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Ford: boomers leading trend to compact utility vehicles

Green Car Congress

An uptick in small utility vehicle sales started in 2004 and has continued a steady climb, according to retail sales data from Polk, which was recently acquired by IHS. Escape is over-indexing in four cities particularly attractive to baby boomers: Miami, up 53%; Orlando, up 34%; Phoenix, up 27%; and Charlotte, N.C., cubic feet.

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Video Friday: Grav Enhanced

Cars That Think

DARPA ] Tech Panel: In 2004, DARPA launched interest in self-driving vehicles with a Grand Challenge. Today, we have a fully driverless taxi services in San Francisco and Phoenix. This panel will address the next breakthroughs in field robotics, define future challenges and explore ways that DARPA can accelerate their development.

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Ford’s Key Life Battery test for Li-ion batteries simulates 10 years, 150K miles in 10 months, under different conditions

Green Car Congress

Other battery tests include simulating hot and sunny Phoenix weather by subjecting batteries to greater than 140 °F (60 °C) temperatures, extreme cold conditions in Manitoba, Canada with -40 °F (-40 °C) tests, and by driving vehicles equipped with the batteries through ditches filled with water to ensure there are no issues.

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27 November 2009 - In First "Plug-in Arizona" Outing to Nogales, AZ, " the "Spirit" Made the News with Nogales International

Spirit of DC - PHEV3A

On a recent trip from Bisbee to Phoenix, the Spirit averaged 56 miles per gallon, he said.“ He encouraged the county to buy the car in 2004, when a state energy conservation grant paid half the $22,000 cost, he said.The Honda gets 45 to 50 miles per gallon, Maynard said. Then he asked them what performance meant to them.

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