Volvo is offering UK buyers of its plug-in hybrid models a year’s worth of free electricity, in a bid to encourage them to use their cars as efficiently as possible. The Take Charge offer, which was revealed at the unveiling of the XC40 Recharge EV last month, will be available to any UK buyer of one of the firm’s seven plug-in hybrid models between now and 30 June 2020. Volvo now offers an electrified version of every car in its line-up, with plug-in hybrid versions of the XC40, XC60, XC90 SUVs, the V60 and V90 estates and S60 and S90 saloons. All those models will now carry the new Recharge badge for electrified machines. The firm will record the total level of charge put into it over the course of a year using the Volvo On Call app, with Volvo then giving the customer a rebate based on the average price of electricity. Björn Annwall, Volvo’s commercial boss, said the scheme was designed to showcase that plug-in hybrids can be a sustainable stepping stone or alternative to full electric cars, and to fight the belief that many are bought for tax incentives and rarely plugged in to charge. “Plug-in hybrids can be very efficient if they are used in the right way,” said Annwall. “But if you just buy them for tax reasons and leave the cables in the boot it’s just a waste. “We wanted to make consumers more aware of the benefits, and this was something we could do to help all plug-in hybrid buyers. We think incentives can help, because they can put a spotlight on efficient energy usage. “The first year with a new car is when you set your habits with it, so if we put incentives then it will really make people think about how they use their cars, and show how they can change.” While Volvo’s plug-in hybrid models have previously carried Twin Engine branding, that will be phased out in favour of the new Recharge label, which will also be used for full-electric cars such as the new XC40 Recharge. Volvo has introduced an electrified version of every model in its range, and is aiming for plug-in hybrid cars to account for 20% of its sales next year. This is a key part of a major push towards electrification and reducing its average carbon emissions. The firm is aiming to be carbon neutral by
Origin: Volvo launches free electricity offer for UK PHEV buyers
buyers
Volvo PHEV buyers offered a years free charging
Volvo PHEV buyers offered a year’s free charging Twin Engine model buyers will get their charging reimbursed Volvo is offering customers a year’s free electricity to charge their car if they buy any of the Swedish manufacturer’s plug-in hybrid models. The deal is available to buyers of any of Volvo’s seven-strong PHEV line-up. These see PHEV powertrains available in the XC40, S60, V60, XC60, S90, V90, and XC90 ranges. Volvo’s aim is to encourage drivers to maximise their zero-tailpipe emission mileage with an incentive to off-set costs associated with charging their car. Customers will charge their car throughout the year, and Volvo will then reimburse them their associated costs at the end of the 12 month period. The amount repaid will be based on the average cost of electricity in the UK, and will be calculated by using the Volvo On Call app. This offers customers a number of features, but includes the ability to track how much power the car consumes. Since the majority of trips in the UK are well within a Volvo’s electric-only range, it is hoped that this added incentive will see fuel costs for a year significantly reduced for customers, while also reducing emissions produced on each journey. The offer is available to both private and business customers, with Volvo recognising that the best way to maximise a PHEV’s efficiency is to charge it as often as is reasonably possible. Since the focus is to improve driving and charging behaviour, for business customers, the refund will go to the driver rather than the company or fleet operator. Kristian Elvefors, Volvo Car UK Managing Director, said: “At Volvo, in keeping with our Swedish roots, we’ve always taken a keen interest in looking after the environment. Our recently stated ambition to become a carbon-neutral company by 2040 shows we are serious about addressing climate change. “It’s crucial that we help our plug-in hybrid customers understand how they can make the most of their car’s electric potential. So, by meeting their electricity charging costs for a year, we can encourage them to develop the good habit of regularly recharging their car’s battery, as well as saving them money at the same time.” Volvo offers plug-in hybrid options across its entire range, and is increasing the choice available to two PHEV models in some models. Hybrid options have recently been phased in, and a pure-electric XC40 is due soon as Volvo electrifies its fleet.
