combination of being inexpensive, capable, reliable, and friendly to all skill levels makes the Mazda Miata one of the world's most popular platforms for motorsports, but the roadsters aren't exactly rocketships. What would it take to lap a ratty, first-gen example around the Nurburgring Nordschleife in less than nine minutes? We're not exactly sure, but the Ringbanana team intends to discover the answer. The project is the type of thing that gets dreamed up after a few too many pilsners: buy the cheapest running Miata available and put as little money necessary into the roadster to make it capable around the 'Ring. As the Best-Motoring-inspired intro explains, the Mazda is largely stock other than some Fulda performance tires, possibly aftermarket springs, and a stripped interior. The video above shows the baseline test, and the convertible manages a 9:21.8 circuit, which doesn't seem too bad as a start. The video below goes into far more detail about the project's genesis and its goal. Plus, the two hosts are quite entertaining when replying to the comments from the original clip. We wish them the best of luck and look forward to following along on Facebook to see what it takes to get the Ringbanana below nine minutes. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Recharge Wrap-up: First EV to attempt Dakar Rally, Mazda makes bioplastic parts

Zap and Jonway Auto brought their Urbee EV and their new Falcon A-380 SUV to the Peru Motor Show in Lima. Jonway sells its SUV and minivan in Lima through Dai-Ichi Motors, which displayed the cars at the show. According to the companies, their cars "received tremendous interest from the public," including private citizens as well as groups who would use the EVs for security guard service or campus use. Read more in the press release below. California is the US leader when it comes to EVs. In 2013, California had 70,000 battery electric and 104,000 plug-in hybrids. The state boasts almost half of the country's electric vehicles, thanks largely to state and local EV incentives that go beyond the federal tax rebate. California also leads the way in legislation, and nine other states have adopted California's ZEV mandate. Washington, Maryland, Georgia and DC also have their own EV incentives, while some utility companies also offer benefits for EV owners in other states. Still, EV sales have only made up about 0.7 percent of new vehicle sales in 2014. Read more at the US Energy Information Administration website. Toyota will be using landfill gas to help power its Kentucky manufacturing facility. Beginning in 2015, Toyota's Georgetown assembly plant will use electricity converted from landfill-sourced methane gas from Waste Services of the Bluegrass. It will provide enough energy to produce 10,000 vehicles each year. Plus it diverts methane - a greenhouse gas - from entering the atmosphere and helps improve the local air quality. Learn more in the video or Toyota's press release below. Mazda has developed a plant-derived bioplastic for making exterior and interior parts. The dyed plastic doesn't require painting, and it reduces petroleum consumption and carbon emissions in the manufacturing process. The bioplastic will be used for interior parts in the all-new MX-5 before being put into use on the exterior of future vehicles. Mazda will display prototype parts at the Eco-Products 2014 exhibit in Tokyo. Read more in the press release below. Acciona will enter the first-ever zero-emissions vehicle (pictured) to compete in the Dakar Rally. The vehicle uses an electric motor and lithium ion batteries, as well as solar panels to power telemetry and security systems. The Dakar Rally will take place from January 4 through 17 through Argentina, Chile and Bolivia. See Acciona's Dakar EV in the video and read more in the press release below.