fleet sales
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Natural gas has not proven popular for vehicles bought by individual consumers, but some fleet operators continue to find it an attractive alternative to gasoline and diesel. That's because the lack of public fueling infrastructure proves a major drawback for natural-gas passenger cars, but fleets can circumvent that by operating their own centralized fueling stations. That's the case with UPS, which invested $100 million in natural-gas fueling stations and vehicles last year, and now plans to expand that program. DON'T MISS: Audi A5 is third model to run on natural gas, for Europe only The...
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30 cities join to explore $10 billion electric-car purchase
While federal policies to reduce vehicular emissions of carbon dioxide are now back in the limelight, it's a different story on the state and local level. A group of 30 U.S. cities is discussing a major purchase of electric cars for their municipal fleets. The cities have jointly asked automakers...
Stephen Edelstein -
One third of new transit buses will be electric in 2020, all by 2030: Proterra CEO
While electric cars continue to establish a beachhead in the consumer market, electric buses are making quick inroads with U.S. city transit authorities. Several companies already manufacture electric buses, which now operate in several cities around the country. But the CEO of electric-bus maker...
Stephen Edelstein -
Electric Ford Transit van conversion shown by Inventev at Detroit Auto Show
When an automaker doesn't offer a vehicle for a specific market segment, sometimes the aftermarket will fill in the gap. In the U.S., all-electric commercial vans are one of those gaps. Such vehicles are available in other markets, but so far, not on sale from major makers in North America. DON'T...
Stephen Edelstein -
Four large West Coast cities unite to buy 24,000 electric cars
When it comes to policy efforts aimed at promoting electric cars, the focus is usually on private passenger vehicles. But to cut carbon emissions in a meaningful way, policymakers will have to look at other types of vehicles as well. That includes the thousands of cars and light trucks in the...
Stephen Edelstein -
U.K. businesses slowly moving away from diesel cars: survey
U.K. businesses are leasing fewer diesel cars, a new survey finds.
Stephen Edelstein -
Best Buy's Geek Squad will replace its Volkswagen Beetles with Toyota Prius C hybrids.
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Hybrid Police Cars Replacing Crown Vics: No Longer An Anomaly
Toyota claims hybrid police cars are a viable replacement for the old standard, the Ford Crown Victoria.
Stephen Edelstein -
New 2016 Chevy Cruze To Sell Alongside Older 'Cruze Limited'
The first-generation Chevrolet Cruze will live on as the Cruze Limited.
Stephen Edelstein -
Avis Builds Largest Electric-Vehicle Lease Fleet In Europe With Latest Nissan Order
Avis will deploy 401 Nissan e-NV200 vans, and 60 more Leaf hatchbacks.
Stephen Edelstein -
U.S.P.S. 'Long Life' Vehicles Last 25 Years, But Age Shows Now
The U.S. Postal Service seeks a new vehicle type to replace its aging fleet.
Stephen Edelstein -
Via's Plug-In Hybrid Trucks Will Sell 50,000 A Year By 2018, Company Says
Via Motors expects dramatic growth in its plug-in vehicle sales.
Stephen Edelstein -
Via Motors has begun delivering its Chevrolet Express-based vans following EPA certification.
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Why An Electric Car Saves Fleet Operators $16,000 In Lifetime Cost
The average car spends about 95 percent of a 24-hour day parked. For the 5 percent that they're driven, they actually spend one-third of the time idling–at red lights, stuck behind leisurely left-turners, or even while the driver waits for the vehicle to warm up (or cool down) before getting...
Matthew Klippenstein -
2014 Nissan Rogue To Sell Alongside Old Model, Now 'Rogue Select'
Nissan will continue to offer the current Rogue as a bargain alternative to the new 2014 model.
Stephen Edelstein -
Ford Offers Fleet Buyers Tool To Compare Total Emissions & Costs
Fleet managers are very, very rational people. Unlike many retail car buyers, they analyze vehicles without a shred of emotion, basing their decisions on lifetime ownership costs for vehicles that meet their needs. More and more, though, those fleet buyers are being asked to help reduce their...
John Voelcker -
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Saturn Vue Returns As Chevy Captiva
The shuttered Saturn brand is quickly fading from memory, but now GM plans to bring back one former Saturn model to live on in a new incarnation. But even if you're a Saturn fan, you won't be able to buy one--unless you're a business. Vue redux The compact crossover that sold for only two years as...
John Voelcker -
Ram Pickup Trucks To Get Natural-Gas Option For V-8 Engines?
The head of Chrysler's Ram truck brand, Fred Diaz, said at the Chicago Auto Show this week that the company is exploring the addition of natural-gas powered engines to its line of V-8 engined Ram trucks (formerly Dodge Ram). “I'm eager and very interested to see what we can do with CNG in our...
John Voelcker -
Most of the focus on new green cars--like the 2011 Nissan Leaf, the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, and a slew of new and existing hybrids--has been on how consumers will adapt to them. But in fact, a portion of early years' production of any of those cars is likely to go into car fleets maintained by state and local government bodies, electric utilities, and other large users of passenger vehicles and even heavy trucks. Advantage: central depots Fleet sales are part of the overall auto market for all vehicles; carmakers earn less profit per sale, but keep their lines running through ups and downs in...
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Cities Want High-Mileage Hybrid Taxis; Judge Says It's Illegal
If you've been to New York City lately, you may have noticed an increasing number of hybrid taxis on the roads: mostly Ford Escape Hybrid SUVs, but also Toyota Camry Hybrid and Nissan Altima Hybrid sedans, and a scattering of others too. It's part of a long-term plan to green the fleet of 14,000...
John Voelcker -
Toyota: No Plans To Sell $21K 2010 Prius I to Consumers
The 2010 Toyota Prius is in fairly short supply all over the world, and its U.S. sales are trouncing those of the 2010 Honda Insight, its competitor in the arena of dedicated hybrid hatchbacks. So perhaps it's not that surprising that Toyota doesn't feel the need to sell the lowest-spec 2010 Prius...
John Voelcker -
2010 Toyota Prius I Equipment Level: Not Available Any Time Soon
Remember that $21,000, very basic 2010 Prius? Toyota has now confirmed it has neither current plans nor a schedule for selling the lowest-level model of the 2010 Toyota Prius, known as the Prius I, to consumers. In fact, it doesn't even have a timeframe for "continued, regular fleet sales of Prius...
John Voelcker