Origin: Volvo PHEV buyers offered a years free charging
Man tired of being low-balled by buyers crushes classic Dodge Charger
Video of the owner of a classic Dodge Charger willfully crushing his car to send a message to prospective buyers that instead have just jerked (him) around is blowing up across Mopar pages and muscle car enthusiast groups on Facebook.1970 Charger 500 Im bringing to the scrap yard today because Im tired of being jerked around, the owner posted October 28 in one group, with a photo of a worn-but-solid-looking black Dodge with a white drivers side door.The man was allegedly asking for US$10,000 for the car, reports TireMeetsRoad.com in a post in one group, he says he was actually asking US$8,500 before lowering it to US$5,000 but instead of offers for around that price, he was, apparently, low-balled, visited by tire-kickers not interested in paying that much for the car, or, mostly, contacted by prospective buyers who just simply not show up. Insurance company Hagerty values a daily-driver condition 1970 Dodge Charger 500 with a 318 V8 at US$27,000 on average. To the dismay of Mopar enthusiasts everywhere, the owner followed up on his threat and had the car crushed at a wrecking yard while a friend filmed it. Beautiful! Thats what you guys f**kin get! the cameraman can be heard shouting as the forks of the tractor first come down on top of the Chargers roof. Everybody wants to be a car guy until its time to do car guy shit!As TireMeetsRoad.com notes, in the video, the engine can be seen still in the car, suggesting the owner hadnt really attempted parting out the Charger. Its not certain if the car still ran or not.The reaction on Facebook was mostly one of disgust over someone putting to waste a classic car or, at the very least, a classic set of fenders, glass, and other good parts because they were obstinate about getting their asking price. However, many also defended the owners actions, saying he is free to do with his property as he sees fit.At the end of the video, the owner dispels any speculation about his motives for crushing the Dodge Charger. He insists he doesnt use drugs, and is not doing it for moneyits strictly to send a message.He even seems to revel in the cars destruction as the tractors forks pierce through the sheet metal: Im gonna sleep good
Origin: Man tired of being low-balled by buyers crushes classic Dodge Charger
MG ZS EV: first 1000 UK buyers receive £7000 discount
MG has revealed that UK prices for launch editions of its first fully electric model, the ZS EV, will be significantly less than both the Hyundai Kona Electric and Kia e-Niro. MG will match the government’s £3500 plug-in car grant for the first 1000 ZS EV buyers in the UK, bringing the entry-level ‘Excite’ variant’s list price down to £21,495. The same offer also applies to more luxurious ‘Exclusive’ trim, which costs £23,495. Owners of these early models will receive a free home charging point, which will be installed at no extra charge by MG. Once the first 1000 examples have been sold, the ZS EV will be available from £24,995, including the government grant. Although largely unrivalled in its position as a value electric compact SUV, the ZS EV represents a much more affordable alternative to the Kia e-Niro, which starts from £32,995 after grant. The ZS EV’s chief rival, Hyundai’s Kona Electric, is priced slightly higher at £27,250, but is currently off-sale in the UK, with prospective buyers encouraged to join a waiting list. Like Hyundai and Kia, MG is applying a seven-year warranty to all ZS models sold in the UK. The discounted price for the first 1000 models puts the ZS EV among the cheapest electric cars available in the UK. The ageing Citroen C-Zero is the only mainstream EV available for less, at £17,020 including the grant. The ZS EV was first revealed at the Guangzhou motor show in China last year, and will be sold alongside the existing petrol versions of the ZS. The UK-bound ZS EV makes use of a front-mounted electric motor, producing 141bhp and 260lb ft. The car’s water-cooled 44.5kWh lithium ion battery is good for a 163-mile range on the WLTP test cycle, and is capable of rapid charging from flat to around 80 per cent capacity in half an hour. Styling changes over the