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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.

Deep discounts — $12K, $13K, $16K — are fueling a pickup price war

Heavy discounts of up to $16,000 per vehicle are fueling a "truck war" among full-size pickups sold in the United States by the Detroit Three, a Reuters analysis shows. Strong U.S. sales this year of the highly profitable big trucks have helped offset lagging passenger car sales. But it is not clear how much of the truck demand is linked directly to ample factory incentives and dealer discounts, or how far sales might decline without those subsidies. A Reuters survey of Ford, General Motors Co's Chevrolet and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles's Ram truck dealers across the United States indicates stores are offering deep discounts the country's bestselling full-size pickup trucks. "The walls are not crashing down on full-size trucks," said Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania. Detroit-based automakers want to keep cranking out their high-margin trucks, he added, and "giving up a little of the profit is the cheapest way to do it." Stores are offering discounts of up to $12,000 on the 2018 Ford F-150, which remains the best-selling vehicle in the country, recording more than 80,000 sales in May. Discounts run up to $13,000 on the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado and as high as $16,000 on the Ram 1500. Average transaction prices for full-size pick-ups range from around $42,000 to $45,000, industry analysts and automakers say. All three companies are spending furiously - GM and Fiat Chrysler to help sell off carryover 2018 trucks to prepare for redesigned 2019 models, and Ford to sustain its long-held sales crown. A supplier fire that temporarily shut down production of the F-150 last month "changed the game," said Jeff Schuster, senior vice president of forecasting at LMC Automotive in Troy, Michigan said. The supply halt nudged Ford's crosstown rivals "to ratchet up incentives on the current models to go after weakness at Ford," he said. Deals advertised on the companies' official websites range from rebates and low-interest loans to ultra-cheap lease rates, but they are not telling the whole story. Ford, for instance, advertises a $2,000 rebate and a $500 financing credit on sales of certain F-150 models. But James Collins Ford in Louisville, Kentucky, is offering discounts of up to $12,215 on the 2018 F-150 XLT SuperCrew 4x4. The price cuts are even steeper at a number of GM and Fiat Chrysler dealers. Quirk Chevrolet is selling the 2018 Silverado 1500 Double Cab at $13,000 off sticker.

2016 Chevrolet Camaro design teased

Chevrolet just can't seem to help itself from continuing to tease the next-gen Camaro. The pony car gets its official debut at a big event on Detroit's Belle Isle on May 16, but the upcoming model's new exhaust, suspension components, and wheels are already well known. With this latest taste, we're finally getting an official glimpse at what the coupe actually looks like. The 2016 Camaro's shape hasn't completely been a secret, and even Chevy showed it testing while covered in camouflage in March. Still, these shots are a great opportunity to check out some undisguised details for the new model. The styling is supposed to be "more athletic," according to Chevy, and the aluminum hood looks especially good with crisp, straight lines forming the design. "It's a more expressive evolution of the Camaro's iconic character – and one that complements its leaner size and sharper reflexes," GM global design boss Ed Welburn said in a statement. These two photos suggest a more angular, futuristic shape for the upcoming pony car. We're looking forward to seeing it all in a couple weeks. Sculpted Exterior Reflects 2016 Camaro's New Athleticism 2015-04-30 DETROIT – For the all-new 2016 Chevrolet Camaro, the design team set out to create a leaner, more athletic design that complemented the new driving experience. "The Camaro went to the gym and came out with a lithe, more athletic physique for the sixth generation," said Ed Welburn, vice president, GM Global Design. "It's a more expressive evolution of the Camaro's iconic character – and one that complements its leaner size and sharper reflexes." The exterior design vocabulary is defined by complex shapes, which appear to be form-fitted around the mechanical components. Every shape and surface detail is a skilled, artistic collaboration of hand and digital sculpting. Camaro's new design details draw the eye into the design. For example, the new aluminum hood features powerful, smoothly curved sculpted forms accented with sharp creases. As a result, the hood appears to be shrink-wrapped around the engine. Similarly, the new Camaro retains the broad, dramatic rear fenders that became a defining feature of the award-winning Gen 5 Camaro. The design is updated with greater detailing, including a subtle crease running parallel to the fender edge. The effect makes the new Camaro look even lower and wider despite having a slightly smaller footprint than its predecessor.