11 Tundra Double Cab Painted Flat White Camburg Mid Travel Fox Shocks 40k on 2040-cars

Auto blog

VW Q3 Financial Woes, 2015 Tokyo Motor Show | Autoblog Minute

Consumer Reports pulls its Tesla recommendation, the U.S. Copyright Office offers a ruling affecting car owners, VW gets hit hard with third quarter losses, and lots of exciting news from Tokyo. Autoblog's Senior editor Greg Migliore reports on this Autoblog Minute Weekly Recap. Tokyo Motor Show Mazda Subaru Suzuki Tesla Toyota Concept Cars Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video Tokyo 2015

Recharge Wrap-up: Nissan Leaf top environmental performer, 50,000th Renault Zoe

Renault has produced its 50,000th Zoe electric car. A Frenchwoman named Sylvie took ownership of the milestone vehicle at the Flins plant where it rolled of the line. She says her children helped convince her to buy the all-electric vehicle, which Sylvie intends to use as a daily driver. The Renault Zoe is Europe's best selling EV since its launch in 2013. Renault reports a 98-percent satisfaction rate with the Zoe. Read more in the press release from Renault. Toyota will use a biosynthetic rubber called biohydrin in its engine and drive system hoses beginning in May 2016. Jointly developed by Toyota, biohydrin is a plant-based rubber with a 20-percent reduction in material lifecycle carbon emissions compared to petroleum-based rubber. Toyota plans to use the compound in even more components in the future, including brake and fuel line hoses. Read more from Toyota. So far in 2016, only 27.5 percent of hybrids and EVs are traded in for another electrified vehicle, according to Edmunds. That's down from 38.5 percent in 2015. 33.8 percent of electrified vehicles are traded in for SUVs. Despite the trend of EV and hybrid owners switching back to traditionally powered vehicles, average fuel economy isn't suffering. "This is an economics trend, since today's low cost of gas no longer makes it worth paying the price premium of hybrids and EVs," says Edmunds Director of Industry Analysis Jessica Caldwell. "And there are so many fuel-efficient vehicles on the market today that environmental concerns weigh less than they might have in years past. When you're buying a vehicle that can get over 30 mpg, you can still say you're doing your part to help the environment." Read more from Edmunds. Environmentally, electrified vehicles outperform their conventional combustion counterparts throughout their lifecycle. A study from the Automotive Science Group (ASG) finds that while production of advanced powertrains comes with a greater financial burden, most vehicles make up for it through efficiencies during their use phase. The ASG lists the 2016 Nissan Leaf as its best performer, with 47 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than the best-performing conventionally powered car, the Honda Fit. Rounding out the ASG's top five environmental performers are the Ford Focus Electric, Chevrolet Volt, Toyota Prius Two Eco, and Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid.

Toyota recalling FJ Cruiser due to excessively bright headlights

Now, hold on. This recall isn't quite as serious as it sounds. Yes, Toyota is recalling 11,489 FJ Cruiser models from the 2007 to 2013 model years, and yes, it's because the vehicles, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states, "fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108, 'Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.'" But read the fine print and you'll see the catch: This recall is only for vehicles fitted with the automaker's auxiliary lighting kit that can be mounted to the front bumper.
Basically, the auxiliary lamp assemblies use 55-watt bulbs, and when these are turned on in conjunction with the upper beam headlamps, it's a pretty blinding sight. NHTSA states that excessively bright lights can blind other drivers, increasing the risk for a crash.
To remedy the situation, Toyota will replace the 55-watt bulbs with cooler 35-watt units. The recall is expected to begin later this month. Scroll down for the full details in the NHTSA report.