sales
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A survey conducted by MBA students at the University of Michigan shows that contrary to popular belief, a large percentage of potential electric vehicle buyers would be willing to trade off vehicle range for price. The survey, released by Norwegian based electric car company Think, appears to have two main camps of users. One is willing to reduce the range of an EV from 100 miles per charge to between 70 and 80 miles if the retail price drops by $5000; the other would pay a premium of $5000 over the price of a 100-mile vehicle to receive a 150- to 160-mile range. The results open up the...
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Green-Car Tip: Hybrid Vehicles Get Discounts, Incentives TooWhile the auto industry in general offers an average incentive of more than $1,000 off the sticker price of any new vehicle, many buyers somehow assume this doesn't apply to hybrids. Oh, but it does. You can get money off pretty much any hybrid out there at the moment, since gasoline prices are far...
John Voelcker -
2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid Continues Conquest CampaignJust yesterday, we reported on Ford's first-ever 300 hp/30 mpg ratings for the 2011 Mustang. The company has vowed to achieve best-in-class fuel economy numbers for every new model it launches. Certainly the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid clears that bar, trouncing any other mid-size sedan with an EPA...
John Voelcker -
Update: 2011 Nissan Leaf Reservations in April, Orders in AugustNissan just wrapped up a three-month nationwide tour of 24 potential early launch markets for its 2011 Leaf electric car. Now, it has explained how interested buyers can place an advance reservation to purchase a Leaf when it goes on sale at the end of the year. First, everyone has to register on...
John Voelcker -
Toyota Dealers to Give Away 2010 Prius at Chicago Auto ShowAs widely reported yesterday, Toyota has suspended sales of 8 models due to a faulty accelerator pedal mechanism. The defective part apparently causes the pedal to stick, resulting in unintended acceleration and loss of control of the vehicle. So what does a Chicagoland Toyota dealership do when...
Robert Scardino -
Toyota Prius To Become Brand's Biggest Seller Soon?Well, maybe "soon" is a bit of an overstatement. But Jim Lentz, the president of Toyota's U.S. arm, recently told Ward's Auto News that sales of the Prius--the best-selling hybrid in the U.S. market--could grow to equal those of the Toyota Camry sometime this decade. The Toyota Camry, including its...
John Voelcker -
Once again, Honda has the most fuel-efficient model range of the nine carmakers that sell a full lineup of vehicles in the U.S. Preliminary figures from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency showed Honda averaging 23.6 miles per gallon across its 2009 vehicles, closely trailed by Hyundai (23.4 mpg) and Toyota (23.2 mpg). The 2009 average across all vehicles sold is 21.1 mpg. Estimates track final figures The EPA estimates are made using sales estimates and confidential information on model mix and engine options from the carmakers, as well as early sales data. Final figures based on actual...
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Small Vehicles Will Be Largest Part Of U.S. Market By 2013, Ford SaysToday we were in Michigan to learn quite a lot about the 2011 Ford Fiesta--absolutely none of which we're allowed to share with you today. (Soon, soon!) Yesterday, though, Ford's George Pipas presented data to journalists in New York that shows what Ford thinks about the future of small vehicles...
John Voelcker -
2010 Prius Supplies Still Scarce, Toyota Considers US Factory...AgainAs global demand remains high for the 50-MPG 2010 Toyota Prius, stocks of the car at U.S. dealers are down to a one-week supply, which is all but sold out. A normal supply is considered to equal 60 days' worth of sales. Sales of the 2010 Prius spiked in late July and August, due to a combination of...
John Voelcker -
Porsche Boss Expects EV Model Within The DecadeNearly a week ago, at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Porsche CEO, Michael Macht, announced plans to produce an all-electric sports car. He recently reiterated that sentiment in the German magazine Welt am Sonntag. Macht says the company is working "intensively" on an EV, but that it will take time for...
Robert Scardino -
2010 Toyota Prius Gets Top Safety RatingIt's almost sold out in some areas, the solar sunroof is smashing sales projections, and now the 2010 Toyota Prius had added a further laurel to its overflowing cap: The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has awarded the 2010 Prius its "Top Safety Pick" designation. That award goes to vehicles...
John Voelcker -
2010 Honda Insight Sales To Fall Short of Goal?Before it launched in the US in March, the 2010 Honda Insight generated huge buzz. It was the "affordable hybrid," the "Prius killer," Honda's triumphant re-entry into the dedicated hybrid market it abandoned with the first generation Insight in 2006. So how's it going? Well, 2010 Insights are...
John Voelcker -
There's rarely a slow news day for Tesla Motors. Today, Tesla spokesperson, Rachel Konrad confirmed that a member of the executive team has resigned. According to Konrad, Michael van der Sande, who has served under the title of Senior Vice President of Global Sales, Marketing, and Service since December, left his post for personal reasons. Tesla denies that the resignation has anything to do with sales. "It's important to note that July was our best sales month in six months, and we delivered a record number of cars to customers (109). We will significantly increase European deliveries in the...
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UPDATE: Cash-For-Clunkers Adds $2 Billion, Lasts Through Labor DayAs expected, the US Senate voted yesterday to add $2 billion more to the Car Allowance Rebate Systems (CARS) program--better known as "Cash for Clunkers". President Barack Obama is expected to sign it today. The vote approved a bill identical to the one passed last Friday by the US House of...
John Voelcker -
2010 Toyota Prius Shortages Ahead Due To Global Demand?Last summer, with $4/gallon gasoline, you couldn't find a Toyota Prius on dealer lots anywhere. Early this year, in the depths of the economic doldrums, US dealers could hardly give away the high-mileage hybrids. Now, once again, the Tsutsumi factory in Japan is cranking out hybrids as fast as it...
John Voelcker -
BREAKING: Cash for Clunkers Passed By SenateAll that's left now is for President Barack Obama to sign the bill. Late last night, the US Senate voted 91 to 5 to pass a $106 billion supplemental spending bill for US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan that includes $1 billion in "Cash for Clunkers" funding. Earlier, the Senate had barely defeated...
John Voelcker -
2010 Toyota Prius Takes Best-Selling Title In JapanThe battle between the 2010 Toyota Prius and the 2010 Honda Insight continues to rage in Japan, where the 2010 Prius became the best-selling car for the month of May. It wrested the crown away from the 2010 Insight, which had become the first hybrid ever to lead the list when it took the top spot...
John Voelcker -
2010 Honda Insight Is Country's Best-Selling Car...In JapanScore one for the new Honda Insight; it outsold every other car in its home country last month
John Voelcker -
Cars to be turned in must get 18 mpg or less, and their replacements 22 mpg or better, under compromise legislation agreed to by the House