Some more clean transport news from the past few days or so:
EVs
Ford Fusion Energi Priced At $39,495: “Marching forward with its plans to launch a slew of plug-in hybrid vehicles this year, Ford has finally put a price and details to the much-anticipated 2013 Ford Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid. Starting at $39,495 before tax credits, does the Energi have what it takes to overtake favorites like the Chevy Volt and Toyota Prius Plug-in?”
Tesla Wins Dealership Lawsuit: Of course, how could any judge side against the much loved Tesla? (In actuality, Tesla probably deserved to win.) While “48 states prohibit automakers from owning dealerships that compete with local franchises,” the key points to know are that Tesla doesn’t sell its vehicles to dealerships (so, it’s not competing with them) and its “dealership salespeople,” as Chris DeMorro notes, “are not paid on commission and the only way to order a Tesla Model S is via its website.” Nonetheless, the Massachusetts State Automobile Dealers Association (MSADA) tried to sue Tesla… and lost.
Tesla Model S Price Bump Coming Soon: Uh oh, the days of the cheap Model S (er,… not super duper expensive Model S) may be coming to a close… or just some minor changes (we’re not sure yet). The Model S currently starts at over $57,000 (before tax credits) and can cost over $90,000. But things change. “The Tesla Motors blog confirmed that within the new couple of weeks, the price of the Tesla Model S sedan will be going up. But don’t worry if you’re one of the 13,000 or so people with a Model S already on reserve; Tesla confirmed that only those making a Model S purchase after a certain date will be affected by the price increase.
“Automakers regularly raise their prices from one year to the next in order to keep up with inflation, and squeeze a few more bucks in profit out of consumers. Tesla may also make certain equipment options standard going forward, though the company did not specify what options or how much higher the price might go.”
BMW i3 Coupe Concept Unveiled Ahead Of LA Auto Show: “Though BMW has yet to officially begin selling its i-brand of electric vehicles, the German automaker isn’t done teasing consumers with cool EV concepts. Behold the latest pure electric vehicle, the BMW i3 Coupe Concept. The i3 Coupe Concept will make its official debut later this week at the L.A. Auto Show.”
Biking
$2 Million Win for Biking and Walking in Harrisonburg: “In September, 50 community members participated in anAdvocacy Advance Action 2020 Workshop in Harrisonburg, Virginia, to jumpstart the region’s efforts to fund local bicycle and pedestrian projects…. Since then, they’ve have taken a giant leap towards meeting that goal: more than $2 million was invested in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure in 24 hours.”
Cargo Bike History – Svajere in Copenhagen: Tons of old pictures and some interesting history on cargo bikes in Copenhagen. Really, the post is worth a stroll!
Can Chicago Build a Bike-Share System That Works for Everyone? “It’s an exciting time in Chicago, as the city gears up for a major bike-share launch this spring that will make 4,000 bikes at 400 stations available to the public. City officials are thinking ahead, trying to avoid a problem that has plagued other systems: namely, the failure to make bike-share useful to residents from every walk of life. John Greenfield at Grid Chicago describes how local officials are trying to ensure that it’s not just the affluent who reap the benefits of bike-share in the Windy City.”
D.C. Limits Parking to Promote Bicycling and Transit: “In rapidly developing neighborhoods such as Columbia Heights, Adams Morgan, and the U Street Corridor, the D.C. Department of Transportation (DDOT) is eliminating half of visitor parking spaces on weekdays to make sure there is enough parking for residents…. Other transit changes to come include creating bicycle lanes and setting aside hundreds of metered parking spaces for the disabled.”
Biofuels
Algae Could Replace Petroleum And Soybean Diesel: “Ethanol has lost a lot of support in the past few years for a variety of reasons. One of the biggest knocks against corn-derived ethanol is the reduced horsepower and fuel economy, causing some to be wary of an alternative fuel promises. But a new study shows that algae-based biodiesel has nearly the same horsepower and torque output as petrol and soybean diesel.”
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