Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 10, 2014

Kia Motors America (KMA) unveiled the 2014 Optima Hybrid mid-size sedan at the Chicago Auto Show last week. The 2014 Optima Hybrid builds upon the advancements of its gasoline-powered sibling, which went on sale in late-fall of last year. Available in LX and EX trims, the 2014 Optima Hybrid features carryover refinements for smoothness and drivability, including a 47 hp (35 kW) electric traction motor, a strong Hybrid Starter Generator (HSG) and a 47 kW lithium polymer battery. .

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Green Car Reports

JUNE 3, 2014

Those cars are the 2014 BMW i3 and the 2014 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive. This summer, buyers will have the option of two electric cars that on the surface, offer very similar attributes. Both are from Germany, for a start. Each has a very similar price tag. Each offers four doors and a liftback-style luggage area. And since we''ve driven

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Green Car Reports

JUNE 23, 2014

The Toyota Highlander Hybrid remains the sole seven-seat hybrid vehicle on the market, and it has been redesigned and updated for the 2014 model year. hybrid sales, the 2014 Highlander Hybrid stands at the top of Toyota''s mid-size SUV line. While smaller vehicles--the Prius far ahead of any other model--make up the bulk of U.S. Our model was rated

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Green Car Reports

JUNE 19, 2014

We tested the company''s first-ever hybrid model, the 2014 Subaru XV It''s no secret that Subaru has surged from strength to strength over the last several years. Its sturdy, all-wheel-drive lineup of sedans, hatchbacks, and crossover utilities can be seen on the roads anywhere there''s bad weather, mountainous terrain, or active-sports participants.

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Green Car Reports

APRIL 23, 2014

Today on Green Car Reports: 2014 BMW i3 production rises to meet strong demand, the EPA resets its ethanol rules, and we drive the 2014 Mercedes-Benz E250 BlueTec diesel sedan. Production of the 2014 BMW i3 electric car will rise to meet strong demand, but will sales stay strong when the i3 hits U.S. All this and more on Green Car Reports.

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2014 Green Cars Green MPG 76

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 20, 2014

As of 31 July, fiscal 2014 tax revenue from sales of compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) motor fuel totaled $2,178,199, according to the Texas state Comptroller’s office. State forecasters projected fiscal 2014 natural gas motor fuel tax revenue of $992,000, equal to sales of 6.6

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Green Car Reports

JUNE 11, 2014

Eighteen months ago, when we first drove prototype versions of the 2014 Ford Fiesta EcoBoost, we knew we''d be eager to get our hands on the little subcompact with the turbocharged three-cylinder engine for a longer drive. DON''T MISS: 2014 Ford Fiesta EcoBoost Prototype As a general rule, we like small cars, and small cars with small engines.

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Green Car Reports

MAY 5, 2014

But put your sensible cap on for the moment, have a look at the 2014 Mercedes B-Class Electric Drive, and you''ll find little of such flirtation. Can electric cars be sexy? Look at the exclusive Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive gullwing sports car, and that question has been answered. That''s partly because Mercedes has potentially a much

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Green Car Reports

SEPTEMBER 4, 2014

The 2014 MINI Cooper hardtop is the first entire, top-to-bottom redesign of the iconic British minicar. In its base form, with a new 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine and a six-speed manual gearbox, it runs a bit more than $20,000 and is rated at 34 mpg combined. But it''s longer, wider, and taller. It has more passenger and cargo room

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2014 MPG Gas Engine 84

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 5, 2014

Honda is adding the 2014 Civic Hybrid and Civic Natural Gas models to its 2014 Civic lineup in the US. The 2014 Honda Civic Hybrid has an improved EPA rating of 44/47/45 mpg city/highway/combined (5.3/5.0/5.2 The 2014 Civic Hybrid is on-sale today with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) starting at $24,635. l/100 km), up from the 2013 model’s 44/44/44 mpg.

