2003 Chevy Impala.... No Reserve!!! on 2040-cars

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Junkyard Gem: 1980 Chevrolet LUV Mikado

During the 1970s and into the 1980s, each member of the Detroit Big Three imported Japanese small pickups and sold them with Ford (Mazda Proceed), Dodge/Plymouth (Mitsubishi Forte), or Chevrolet (Isuzu Faster) badges here. Ford developed the Ranger and killed the Courier for 1983 (though Americans could still buy the Mazda-badged version all the way through 1993), while The General axed the LUV after the S-10 debuted in the 1982 model year. Isuzu sold the same truck as the P'up through 1987, though, and we might as well follow up our recent P'up Junkyard Gem with its LUV predecessor. LUV stood for Light Utility Vehicle, and I've managed to spot a handful in the boneyards over the years. This one now resides in a yard in northeastern Colorado. The Mikado trim package included striped seat upholstery and a sporty steering wheel, plus these cool dash badges. As far as I can tell, no LUV Mikado advertising featured any Gilbert and Sullivan tunes. This one is fairly rusty for Front Range Colorado, and it has endured a bed swap from some other small truck. The engine is the 75-horse Isuzu 1.8-liter. Members of this engine family went into everything from Chevy Chevettes to Isuzu Troopers in the United States. Very unusually for a small pickup during the Malaise Era, this one has a luxurious automatic transmission. Acceleration must have been a leisurely affair in this truck. Air conditioning? Unheard of! Someone stuck every one of their lunchtime apple stickers on the driver's door. After 41 years of work, this truck is done. Come on strong in a LUV of your own!

Recharge Wrap-up: Renault Zoe recall, Proterra buses log 2M miles

Renault is recalling 10,649 examples of its Zoe electric car for potential brake hose failure. Cars built at the company's Flins factory between the Zoe's 2012 introduction and October 6, 2014 - a quarter of all Zoes ever built - are subject to the recall, though no accidents have been reported from rupturing brake lines. Recalled vehicles will have the brake hose positions inspected and, if need be, fixed. Read more from Reuters. Proposed legislation in Massachusetts would make the state even more EV friendly. While the state already encourages EV adoption with a $2,500 rebate incentive, the new bill would give battery electric vehicle drivers HOV lane access. Additionally it would set up a standard building code for EV chargers, and allow EV-only parking spaces. "With decreased gas prices, a 10 percent increase in vehicle miles traveled over the last 20 years, and a carpool rate below the national average, we must address personal vehicle use directly as part of our transportation emissions reduction strategy," says Rep. Frank Smizik. Read more from Teslarati. The New York Daily News has named the 2016 Chevrolet Volt as its "Green Machine of the Year." Seamless operation, peppiness, and a nice suite of equipment make it a top choice for the publication. "The 2016 Chevrolet Volt is all new, inside and out, and takes the plug-in hybrid segment to another level, thanks to its increased EV range, updated cabin, and more efficient gas-powered engine," writes Daily News Autos writer (and all-around good guy) Nick Kurczewski. Honorable mentions go to the Tesla Model S, BMW i3, Toyota Prius, and the hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai. Read more from the Daily News, or at Clean Technica. Proterra electric buses have accumulated 2 million miles of revenue service. That equals 3,800 tons of carbon emissions that have been prevented and 420,000 gallons of fuel unburned. Proterra says it has 63 buses in service in 15 cities, and that it is ramping up production to meet growing demand. "This latest milestone exemplifies the economic, environmental and civic value of electric mass transit," says Proterra CEO Ryan Popple, "and demonstrates to the transit agencies that diesel - often viewed as a necessary evil - is no longer necessary." Read more at Inside EVs. Evercar, a unique EV carsharing service, has found success in Los Angeles. Evercar bills itself as carsharing for rideshare and delivery drivers.

Recharge Wrap-up: Lexus CT 200h is NWAPA's favorite hybrid, 'No Charge to Charge' in LA

The Northwest Automotive Press Association (NWAPA) has given the Lexus CT 200h its Favorite Hybrid title. It named the compact luxury hybrid its favorite of 2014 at its Drive Revolution in Portland (where it also named the new Volkswagen Golf TDI the Northwest Green Car of the Year). According to NWAPA president Nik Miles, the CT 200h earned the honor for "impressive combination of state-of-the-art small car luxury and hybrid technology." For 2014, the Lexus CT200h got an updated front end, including the spindle grille we've been seeing on new Lexus vehicles, plus a redesigned steering wheel and sliding sun visors. Read more in the press release below. Chevrolet credits the Malibu for helping make stop-start mainstream. Chevrolet started including stop-start technology standard in Malibus equipped with the four-cylinder engine. Chevy has sold about 83,000 of that model, so 97 percent of 2014 and 2015 Malibu sales include stop-start. Now, that technology has made its way into the 2015 Impala. With drivers idling an average of 16 minutes a day, stop-start can significantly reduce harmful emissions and save fuel. According to Navigant Research, we can expect annual sales of cars equipped with stop-start technology to surpass 55 million by 2022. Read more in the press release below. Nissan Leaf customers in Los Angeles will get access to free charging beginning August 15. Nissan is extending its "No Charge to Charge" promotion to LA, which will allow customers to charge at public charging stations at no cost. Leaf customers - including those who bought or leased their car from the participating dealerships on or after July 1 - will get an EZ-Charge card, allowing them to use ChargePoint, Blink, CarCharging, AeroVironment and NRG eVgo chargers for free. Rapid chargers can charge the Leaf's battery to 80 percent in 30 minutes. Nissan plans to offer the "No Charge to Charge" in at least 14 more markets in the US, bringing the total to 25, within the next year. See the press release below for more details. California will get six all-electric school buses for three school districts as part of a demonstration program. The California Energy Commission awarded a grant of $1.4 million for the program to National Strategies LLC; this is in addition to a $2.2-million grant from the South Coast Air Quality Management District. The EV buses use vehicle-to-grid technology, allowing them to sell energy back to the grid when it is needed.