conventionally fuelled model are minimal, and limited to the integration of a charging point in its blanked off grille, and the addition of a newly designed set of 17in alloy wheels. Inside, standard equipment includes an 8in touchscreen, satnav, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth and DAB radio. The ZS prioritises interior space and practicality, with a split-level boot and several hidden storage areas maximising load capacity. “We’re delighted to be entering the electric car market at such an exciting time,” said Daniel Gregorious, MG’s head of sales and marketing. “With MG’s trademark value-for-money approach, we’re confident that we can help more and more new car buyers to go electric.” UK sales of the EV weren’t confirmed at the its global debut last year, but now come as part of the steady growth of the MG brand worldwide and its transition to being a maker of SUVs. MG is enjoying sales success in China, under the ownership of SAIC. Last year, it sold 134,786 cars, a significant increase over the 80,389 sold in 2016. That success accelerated in 2018; MG had already surpassed its 2017 total by the end of August, having sold 179,109 cars. China is the world’s largest market for electric cars, and ranges in excess of 250 miles are now the norm there, rather than the exception. The ZS EV first made its debut alongside the new HS SUV, which is understood to be lined up to replace the GS in MG’s UK range later this
Origin: MG ZS EV: first 1000 UK buyers receive £7000 discount
Analysis: Why new car buyers are ditching diesel for hybrids and EVs
It’s hard to believe that just two years ago, almost half of the new cars sold in the UK were diesel. In May 2017, in the first of a series of powertrain studies done for Autocar, market research firm Simpson Carpenter forecast that within three years diesel sales would fall to 23% of the total new car market – a prediction that was met with some scepticism at the time. But now, two years on, diesel sales in the first quarter of 2019 have fallen to just 27% of the new car market. So far, the main beneficiary has been petrol. While buyers expressed an intent to buy hybrid or electric, the relative shortage of available models has limited alternatively fuelled vehicles to just 6% of new car sales. Simpson Carpenter’s most recent research for Autocar suggests the move away from diesel will continue, with just 18% of car buyers – new and used – now expecting their next car to be diesel. The main shift from diesel is in the new car market, where the proportion of people intending to buy diesel next time is down from 23% in 2017 to just 14%. During the same period, the number of new car buyers expecting to buy a hybrid or electric car has risen from fewer than one in four to more than one in three – growth likely to continue as the choice of models increases. Even in the used car market, diesel’s popularity continues to wane. Only 21% now intend to buy a diesel next time – just 2% more than those who say they’ll opt for a hybrid or electric car. The very small number of used hybrids and electric cars on the market means a big imbalance between supply and demand for different powertrains. However, petrol car sales are likely to remain healthy for some time. Although one in five of those with petrol-engined cars say they will defect to hybrid or electric next time round, these losses will be largely mitigated by almost one in three diesel owners who plan to switch to petrol. Another nail in diesel’s coffin is the increase in the numbers of current owners who reject the fuel outright. One in five diesel owners now reject the fuel and will no longer even consider it for their next car. These gradually increasing levels of rejection continue to be driven by two core concerns: the environmental effects of diesel and concern over future resale values of diesel cars. The only area in which diesel seems likely to retain a significant foothold is with larger cars. Among owners with cars that have engines of 2.0 litres or more, over half will consider diesel next time, with more than a third picking it as the engine type they’re most likely to buy. Conversely, there seems to be no future for diesel among smaller cars. Why are car buyers turning their back on diesel?
