government
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Never let it be said US car buyers don't know a good deal when they see one. The Toyota Prius has become the fourth-most popular car purchased under the first 80,000 Cash-for-Clunkers vouchers processed by the US Department of Transportation. In fact, Toyota sold 19,173 Priuses during July, almost 30 percent more than a year ago and a full 41 percent higher than the total sold in June 2008. The Prius is the only hybrid in the ten most popular vehicles purchased under the Car Allowance Rebate Systems (CARS) program, colloquially called "Cash for Clunkers." In fact, the Cash-for-Clunkers...
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Killing Your Clunker Correctly: How a Dealer 'Disables' ItThe 135 pages of Cash-for-Clunkers regulations rules require the dealer who sells you your new, more fuel-efficient car to 'disable' the engine of your traded-in clunker. But how do those dealers actually destroy the engine? Three words: sodium silicate solution. It's a combination of water...
John Voelcker -
France Punishes Peasants (And Entrepreneurs) For Saving Energy
As the saying goes, if the French didn't exit, we'd have to invent them: A nation that reveres Jerry Lewis, builds cars with single-spoke steering wheels or names like Kangoo BeBop ZE, and threatens to blow up factories if strike demands aren't met (and then changes its mind). The latest evidence...
John Voelcker -
The Few, The Proud...The Green? Marines Clean Up Camp Pendleton Wheels
Every time we make a joke involving the US Marine Corps, first we check it with our friend Cap'n Connors, a former Marine. With multiple deployments under his belt, and much multicolored art under his skin, the cap'n is our source for all things having to do with the most profane of the armed...
John Voelcker -
Get a 2009 Smart ForTwo, Just $99/Month (Clunker Required)
No sooner did the 'Cash for Clunkers' legislation pass the Senate and get signed by President Obama than carmakers started marketing around it. The program won't officially launch until next month, but Smart is already pointing out that its 2009 Smart ForTwo is eligible for the highest voucher...
John Voelcker -
Five Questions To Ask About Those DoE Advanced-Tech Loans
On Tuesday, we covered the news that Ford, Nissan, and Tesla had been granted a total of $8 billion in low-interest loans by the US Department of Energy to retool for advanced automotive technologies. With a few days under our belt, we've considered the story and have a few questions for you to...
John Voelcker -
Late Tuesday night, we reported that the House had passed a bill by Rep. Betty Sutton (D-OH) to institute a "Cash for Clunkers" tax credit scheme. Now the Detroit News and other sources report that, just two days later, it appears the Senate and House have agreed to include $1 billion to fund the program through September 30. The funding is part of a $106 billion wartime spending bill that's expected to pass next week. Those provisions will include the same terms as the bill passed by the House. The total cost of the one-year program is expected to be $4 billion, so additional funds will have...
