2013 Fiat 500 Lounge on 2040-cars

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Scott Pruitt unfiltered: EPA administrator talks climate science, car emissions

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt gave Reuters a wide-ranging interview on Monday at his office in Washington, discussing issues from climate science to automobile emissions. The following is a full transcript of the interview: REUTERS: You have said the EPA will focus on a "Back to Basics" approach under your leadership. What does this mean for how EPA enforces polluters? You have been critical of the idea of regulation by enforcement. PRUITT: I think what I'm speaking about, there is a consent decree approach to enforcement, where you use judicial proceedings to actually engage in regulation. Enforcement should be about existing regulations that you're actually enforcing against someone who may be violating that, very much in the prosecutorial manner. As attorney general [in Oklahoma], I lived that. There was a grand jury that I led. Being a prosecutor, I understand very much the importance of prioritization, of enforcing the rule of law, of addressing bad actors. That's something we are going to do in a meaningful way across the broad spectrum of cases, whether it is in the office of air or the Superfund area, or otherwise. REUTERS: Do you want to see states play a bigger role in enforcing polluters, even though some have less of a capacity to do so – financially and personnel wise? PRUITT: I think the state's role is really, when you look at this office working with states, it should be how do we assist, how do we engage in compliance and assistance with states. The office [at EPA that deals with enforcement] is called OECA, the Office of Enforcement, Compliance and Assistance, so those are the tools we have in the toolbox to achieve better outcomes. So what we ought to be doing is working proactively with state DEQs [Departments of Environmental Quality] to get their state implementation plans [for federal regulations] timely submitted, provide assistance and technical support, drive a draft of state implementation plans, and then actually work with them on how to achieve through those plans better outcomes and air and water quality. As far as enforcement is concerned, we will actually work with states. We actually did that recently with Colorado. There was an oil and gas company that was emitting some 3,000 tons, is that what it was, it was quite a bit of ... it was an ozone case. In any event, we joined with Colorado in that prosecution. So sometimes states will do it, sometimes we will join with them.

Consumer Reports no longer recommends Honda Civic

Consumer Reports annual Car Reliability Survey is out, and yes, there are some big surprises. First and foremost? The venerable publication no longer recommends the Honda Civic. In fact, aside from the walking-dead CR-Z and limited-release Clarity fuel-cell car, the Civic is the only Honda to miss out on CR's prestigious nod. At the opposite end there's a surprise as well – Toyota and Lexus remain the most reliable brands on the market, but Buick cracked the top three. That's up from seventh last year, and the first time for an American brand to stand on the Consumer Reports podium. Mazda's entire lineup earned Recommended checks as well. Consumer Reports dinged the Civic for its "infuriating" touch-screen radio, lack of driver lumbar adjustability, the limited selection of cars on dealer lots fitted with Honda's popular Sensing system, and the company's decision to offer LaneWatch instead of a full-tilt blind-spot monitoring system. Its score? A lowly 58. The Civic isn't the only surprise drop from CR's Recommended ranks. The Audi A3, Ford F-150, Subaru WRX/STI, and Volkswagen Jetta, GTI, and Passat all lost the Consumer Reports' checkmark. On the flipside, a number of popular vehicles graduated to the Recommended ranks, including the BMW X5, Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette, and Cruze, Hyundai Santa Fe, Porsche Macan, and Tesla Model S. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the hilariously recall-prone Ford Escape getting a Recommended check – considering the popularity of Ford's small crossover, this is likely a coup for the brand, as it puts the Escape on a level playing field with the Recommended Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Nissan Rogue. While Ford is probably happy to see CR promote the Escape, the list wasn't as kind for every brand. For example, of the entire Fiat Chrysler Automobiles catalog, the ancient Chrysler 300 was the only car to score a check – there wasn't a single Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, or Ram on the list. That hurts. FCA isn't alone at the low end, either. GMC, Jaguar Land Rover, Mini, and Mitsubishi don't have a vehicle on CR's list between them, while brands like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Nissan, Lincoln, Infiniti, and Cadillac only have a few models each. You can check out Consumer Reports entire reliability roundup, even without a subscription, here.

Fiat takes the 500 into Mercedes territory with La Prima limited-edition

Fiat is celebrating the launch of the third-generation 500 by releasing an array of limited-edition models that move the electric city car upmarket. The latest installment in the series is a variant named La Prima (which means "the first" in Italian) based on the hatchback version and priced well into Mercedes-Benz territory. The first limited-edition 500 introduced in March 2020, when the car made its debut, is sold out. The second chapter in the story is similar to the first but it's offered exclusively as a hardtop. Hard doesn't mean metal, though, and it comes equipped with a panoramic sunroof. The list of standard equipment also includes 17-inch alloy wheels, full LED headlights, and edition-specific emblems below the rear windows. Buyers can choose one of three paint colors named Ocean Green, Mineral Grey, and Celestial Blue, respectively. Inside, Fiat added a seven-inch digital instrument cluster, a horizontal 10.25-inch touchscreen that displays its fifth-generation Uconnect software, plus cow-less upholstery on the seats and on the dashboard. The stitching on the middle section of the seats spells out Fiat, which is a nifty touch that adds a bit of flair to the cabin.  There are no powertrain modifications, meaning the La Prima gets a 42-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack that spins a 118-horsepower electric motor. Its maximum driving range checks in at 199 miles, though Fiat obtained that figure by putting the 500 through the optimistic WLTP testing cycle. Hitting 60 mph from a stop takes nine seconds, a respectable time for its segment, and it stops accelerating when it reaches 93 mph. It can fast-charge at up to 85 kilowatts, which is more Abarth 500-quick than Porsche 911 GT2 RS-fast. However, because the battery pack is small, it takes five minutes to zap it with up to 31 miles of driving range. Achieving early adopter status by being one of the first motorists to be seen behind the wheel of the new 500 is costly. Fiat priced the La Prima hatchback at ˆ34,900, which represents nearly $40,000 at the current conversion rate. That figure generously includes a home charger and it excludes available incentives that vary from market to market, but it catapults this once-humble city car into Mercedes-Benz's domain.