2015 Chevy City Express Van Good For 25 MPG

2015 Chevrolet City Express

GM’s answer to the Ford Transit Connect is the 2015 Chevy City Express, which netted a combined 25 MPG rating thanks to a particularly high city rating of 24 MPG. GM managed to accomplish this using a 2.0 liter four-cylinder engine matched to a CVT transmission.
That resulted in a 24 MPG city rating and a 26 MPG highway rating for an even 25 MPG combined. This compares favorably to the Ford Transit Connect, which manages up to 30 highway MPG using the 1.6 liter EcoBoost engine, but just 22 MPG around town. Small vans like this tend to do most of their driving in urban environments, acting as delivery or contractor vehicles for local vendors.
The starting price of $22,950, just a little bit cheaper than the Transit Connect’s MSRP of $23,130, and the 20 interior cargo points plus six floor-mounted D-rings allow a wide range of payloads to be safely seccured. The dual rear-sliding doors open up to 122.7 cubic-feet with a maximum payload of 1,500 pounds, and with urban driving in mind GM saw fit to give it a tight turning radius of 36.7 feet, all of which are similar to the Transit Connect. One might say the only difference between the two delivery vans is whether you prefer a blue oval or a bowtie badge on the front of your van.
Or you could just go the New York way and opt for the Nissan NV200 instead, which is smaller, but cheaper as well. Your call, chief.

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Source: Gas 2.

BMW’s i3 is Here, Will it Increase BMW’s Market Share?


BMW i3

BMW has embraced electric cars and hybridization in a big way, launching the hot-selling i3 electric city car and the exciting BMW i8 electric supercar to rave reviews already. BMW isn’t finished yet, though, and has plans to electrify even more of its models, including the German company’s other sub-brand, Mini.
The real question for industry-watchers, then, isn’t “can BMW sell electric cars?” Rather, it seems to be “will BMW’s electric cars increase the company’s overall market share?” That’s the question Zachary Shahan is asking over at our sister site, EV Obsession, and we’ve reproduced his article, below. Enjoy!

Will The BMW i Lineup Boost BMW’s Market Share?


electric BMW i3 city car

I’ve discussed it many times: I’m confident that electric vehicles will replace gasmobiles within the next decade or so. There are so many clear benefits that electric cars have over gasmobiles, including convenience, acceleration, and drive quality.
Electric car sales more than tripled from 2010 to 2011, increased 2½ times from 2011 to 2012, and more than doubled again from the end of 2012 to the end of 2013. As some have explained, electric cars may be ~50% of the way toward market domination. Battery costs have come down fast, which is an important driver of that growth, and that trend isn’t likely to stop anytime soon, especially as it is getting boosted by economies of scale.
You would think that industry insiders would see the writing on the wall: electric vehicles are coming, and they are coming to take over the market. However, as we’ve seen many times before, established industries have a lot of inertia and industry insiders have a hard time seeing that they need to transition to a disruptive technology… or be eaten. It has happened in many industries, but I like to call it “the Kodak moment,” in reference to Kodak’s great fall and a slogan that teenagers today have probably never heard (because of Kodak’s great fall).

Industry Inertia & Denial
The automobile industry is one of the largest in the world, and I think that only increases industry inertia and denial. However, a few major auto manufacturers seem to see what’s around the corner. Nissan-Renault is one of them, with strong statements coming from Chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn about the future of electric vehicles, and I’d say the other big proponent of the electric vehicle future among major automakers is German giant BMW.

BMW Already Benefiting From BMW i Lineup
BMW hasn’t just introduced a couple of electric cars. It hasn’t simply modified gas versions of vehicles to make them electric, like most auto manufacturers have done. No, it has an entire program focused on developing electric cars. Its BMW i program, as it’s called, was kicked off in 2013 with the launch of the BMW i3 and the BMW i8 plug-in hybrid electric supercar. However, BMW plans to eventually have electric versions of all of its vehicles.
The BMW i3 is very nicely priced between the Tesla Model S and the Nissan Leaf, and its performance fits the pricing. It is a clear performance and comfort level above most electric cars. As I wrote when I reviewed the i3, it’s the nicest car I’ve ever driven (Note: I’ve driven a number of nice gasmobiles, but not a Tesla Model S).
Not surprisingly, the i3 is bringing in a lot of first-time BMW customers. In fact, last I read, 80% of BMW i3 buyers came from other brands. That’s impressive, and a great sign that BMW is moving in the right direction.
BMW is bringing the i3 to the Chinese market later this year. It is supposed to be selling it all around the US, not just in select markets (like many automakers do with the electric options). It is selling the i3 across its home country of Germany, as well as much of Europe. And it already has a nice market of supplementary BMW i3 products.
But it’s not just about where you are selling and to whom you are selling; it’s how much you are selling.
Luckily, the news is good on that front as well. Earlier this year, BMW announced that it would be increasing production to match strong demand.
We don’t know for sure which car companies are going to lead the electric car market once it grows to dominate the overall car market, but history has shown that companies that lead the way into a new market tend to benefit greatly from that leadership. Look at Toyota’s success in the hybrid market. Look at Google’s success in the search engine market. Look at Microsoft’s success in the software market. Look at Apple’s success! BMW is certainly one of the first serious movers in the electric vehicle market. It has an aim of selling 100,000 electric vehicles by 2020, which isn’t a great amount, but for it’s higher-end target market, that may not be a bad target. Furthermore, BMW is one of the only companies I’ve seen announce electric car sales targets.
Also, targets can be raised. In fact, it’s quite good press to say that you are exceeding your targets. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw BMW raise its electric car sales targets before too long. Eventually, I think BMW could see strong market growth from being bullish about electric cars. But we’ll have to see how bullish it ends up being, how innovative, and how much better than the competition.


Source: EV Obsession.

Ford To Build Michigan’s Largest Solar Array

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Ford has teamed up with utility DTE Energy to build the largest solar array in its home state of Michigan, as well as the second-largest carport in the entire Midwest. The solar array will provide 360 covered parking spots and 30 plug-in vehicle charging stations, and is expected to generate 1.13 million kWh annually.
That’s enough energy to power about 158 average-sized American homes for an entire year, tough instead the power will be fed into the Ford World Headquarters, offsetting some 794 metric tons of carbon each year. The project is being funded by DTE Energy, and after a carport at the Cincinnati Zoo, it will be the largest carport in the Midwest. Construction will begin this September and is expected to be completed early next year, after which DTE energy has a 20-year contract to operate and maintain the solar-powered carport.
“We are thrilled to be collaborating with DTE Energy to bring a more efficient, renewable energy source to our offices,” said Donna Inch, chairman and CEO, Ford Motor Land Development Corporation. “This is an innovative project that will benefit both DTE Energy and Ford, and is yet another example of our work toward building a more sustainable future.”
The two companies have previously teamed up on other solar projects, including a 500-kilowatt system at the Michigan Assembly Plant. DTE Energy has committed to produce 10% of its energy from renewable sources by the end of next year, and this massive solar array gets them that much closer.
“The SolarCurrents canopy project is another example of how DTE Energy and Ford are working to build a more energy-efficient and sustainable future,” said Irene Dimitry, DTE Energy vice president, marketing and renewables. “At the same time, this project will help us come closer to meeting Michigan’s renewable energy goals and diversify our energy portfolio.”


Source: Ford