Ford Says Focus Electric Will Get 100 mpg, Charge in 3 Hours
Ford says its 2012 Ford Focus Electric will be the first five-passenger electric vehicle to get the equivalent of 100 miles per gallon and will charge in about three hours with 240-volt outlets. A limited number of Focus Electric vehicles will be available in California and New York/New Jersey next year with availability to expand to 15 additional markets.
Hertz, Donlen Execs Keynote Speakers at 2012 Car Rental Show
Hertz chairman and CEO Mark Frissora and Donlen CEO Gary Rappeport will deliver the opening keynote address at 2012 Car Rental Show scheduled for March 12 - 13 at the LVH-Las Vegas Hotel and Casino. They plan to discuss the imminent convergence of rental with other vehicle solutions ranging from car sharing, traditional car rental and long-term auto, truck and equipment rental and leasing. The 2012 Car Rental Show is presented by Auto Rental News and the American Car Rental Association.
More Auto Loans Now for Subprime Buyers
Experian and CNW Research are seeing auto loans increasing lately to subprime and deep subprime buyers. While their credit scores are in the 550 to 620 range, and they were usually blocked from gaining a loan three years ago, their numbers are up substantially. CNW says that sub-prime auto loan approvals are up nearly 54% this year.
The Drawbacks of Using Ethanol Fuel Blends
Most gasoline powered cars can also safely run on an ethanol blend consisting of 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gasoline, known as E10 fuel. The EPA says cars fueled with either E10 or E85 (85% ethanol and 15% gasoline for flex-fuel vehicles) will see a drop in fuel efficiency. Drivers using these ethanol-based fuels will experience lower miles per gallon and higher costs.
IIHS Announces 2012 Top Safety Pick Winners
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recognized 69 cars, 38 SUVs, 5 minivans, and 3 pickups with its 2012 Top Safety Pick award. Every major automaker had at least one winner. The award recognizes vehicles that do the best job of protecting people in front, side, rollover, and rear crashes based on ratings in Institute evaluations.
