Toyota Sold More Prius C in Three Days than the Volt and Leaf Combined in a Month

According to Toyota, the newest member of its Prius family of hybrids, the Yaris-sized Prius C, is off to an extremely good start since going on sale in the States on March 12. In its first three days on the market, the Prius C sold 1,201 units, with Toyota making it a point to note that it surpassed the combined sales of the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf for the entire month of February. In other related news, our local grocery disclosed that it sold more apples in an hour than Prius C in a day.
Needless to say, the name of the PR game is to make your accomplishments appear bigger than what they really are while seriously downplaying your failures.
It would be more appropriate for Toyota to wait to compare the sales of its plug-in Prius, which is closer in price and to a certain extent, in philosophy (it only does 15 miles in EV mode) to Nissan's all-electric Leaf and GM's extended range Chevrolet Volt.

“A number of factors drive the auto market, and fuel prices is one of them,” said Bob Carter, group vice president and general manager of the Toyota Division. “With 53 miles-per-gallon in the city and priced under $19,000, the timing for Prius c couldn’t be better.”

PHOTO GALLERY

Read More

California wants 1.4 Million Zero-Emission Vehicles by 2025

The state of California has been at the forefront of the nation’s regulations when it comes to reducing emissions since the 1970s. And now it has taken another step in this direction by approving the Advanced Clean Car program.
It is a set of regulations that aims to reduce emissions and, among other things, requires 15.4 percent of all new vehicles that will be sold by 2025 to be all-electric, plug-in hybrids or powered by fuel cells.
By implementing this program, California regulators wish to reduce passenger vehicles emissions by 34 percent between 2014 and 2015, and overall smog-forming emissions by 75 percent. It’s a goal similar to the federal standards proposed by President Obama.
The California Air Resources Board’s decision was unanimous. The new regulation amounts to 1.4 electric, fuel cell and plug-in hybrids to be on the state’s streets by 2025 and plans to offer incentives to buyers, including rebates and tax credits,
Moreover, the regulators stated that non-plug-in hybrids, such as the Prius, won’t get the same treatment, as they are not as close to EVs.
Surprisingly enough, the plan has the support of major car manufacturers such as GM, Ford, Chrysler and Nissan, which are usually fighting against California regulators.
“Probably the most heartening aspect of this whole rulemaking was the level of cooperation that we received from the industry. Overall, the degree of support for the package was just extraordinary," commented Mary Nichols, chair of the California Air Resources Board.
On the other hand, dealers of car companies that manufacture these kinds of vehicles such as GM with the Volt, Ford with the Focus Electric and Nissan with the Leaf, do not.
The California New Car Dealers Association, along with other car-selling businesses groups, said that the Board is overestimating demand for zero-emission vehicles.
They estimate that the technology implemented in those vehicles raises their price by an average of US$3,200, something that consumers have not been willing to accept.
Moreover, the Associated Press reported that the president of the Dealers Association, Jonathan Morrison, said that the while the dealers are supportive of new technologies, buyers have been too slow to adopt them.

PHOTO GALLERY

Read More

SIM-LEI EV Revealed With 206 Mile Range

Take a good look at this car, because if you were next to it at a stop light there’s a good chance it would beat you off the line by a long shot.
It’s the SIM-LEI EV, built by the SIM Company, founded in 2009 at Japan’s Keio University. What separates it from the other EVs on the block is SIM’spreference to use four electric motors, one per wheel, rather than a central motor under the hood. The car should have debuted in March, 2011 but couldn’t meet that date after the earthquake devastation of last year.
Range is the biggest selling point. The SIM-LEI is said to last up to 206 miles in city traffic, thanks in part to the car having a minimal 0.19 coefficient of drag, which bests cars like the Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi i which ballpark around 100 miles.
Most people interested in buying an EV will probably agree that range is important and having double the capacity of the competition is pretty sweet, but there’s something else that makes the SIM-LEI even more interesting. It scoots from 0-60 mph in just 4.8 seconds. For some perspective, a 2010 Mustang GT does it in 4.9.
Sure, the 93 mph top speed isn’t going to do much to your heart rate, but having motors distributed to all four corners mean this car will feel like it’s got suction cups for wheels around tight corners. Say what you will, but that’s a lot of fun.

Read More

Nissan Leaf EV with New design Concept at Tokyo Motor Show

This has been a rough year for Japanese automakers but if there's one company from the Land of the Rising Sun that's showing a lot of potential, that would be Nissan - be that with its quirky looking Juke crossover, the pure electric Leaf or the tarmac-shredding GT-R sports car.

Perhaps the most important news coming from Nissan at the Tokyo Motor Show is the company's decision to heavily invest in its performance arm NISMO and expand its offerings to include more focused editions of Nissan's mainstream models.
And mind you, it's not all words as the Japanese automaker is showcasing two potential NISMO editions, one based on the Juke crossover that we've already shown you and the other on the Leaf EV seen here.
While NISMO left the LEAF's electric drivetrain untouched, the company designed a full aero kit that includes a new front bumper incorporates LED lighting, rear under protector, a rear diffuser and extended side sills along with a new set of 18-inch alloy wheels with lower profile tires for added grip.
Nissan says that the styling package is not only about looks as it generates extra downforce at speed to improve the LEAF's handling and grip.
"The Nismo Concept not only proves the hidden potential of Nissan LEAF but also adds even more excitement and energy to LEAF, delivering a guilt-free yet exhilarating driving experience that can be enjoyed by every car enthusiast," said Hideaki Watanabe, Corporate Vice President, Nissan Motor Company and head of the company's electric vehicle business unit.
If Nissan gives the green light to a Nismo edition of the Leaf, it would most likely get a power upgrade for the electric motor as well as a sportier suspension.

PHOTO GALLERY

Read More