Origin: Analysis: Why new car buyers are ditching diesel for hybrids and EVs
Tesla Model 3 to offer 200kW charging for UK buyers
Tesla has developed a new firmware update for European Model 3 Long Range models that will allow them to be charged at 200kW – making it the fastest-charging car currently on sale in the UK. The electric saloon has been available to order in the UK since May 1, with prices starting from £38,900 for the entry-level Standard Range Plus, which has a WLTP-estimated range of 258 miles. The dual-motor Long Range model starts from £47,900 and can reach 348 miles on a single charge, meaning it takes the lead in Europe as the EV with the longest official range. Deliveries are due to begin in June. With the firmware update, Long Range models can charge at up to 200kW at third party charging stations with the technology, which is currently being rolled out by various firms. Tesla is also developing a fast-charging V3 Supercharger network for Europe, which will allow the cars to be charged at speeds of 250kW. Both the Standard Range Plus and Long Range models come with aerodynamically optimised 18in alloy wheels as standard, with 19in alloys available as an option. Prices include the UK government plug-in car grant. The top-end Performance version, which has a 162mph top speed and can manage 0-62mph in 3.2sec, starts at £56,900. It rides on 20in alloy wheels and includes a Premium interior package, which includes satellite-view navigation with live traffic, a premium 14-speaker audio system and in-car music and media streaming. Tesla’s ‘full self-driving’ autonomous functionality, which is due to roll out later this year, can be added for an additional £4900. The system can be installed post-purchase for £6800. Tesla CEO Elon Musk previously confirmed that UK orders would go live in a tweet, allowing UK customers to place an order before Tesla raises the price of its ‘full self-driving’ autonomous functionality. From 10 May, those placing orders in the US will need to pay an additional $1000 for the feature. The car maker launched its configurator in December for European customers who had already put down a deposit for a Model 3 saloon, which in the process revealed previously unconfirmed pricing and range details. The Model 3 went on show in UK dealerships for the first time at the beginning of the year, with demonstration models on display at Tesla’s London Park Royal and Manchester Stockport locations ahead of right-hand-drive models going on sale. Model 3 owners will not get free access to the Tesla Supercharger high-speed charging system, with the US company planning to charge for electricity as demand grows and it requires more investment to build up its charging network. Tesla’s latest results from the third quarter of 2018 showed that it hit production targets for the Model 3, building 53,239 units. This followed a tumultuous second quarter in which a temporary ‘tent’ was constructed outside the firm’s Californian plant containing another production line so as to increase output. Tesla revealed its Semi lorry in November last year, and this is expected to go into production in 2019. Its next model, the Model Y small SUV, was revealed in March. The highly anticipated Roadster, a sports car that is promised to hit 0-60mph in 1.9sec, is pegged to arrive in
Origin: Tesla Model 3 to offer 200kW charging for UK buyers
News Roundup: Corvette buyers press cancel, Canada’s terrible fuel economy and the great drive-thru phone debate
2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1Derek McNaughton Welcome to our weekly round-up of the biggest breaking stories on Driving.ca from this past week. Get caught up and ready to get on with the weekend, because it’s hard keeping pace in a digital traffic jam. Here’s what you missed while you were away. Corvette buyers are cancelling orders as hype for new-gen model builds The mid-engine Corvette is finally coming. Handout / Chevrolet With the promise of drastic changes in the upcoming Corvette, Chevrolet dealers are struggling to move stock of 2018 models. We’ve entered the calm before the mid-engine storm, and the numbers prove it. In 2018, dealers sold 44 per cent fewer Corvettes than they did in 2015, and reports of customers cancelling orders for 2019 models are coming in. Seems like people don’t want the last of the front-engined Corvettes when they could have the first of the mids if they wait just a bit longer. Guess how many manual transmission cars Toyota actually sells 2019 Toyota 86 Clayton Seams / Driving Car writers love to lament the decline of the manual transmission, but it’s not that automakers don’t care about the enthusiasts, it’s that they know what sells. Carbuzz got the inside scoop about manual sales at a dinner meeting with a Toyota exec, reporting that even in the 86, one of the brand’s sportiest models, only one-third of buyers chose the manual transmission over the six-speed automatic. In the also pretty sporty Corolla hatchback, those numbers fall to 15 per cent. If any of these automatic transmission supports is on our staff, we hereby pledge to root them out and address the situation appropriately. Canadian cars get terrible fuel economy: report When it comes to fuel economy, Canada is basically the worst in the world. According to a new report by the International Energy Agency, vehicles on Canadian roads are bigger, heavier and guzzle more gas on average than those of any other country. Some of the factors contributing to this environmentally unfriendly statistic include North America’s enduring belief that bigger is better, lax fuel economy standards, and low fuel prices relative to the rest of the world. Click here to learn more about how our nation’s vehicles stack up against those of other countries. Police warn BC driver for using cell phone in McDonald’s drive-thru Vehicles in two separate drive-up lanes place orders at a McDonald’s drive-thru location January 17, 2006 in Rosemont, Illinois. Tim Boyle / Getty Images Is it distracted driving if you’re using your cell phone while in a McDonald’s drive-thru? News 1130 reports that a driver on his phone in a McDonald’s drive-thru was issued a warning by a B.C. police officer, so it would appear the answer to that question is yes, technically. The reminder from officials that driveways and drive-thrus are considered part of the roadway and therefore subject to its laws has prompted our Judgy-Pants columnist Lorraine Sommerfeld to explore the moral grey area and ask the logical follow-up questions, like “how are you supposed to use an app to pay for your food if you can’t have your phone out?” It’s a first-rate first-world problem and we need your input—answer the poll in the link above. Montreal’s war on cars heats up amid driver frustration over Mount Royal Closure Cars cross Mount Royal in Montreal Thursday May 2, 2019. John Mahoney / Montreal Gazette Water-cooler talk in Montreal remains focused on one thing: traffic. For the last several years the city has been the site of a massive infrastructure update, rendering over 600 km of roads temporarily off limits. One particularly contentious route closure was that of the Camillien-Houde Way. Automotive journalist and Montreal resident Benjamin Hunting makes no bones about it: the Valerie Plante government’s Mount Royal closure frustrated everyone and served no one. And according to new information compiled by the OPCM, the majority of some 13,000 citizens share his views. We take the 2019 Mustang Shelby GT350 to the track The 2019 Mustang Shelby GT 350 has arrived, and Driving’s managing editor Jonathan Yarkony drew the long straw and earned the right to be the first of our squad to spend some considerable time with his hands on the rambunctious pony’s reins, including for a few laps of the M1 Concourse racetrack in Detroit. Live vicariously through him in our First Drive review. With aerodynamic upgrades, and a healthy 526 horsepower and 429 lb-ft. of torque on tap, it’s easily the most track-ready Mustang to date. New science suggests rideshare back seats are bacterial cesspools Man’s hand in rubber protective glove with finger pointing to dirty textile back seat. Car’s interior problem and solution. Cleaning concept. Next time you book an Uber or Lyft, you might want to bring some hand sanitizer, because apparently the back seats of the popular ridesharing vehicles are legitimately more bacteria-ridden than your toilet. Tests
Origin: News Roundup: Corvette buyers press cancel, Canada’s terrible fuel economy and the great drive-thru phone debate
Corvette buyers cancelling orders as they await new mid-engined C8
2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1Handout Every few years, a car undergoes a major transformation. Buyers, realizing big changes are coming, wait to spend their money on the new machine. It’s a dynamic as old as Detroit, but certainly not unique to it (see: iPhone, Apple). At the moment, this pre-release slump has set in on the granddaddy of American sports cars: Chevrolet’s Corvette, the most collected car in America, is about to be reborn. Until then, though, no one seems to want the angry thing. Since its 1953 debut, the Corvette has been overhauled seven times. This time, however, the swoon in advance of the big unveiling is particularly pronounced, in part because General Motors is drastically changing the car. Its engineers have moved the engine from the front – where it has always been bolted – to the middle, behind the driver’s head and in front of the rear wheels. The swap moves the American sports car in line with competitors from Ferrari and