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2014 Civic Hybrid Indiana MPG 79

Green Car Reports

MAY 29, 2014

Honda was the first car company to sell a hybrid in the U.S. by a few months, but it hasn''t done nearly as well with its hybrids as Toyota has done with its Prius. Its first two-seat Insight wasn''t close enough to the mainstream--and the first Honda Accord Hybrid in 2004 didn''t post gas-mileage numbers that were all that great. That''s changed with

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Green Car Reports

JUNE 3, 2014

The all-new, third-generation 2014 MINI Cooper three-door hatchback--now called "Hardtop" by MINI--sports a longer nose, a new 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine, and an interior that at last cleans up some of the disastrous ergonomics of the previous cars.

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2014 Clean Cleaning Engine 73

Green Car Congress

APRIL 1, 2014

At the beginning of 2014, there were more than 400,000 electric cars—battery-electric, plug-in hybrid, and range-extended electric vehicles—on the road worldwide, according to an analysis by Zentrums für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) in Germany. Accumulated number of xEVs in leading global markets. Annual growth rate over the past three years is more than 100%. Click to enlarge.

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Green Car Reports

SEPTEMBER 17, 2014

The 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class compact sedan isn''t much like the other cars that wear the three-pointed star badge. In contrast to most Mercedes models sold in the U.S., the CLA is small, based on a front-wheel drive platform, and powered exclusively by four-cylinder engines. Customers seem to like those differences--or the idea of a

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2014 IDEA Mercedes Engine 81

Green Car Reports

MAY 1, 2014

Three years on from its debut, Nissan has refreshed its quirky offering for 2014--though fuel economy remains unchanged. The Nissan Juke''s appearance in the compact crossover segment has spurred several other automakers into fielding their own entries. All Juke models get a 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline four-cylinder, producing 188 horsepower

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2014 MPG Fuel Economy Gasoline 85

Green Car Reports

JULY 17, 2014

The 2014 BMW i3 electric car has a unique feature offered by no other vehicle in the world: Buyers can choose to have it as a battery-electric vehicle, or add an optional range-extending engine that roughly doubles its rated electric range of 81 miles.

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2014 Range Miles BMW 84

Green Car Reports

JUNE 2, 2014

The 2014 Mitsubishi i-MiEV is There are times when being first to the market with something just isn''t enough. Take the Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric car. It may have launched as long ago as July 2009 in Japan, but worldwide sales have been just a fraction that of Nissan''s Leaf--and in the U.S, total sales are still in the low four-figures range.

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Green Car Reports

APRIL 14, 2014

The 2014 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive has entered production at the Mercedes assembly plant in Rastatt, Germany, according to Autocar. The first U.S.-market market production electric car to wear a three-pointed star is on its way to showrooms. Based on the B-Class hatchback sold in Europe, the Electric Drive is expected to go on sale in the U.S.

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Green Car Reports

JANUARY 8, 2014

The 2014 Nissan Leaf is now rolling off the assembly lines in Tennessee, and the first examples should arrive at dealerships this week or next. Rated range rises to 84 miles Most importantly to new buyers, the range of the 2014 Leaf is now listed Now, after a long wait, we have information on the updates to the electric car for the new model year.

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Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 4, 2014

2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel. The 3.6-liter V6 EcoDiesel-powered 2014 Ram 1500 pickup ( earlier post ) has earned a 28-mpg (8.4 l/100 km) highway, a rating that stands for model-year 2014. The Ram 1500 now owns the half-ton pickup segment’s top two spots in the EPA’s 2014 highway fuel-economy rankings. Pricing for the 2014 Ram 1500 starts at $24,200, plus $1,195 destination. Click to enlarge.

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2014 Chrysler MPG EPA 105

Green Car Reports

MARCH 19, 2014

Well, OK, perhaps the 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel doesn''t have an engine actually designed by Maserati. But, hey, what other pickup truck can claim to use even the same engine as sexy, sinuous, six-figure Italian luxury sport sedans? As cleverly pointed out by Ward''s Auto, the new diesel Ram 1500 full-size pickup truck uses the same 3.0-liter

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Green Car Reports

APRIL 25, 2014

With deliveries of the first 2014 BMW i3 battery-electric cars now just days away, BMW has busily been training service personnel and dealership staff on its new and radical design. And an informed post on BMWBlog by a dealership employee who went through the multi-day course offers some new information about the car and its capabilities DON''T

