2001 Gold Galant, 4 Dr Sedan, With Many Options Including Sun Roof, And All Powe on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Recharge Wrap-up: Japan supports hydrogen, Fools against fuel cells, BlueIndy controversy

Japan hopes to expand the use of hydrogen energy by subsidizing fuel cell vehicles, according to The Japan News. The trade ministry plans to include the subsidies in its 2015 budget to coincide with the expected launch of Toyota's Fuel Cell Vehicle and the Honda FCEV hydrogen car. By jump-starting purchases of hydrogen cars, Japan hopes that innovation and mass-production will get a boost and the cost of fuel cell vehicles will be competitive with gasoline-powered models by the year 2025. Japan plans to have 100 hydrogen fueling locations operating by March 2016, and wants to halve the cost of building those stations by 2020. The amount of the subsidies has not yet been set. Investing website The Motley Fool isn't quite as optimistic as Japan about hydrogen cars, and is instead bullish about Tesla Motors. The Fool points to Tesla's strong stock performance, and predicts future growth will come from more car models in the future - starting with the Model X - as well as the company's proposed Gigafactory for manufacturing batteries. If Tesla's charging technology continues to catch on, that only improves its financial prospects. The article has some harsh words, however, for hydrogen: "Fuel cells are an inferior automotive technology and for fundamental efficiency, cost, and infrastructure reasons always will be mere compliance gimmicks." Yeesh. As part of a program to build charging stations for the Indianapolis EV carsharing service BlueIndy, utility company Indianapolis Power & Light (IPL) wants to raise its electricity rates an average of 44 cents a month per residential customer to help pay for its share of the project. State consumer advocacy agency Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor and consumer watchdog group Citizens Action Coalition oppose the plan, according to Greenfield, Indiana's Daily Reporter. The BlueIndy program, which is a partnership between the city of Indianapolis and battery manufacturer Bollore Group, will provide up to 500 cars for rent at 25 charging sites around the city. Those who oppose the rate hike call IPL a monopoly and say the amount of the increase is not allowed under state law and that the program wouldn't benefit working class and low-income citizens. A hearing regarding IPL's proposal is scheduled for July 23. A Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV will run the 2014 Asia Cross Country Rally, Hybrid Cars reports. The rally covers 1,367 miles of woods, swamps and mountains from Thailand to Cambodia.

Mitsubishi i-MiEV rallies in WAVE 2014 as support vehicle

Hey, we found somebody willing to drive a new Mitsubishi i-MiEV over 1,000 miles. The little-bitty four-seat electric vehicle will be used on the other side of the Pond as a support vehicle in the World Advanced Vehicle Expedition (WAVE) road rally through the Swiss Alps this spring. Brian Orr from EV Matters Ltd. made the purchase, as he'll be providing the support vehicle for Green MotorSport Ltd.'s hand-built utility concept vehicle that's being built with an eye on deploying it in developing countries, the Auto Channel says. Another i-MiEV will be an official, 900 kilogram-plus entrant in the rally, which begins May 31 in Sindelfingen, Germany and finishes a week later in Rigi, Switzerland, with 20 towns or so in between. As many as 70 teams will be joining the party which, in 2013, set a world record for electric-vehicle parades by sending 305 of them very quietly through Zurich. Despite a tiny price tag, i-MiEV sales in the US (where it's simply known as the i) have come to a near halt as Mitsubishi gets ready to shift its plug-in focus to PHEVs. While US i sales jumped 75 percent last year to 1,029 units, the Japanese automaker has moved just four units (!) domestically during the first two months of 2014.

Mitsubishi drops two more teasers of new Outlander

Mitsubishi just keeps teasing the debut of the refreshed 2016 Outlander at the 2015 New York Auto Show on April 2. The Japanese brand already hinted at the updated CUV's look on the company's invitation to the event in the Big Apple. Now, it released an even clearer view of the front and the first official look at the crossover's rear. Debuting Mitsubishi's new design language, a shot of an Outlander waiting at port already revealed its new nose completely undisguised. The brand's latest teaser provides yet another glimpse at it and further confirms the X-shaped front end that's outlined in chrome. As with the rest of the updated styling, the rear also adapts the look of last year's Concept-S. The taillights are still separated into three bars, but here they stop at the tailgate in the center, rather than running all the way across like on the show car. Beyond just the refreshed styling, the 2016 Outlander has over 100 improvements, according to Mitsubishi, including NHV refinements, better handling and improved throttle response. We will get the full details about all of the tweaks in New York in just a few days. Related Video: MITSUBISHI MOTORS TO CONDUCT WORLD PREMIERE OF 2016 OUTLANDER AT THE NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is pleased to announce that it will make the world premiere of the 2016 Outlander during its press conference at the 2015 New York International Auto Show in the North Hall (booth 260) on Thursday, April 2, 2015 at 11:30a.m. ET. The 2016 Outlander will be the first Mitsubishi vehicle to debut the brand's new design language. The 2016 Outlander is a refined crossover utility vehicle that features over 100 engineering and design improvements including a new, powerful and dynamic appearance, enhanced road performance as the result of improvements to noise levels, ride, handling and throttle response, and a more eloquent yet functional interior space. The new 2016 Outlander demonstrates the brand's renewed emphasis on style, refinement and overall driving experience. For those who are unable to join Mitsubishi Motors in New York, the press conference will be internationally broadcast live. For details about the webcast please check media.mitsubishicars.com. Full 2016 Outlander details will be released at 11:30a.m. ET on April 2, 2015. About Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc.