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Daimler declares success in electric truck trial [w/video]

Last year, Daimler launched a project to see how eight Fuso Canter E-Cells performed in daily urban service in Portugal. After over 32,000 miles on the road, the newly released results showed astounding figures. Compared to their diesel-counterparts, the commercial EVs slashed operating costs by 64 percent. The trucks were also great for the environment with a 37-percent drop in CO2 emissions after taking into account how the country makes power. Daimler gave the trucks to Portuguese cities and businesses, and the users definitely didn't baby them. In Lisbon, the EV disposed of vegetation, and the Canter E-Cell collected recyclables in Porto. The one with the parcel service Transporta covered over 8,700 miles to make deliveries during the year. On average, the testers used the vehicles about 31 miles a day, but 68 miles was the record distance during the trial. "The results of the practical tests have shown that we are on the right track," Marc Llistosella, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation said in Daimler's announcement. The Daimler Trucks Centre of Competence for Hybrid Technology developed the small run of Canter E-Cells. The models ditch the usual 3.0-liter diesel in favor of an electric motor that produces 148 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. Four lithium-ion battery packs with a total of 48.4 kWh are mounted to two sides of the frame. To maximize the range, the system begins recovering energy as soon as the driver lets off the throttle. Check out the video below for a look at how the Portuguese testers put the commercial EVs through their paces. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Silent and with zero emissions Stuttgart/Porto, Oct 30, 2015 FUSO Canter E-Cell impresses with more than 50,000 kilometres driven 64 percent lower costs compared with conventional diesel engines in customer field trials in Portugal Powerful, high-torque electric motor Targeted operating range of at least 100 kilometres achieved Stuttgart/Porto – 64 percent savings in operating costs - this is the gratifying result of the final analysis of data from customer field trials with eight FUSO Canter E-Cell trucks in Portugal. Apart from the impressive savings in operating costs, the Canter E-Cell also scores points in terms of environmental aspects.

Mitsubishi fuel economy scandal will result in $1.39 billion loss

The fuel economy scandal revealed a couple months ago will cost Mitsubishi Motors a pretty penny. According to The New York Times, the Japanese automaker predicted the fiscal year 2016 will result in a loss of 145 billion yen, or $1.39 billion. We won't know for sure until March rolls around. The prediction is even more striking when compared to Mitsubishi's performance during the last few years. It will be Mitsubishi's first reported loss in eight years. In 2014, Mitsubishi reported a global profit of $1.2 billion, which doubled the profits of the previous year, and in the spring of 2015 the US arm of the manufacturer reported its first profits in seven years – $4.18 million. For a little while there, it seemed like things were looking really good for Mitsubishi, but past flaws caught up with it. Some of the models built have had their fuel economy readings rounded by as much as 15 percent, due to the way running resistance is calculated in laboratory conditions. Nissan swept in to buy one third of Mitsubishi, and under the Renault-Nissan alliance it is likely Mitsubishi will be put on a crash course to clear its name and start turning a profit again. But the bad publicity caused by the scandal will probably mean it'll be far in the future. Related Video:

Mitsubishi ready to pull Evo's plug

We have all manner of unofficial metrics in the auto industry. No doubt you've heard some of them, like the butt dyno. Another popular measure is the smiles-per-dollar index - how entertaining is a car versus its price. Cars like the Mazda MX-5 Miata, Scion FR-S and Mini Cooper S, for example, score quite highly, while vehicles like the BMW M5 or Audi RS7 are great to drive, but score lower because of their much higher price tags. For a long time, the king of the smiles-per-dollar index was arguably the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, which blended hair-raising thrills for the price of a well-equipped Ford Fusion Titanium.
Now, it looks like the Evo will need to hand over its title, as this generation of the rally-derived rocket is likely to be Mitsubishi's last - at least for a while. There's been no mention of just when production of the current car will end, so if you're in the market, we'd suggest trying to find a dealer with inventory ASAP. The news comes from the automaker's Japanese mothership, which says the brand will instead focus on utility vehicles and EVs. While there are no direct plans for a successor, an Evo XI as it were, the door remains open for a different kind of beast, according to Mitsubishi.
"Mitsubishi Motors does not have any plans to design a successor with the current concept, as a high-performance four-wheel drive gasoline-powered sedan," said Namie Koketsu, a spokesperson for Mitsubishi, according to Automotive News. "Mitsubishi Motors will explore the possibilities of high-performance models that incorporate electric vehicle technology."