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2014 BMW Design Electric Cars 83

Green Car Reports

FEBRUARY 4, 2014

The 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel achieved an EPA fuel-economy rating of 23 mpg combined for rear-wheel drive models. MORE: 2014 Pickup Truck Gas Mileage: Ford Vs Chevy Vs Ram, Who''s Best? How do you make a full-size pickup truck more fuel-efficient? Fitting in a smaller diesel engine seems to be working for Ram. That represents a city rating of 20 mpg

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Green Car Reports

MAY 30, 2014

The 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel attempts to tackle the problem of full-size pickup-truck fuel economy with something not seen in any other current production half-ton truck: a diesel Plug-in cars may get a lot of attention, but improving the efficiency of big trucks can have a huge effect on reducing overall emissions--and owners'' fuel bills as well.

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2014 Fuel Economy Economy Diesel 81

Green Car Reports

MARCH 6, 2014

Let''s get one thing out of the way up front: The 2014 Cadillac ELR is rather more than a "tarted-up Volt," in the words of more than one commentator. It''s a quiet, smooth, adequately powerful and very stylish coupe with a luxurious interior, and GM''s most advanced range-extended electric powertrain. On the other hand, it''s effectively a two-person

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2014 Cadillac Personal Volt 84

Green Car Reports

JANUARY 8, 2014

The 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel is one of two popular models this year that offer a good test of how attractive buyers find today''s modern diesels. The other is the 2014 Chevy Cruze Diesel compact Diesel engines are now offered in a growing number of passenger vehicles on sale this year and next, especially crossovers and sport utilities.

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2014 Jeep Fuel Economy Economy 79

Green Car Reports

MARCH 31, 2014

General Motors is recalling most of its 2014 Cadillac ELR luxury range-extended electric coupes for faulty stability-control software. The recall will correct a problem with the diagnostic function of the software that controls the electronic stability control (ESC) in approximately 656 ELRs built between September 26, 2013, and February 14, 2014

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Green Car Reports

APRIL 23, 2014

Even in 2014, there remain relatively few subcompact or compact sedans that top the 40-mpg mark in ratings, let alone real-world use. In recent years—especially in the time since EPA fuel economy ratings have become more realistic—40 miles per gallon on the highway has become like a sort of high-water mark for non-hybrid cars. So it''s

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2014 Fuel Economy EPA Economy 80

Green Car Reports

MARCH 21, 2014

Now we''ve driven the 2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek Hybrid, its very first hybrid offering. If ever any car brand should have offered a hybrid before now, it would be Subaru. It''s a much better car than the Crosstrek on which it''s based, but little of that improvement has anything to do with the hybrid powertrain. MORE: 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek: First

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Green Car Congress

JUNE 30, 2014

Mitsubishi Motors’ iMiEV Evolution III all-electric racecars ( earlier post ) took first and second place in the the Electric Modified Division of the 2014 edition of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. With a time of 9 minutes 08 seconds 188, Greg Tracy won the Electric Modified Division honors and 2 nd overall—just a few seconds shy of taking the overall win. Meanwhile, Hiroshi Masuoka set a time of 9 minutes 12 seconds 204, finishing 2 nd in the division and 3 rd overall.

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Green Car Congress

JANUARY 8, 2014

During 2014, the global plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) industry is poised to grow by 86% and will surpass more than 346,000 new vehicles sold, according to a new white paper—“ Electric Vehicles: 10 Predictions for 2014 ”—published by Navigant Research. Navigant’s 10 predictions of significant trends shaping the PEV market in 2014 are: Click to enlarge. Tesla is also readying the Model X, a more affordable crossover for launch by the end of 2014.