McLaren who argue that the mid-engine layout makes for a more balanced car. The Corvette clan is ready. “We’ve been taking deposits for a rumored mid-engine Corvette since 2014,” said Sean McCann, floor manager at Stingray Chevrolet near Tampa, Florida. “People are canceling their orders (on 2019s) and starting to hold back, because they want to wait and see what’s going to come out.” Corvette sales in the U.S. have declined every quarter from the prior-year period since 2016. Dealers sold just 18,791 of the vehicles in 2018, 44 percent less than in 2015. Current models are idling on dealership lots, forcing dealers to offer large incentives. Stingray, for example, is dangling discounts and incentives up to US$15,000 on some of the high-performance models. If you’ve always wanted a Corvette and don’t care where the engine goes, now’s the time to buy one. General Motors declined to talk about the big Corvette upgrade or the sales slump, though the company did confirm a reveal date for the new car: July 18, in southern California. The Corvette is a so-called halo car. Its primary job is to shine so brightly on glossy magazine covers that the luster carries over to the local dealership floor and illuminates the greater Chevrolet galaxy, from the thirsty Silverado to the circumspect Sonic. From that perspective, the new ‘Vette is already doing just fine. The tricky thing, however, is that the Corvette is one of the rare speed machines that contributes significantly to the bottom line. General Motors makes a tidy profit on each one, and it typically sells a lot of them. At its peak in 2006, Corvette sales approached 37,000 in the U.S., roughly level with the Volkswagen Beetle and Lincoln Town Car. Sports cars in general are having trouble keeping up with the rest of the auto industry. Annual sales in the U.S. slid 22 percent in the past three years, as buyers clamored for SUVs of all shapes and sizes. Carbon-laced speed machines are expensive, and those who can afford them, mostly older buyers, are fast losing the physical capability to drive them—or at least get in and out of them. Jonathan Klinger, a spokesman at Hagerty Insurance, said the coming Corvette is a bid to attract younger buyers to the brand. McCann, at the dealership in Florida, is expecting a tide of customers who otherwise would be kicking tires at more exotic dealerships. Barring an economic meltdown, the depth of the swoon should reflect the scale of the coming Corvette boom. Tony Fiorello III (right) bought this 1965 Corvette for his ailing father and plans to add the 2020 version to his garage. Tony Fiorello Tony Fiorello, president of a dental implant company in Florida, will be one of many padding the sales stats for Chevrolet. He wanted the first mid-engine Corvette so badly he hedged his bets. In 2017, he put down two deposits, one for the 2019 version and one for the 2020. “It’s a paradigm shift,” he explained. “And I just knew that I wanted to be No. 1 on the list.” The 2019 model is now in his garage. He drives it regularly, and has no plans to sell. Eventually, he figures it will be a collectible: the last of the front-engine
Origin: Corvette buyers cancelling orders as they await new mid-engined C8
Honda slows Accord, Civic production as buyers shift to SUVs
2018 Honda AccordHandout / Honda Honda is slowing production of Accord and Civic cars as U.S. buyers continue to favour SUVs and trucks. The Japanese automaker said Thursday that it will temporarily idle a second-shift production line in August at its Marysville, Ohio, assembly plant, in part to prepare the factory to produce future electric vehicles. The shift is expected to resume production in several years. The line being shut down produces about 55,000 vehicles a year, most of which are Accord sedans, Honda said. In addition, some production of the CR-V small SUV in Marysville will go to a factory in Greensburg, Indiana, where production of the compact Civic will be reduced. While production is slowed in Marysville, Honda will update the plant’s manufacturing capability to prepare for new technology including electric vehicles, Honda said in a statement. There will be no layoffs, a company spokeswoman said, but Honda will offer voluntary buyouts to some employees The reduction also will affect production at engine and transmission plants in Ohio, Honda said. U.S. sales of the Accord this year are up 4.6% through March but fell nearly 10% last year. Civic sales are down nearly 5% so far this year to 78,185, according to Autodata Corp. They fell almost 14% last year. CR-V sales, however, are up 6.4% through March to 87,280. Trucks and SUVs have made up almost 70% of U.S. new vehicle sales this
Origin: Honda slows Accord, Civic production as buyers shift to SUVs
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