2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse Se Coupe 2-door 2.4l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla store reboot, Jaguar "EV-Type" an electric F-Pace?

The Connecticut Hydrogen and Electric Automobile Purchase Rebate (CHEAPR) program is creating demand for EVs. $1 million has been set aside for rebates ranging from $750 to $3,000 per car, depending on battery size (in addition to federal incentives). Dealers also get an incentive of $150 to $300 per vehicle to help motivate them to promote EVs. "This is the type of program that can be a win-win-win for the state, auto manufacturers, dealers and consumers," says Chevrolet dealer Leo Karl, who has seen a jump in demand for the Volt under the CHEAPR program. Karl expects the funds to run out as early as this fall. Read more at Automotive News. The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is scheduled to go on sale in the US in May 2016. As Mitsubishi makes some changes, including plans to ditch its Normal, IL assembly plant, the company's future in the US is being called into question. The new date for the plug-in hybrid version of the Outlander comes after multiple delays. Mitsubishi also plans to offer a 2016 model of the i-MiEV despite slowing sales. Read more at Automotive News. Tesla is overhauling its stores in advance of the Model X going on sale. The revamp includes informative interactive displays and a heavier emphasis on Tesla merchandise sales. The displays provide information about safety, Autopilot technology, the charging network, electric motors and other information to help familiarize customers with Tesla. The Tesla Design Collection - which includes luggage, apparel and other gear - also helps position Tesla as a luxury lifestyle brand, rather than just a mere automaker. Expect the stores to be continually updated over time. "Tesla is able to pivot in their stores the way they release new software," says Cadent Consulting Group's Ken Harris. "This is important to an emerging brand." Learn more from Bloomberg. Could Jaguar be planning an electric F-Pace called the EV-Type to compete with the Tesla Model X? Autocar is reporting that the upcoming SUV from Jaguar could spawn a whole family of vehicles, including an all-electric version. Jaguar has registered the trademark for the EV-Type name, and that vehicle would likely be built at the Magna Steyr factory in Graz, Austria. That would free up capacity to build the traditionally powered F-Pace in the UK. Read more at Green Car Reports, or at Autocar.

Carlos Ghosn vows to 'restore my honor' in first remarks since arrest

TOKYO — Nissan Motor's jailed ex-chairman, Carlos Ghosn, vowed to restore his good name in court after a month in detention, Japanese public broadcaster NHK said on Friday. "Things as they stand are absolutely unacceptable," Ghosn was quoted as saying via his lawyer. "I want to have my position heard and restore my honor in court." It was Ghosn's first comment since his arrest on Nov 19 for allegedly understating his income by about half over a five-year period from 2010. He was later charged with the same alleged crime covering the past three years. A call to the office of his lawyer, Motonari Otsuru, went unanswered outside business hours early on Friday. The lawyer has previously declined to return calls for comment on the Ghosn case. A Tokyo court on Thursday unexpectedly rejected prosecutors' request to extend Ghosn's detention, which Japanese media said means he could go free on bail as early as Friday. Ghosn wants to hold a news conference after he is released, NHK quoted his lawyer as saying. The executive, who formed a carmaking alliance among Nissan, Mitsubishi Motors Corp and France's Renault SA, said he is not a flight risk and wants to be able to travel abroad, the report said. The Ghosn case has put Japan's criminal justice system under international scrutiny and sparked criticism for some of its practices, including keeping suspects in detention for long periods and prohibiting defense lawyers from being present during interrogations, which can last eight hours a day. Japan has also come under fire for its 99.9 percent conviction rate. The Tokyo court unexpectedly ruled not to extend Ghosn's detention. It said it had also decided against extending detention for Greg Kelly, a former Nissan executive who was arrested along with Ghosn on Nov. 19. It later overruled an appeal by prosecutors against the decision, clearing the way for the possible release of the two men as early as Friday. The court did not disclose reasons for its decision, and NHK said it was "extremely rare" for it to reject the prosecutors' request to extend detention. If Ghosn and Kelly are granted bail, conditions may require them to apply for permission to travel overseas. They could also be barred from contacting Nissan officials. Both executives had not been able to make any public statements since their arrest, although local media have reported that they have denied wrongdoing. Ghosn was indicted on Dec.

Mitsubishi Motors halts some SUV sales in Japan as MPG scandal grows

Mitsubishi's fuel-economy scandal is going from bad to worse. First, the Japanese automaker claimed it lied about the fuel economy for a few kei cars, then it claimed fuel economy tests for as far back as 1991 could reveal mile-per-gallon figures that were tampered with. In May the automaker, admitted that every single vehicle it's sold in Japan could be affected by the fuel-economy scandal. Now, the Japanese automaker revealed that more of its vehicles were involved in the fuel-economy cheating scandal – and one of them is sold in the US. After completing its investigation into the automaker's fuel-economy scandal, Japan's Transport Ministry found that Mitsubishi overstated the fuel economy for eight more vehicles in marketing brochures, one of which is sold as the Outlander Sport in the US, reports Automotive News. The Transport Ministry ordered Mitsubishi to stop domestic sales of the models, which include the Pajero, Outlander, and RVR SUV (known as the Outlander Sport in the US). The latest finding adds to four kei cars that were previously noted for having overstated fuel economy figures earlier this year. Japan's sixth-largest automaker is having a hard time recuperating since the scandal broke earlier this April. The initial scandal led to the automaker suspending its sales, which caused a large dip in the automaker's market value. The scandal required Mitsubishi to seek financial assistance from Nissan, which agreed to buy a controlling 34-percent stake for $2.2 billion. Investigators hired by Mitsubishi to look into the automaker's overstated fuel economy figures revealed the company's "corporate culture" as the issue. More specifically, the investigators founds the company's pressure to improve fuel-efficiency figures, a lack of unity between divisions, and an unwillingness to accept fuel economy shortfalls as the reason for falsifying its vehicles' mpg figures. Mitsubishi is expected to compensate Japanese owners for the overstated fuel economy figures, which would result in a massive loss for the automaker. The company is expected to post a net loss of roughly $1.4 billion this year, pushing Mitsubishi into the red for the first time in approximately eight years. Related Video: News Source: Automotive News-sub.req.Image Credit: Tomohiro Ohsumi / Bloomberg via Getty Images Government/Legal Green Mitsubishi Nissan Fuel Efficiency kei car scandal