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Green Car Reports

FEBRUARY 5, 2014

So we''ve been eager to test the new 2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, one of only four hybrid crossovers. MORE: 2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid: Is It Hybrid Enough To Matter? Hybrid SUVs and crossover utility vehicles remain rare compared to the growing array of hybrid passenger sedans and hatchbacks. It''s only a mild hybrid, unlike Toyota and Lexus

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Green Car Reports

NOVEMBER 11, 2014

In an effort to simplify its assembly process and boost production rates, Tesla Motors has streamlined its 2014 Tesla Model S electric-car lineup and eliminated several variants. Specifically, the California carmaker will no longer offer its P85 and P85+ performance versions in rear-wheel-drive form--those models will only be available now with

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2014 Tesla Motors Available Now California 87

Green Car Reports

AUGUST 18, 2014

The 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid received very positive reviews when it was launched almost a year ago. Its EPA fuel-efficiency rating of 47 mpg combined approaches that of the 50-mpg Toyota Prius, but the Accord is a more conventional looking mid-size sedan--a plus for many buyers. Yet sales have been remarkably low, and potential buyers routinely

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2014 Prius MPG EPA 75

Green Car Reports

DECEMBER 31, 2014

So how did 2014 measure up in terms of boosting vehicle fuel efficiency and reducing emissions? With the year all but wound down, it''s an appropriate time to look back and take stock of what''s been achieved over the past 12 months. DON''T MISS: In Just One Year, Electric Cars Have Gotten Cleaner: How''d They Do That? According to the National

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Green Car Reports

JANUARY 13, 2014

General Motors'' redesigned 2014 full-size pickup trucks have only been on the market for a few months, but now they''re being called back to the dealer to fix a potential flaw. Certain 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 models are being recalled due to a fire risk associated with their cylinder-deactivation systems, the Detroit News

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2014 GMC Silverado Sierra 76

Green Car Reports

AUGUST 22, 2014

New REx on the block But now the Volt has a formidable new competitor: the new 2014 BMW i3, available as both a pure Until recently, the Chevy Volt was the only range-extended electric car available in the U.S. I''ve driven a Volt for almost three years now, and it''s been a splendid car--quiet, smooth, peppy, and amazingly economical.

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2014 Available Volt Range 87

Green Car Reports

SEPTEMBER 25, 2014

It''s a pretty standard part of the car-launch cycle: The earliest buyers pay sticker price or more, and then the discounting starts to set in. Accordingly, with the BMW i3 electric car on the market for five months now, we''re starting to see more aggressive marketing on the part of dealers. One more generous lease deal that popped up recently came

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2014 Dealers Price Parts 85

Green Car Reports

NOVEMBER 20, 2014

After an unveiling at the Paris Motor Show, the 2016 Fiat 500X crossover made its North American debut at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show. Sharing underpinnings with the 2015 Jeep Renegade, the 500X joins a burgeoning field of small crossovers that includes two other vehicles that were unveiled in L.A. this week--the 2016 Honda HR-V and 2016 Mazda

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2014 Los Angeles Jeep Mazda 72

Green Car Reports

FEBRUARY 6, 2014

The 2014 Kia Optima Hybrid was unveiled at the 2014 Chicago Auto Show today, with aerodynamic tweaks and a few other updates. Kia''s hybrid mid-size sedan gets a few small changes to increase efficiency and keep its styling current. It''s not surprising that the changes are minor; the car had already received significant mechanical and packaging

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2014 Chicago Kia Auto 74

Green Car Reports

MAY 2, 2014

It''s clearly the week for news about the new and distinctive 2014 BMW i3 electric car. Yesterday, as the first cars arrived at dealers, we learned that it was rated at 81 miles of range (less than a 2014 Nissan Leaf''s 84 miles), but operates at an unparalleled efficiency of 124 MPGe. Then, late last night, we found that California buyers who

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2014 Dealers Miles Nissan 84

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 4, 2014

BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) announced a new single-year record capital commitment plan of approximately $5 billion for 2014, approximately a $1 billion increase over its 2013 capital spend. Much of the capacity expansion in the 2014 capital plan is for infrastructure investment on BNSF’s Northern Corridor to put the company in position to meet all customer service expectations, including Amtrak.

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Green Car Reports

MAY 5, 2014

Today on Green Car Reports: We drive the 2014 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive, the first 2014 BMW i3 electric car has been delivered, and why European gas-mileage ratings are so high (and inaccurate). The first 2014 BMW i3 was delivered to a buyer in Boston on Friday, kicking off U.S.

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2014 Boston Green Cars Green 80