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Crushing 1984 Ford Ranger to make a point about clean cars

Being a professional politician is often about more than just getting legislation passed, and a little showmanship can go a long way towards getting a point across. California State Senate leader Kevin de Leon recently staged just such a flashy stunt when he crushed a 1984 Ford Ranger at a rally kicking off an EV incentives pilot program. De Leon sponsored a bill last year that, in part, tried to give greater support to low-income buyers who wanted to trade in their old clunker for a zero-emissions vehicle. He hoped to improve the state's Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, which has been accused of especially helping the wealthy. After watching their Ranger get destroyed at this event, the Mendoza family that owned the truck drove away in a 2013 Toyota Prius, according to the Sacramento Business Journal. Under the pilot program, buyers in two air districts in the Golden State can take advantage of these incentives. Depending on their income and the vehicle they are purchasing, people can get a rebate of between $1,500 and $9,500, according to the Sacramento Business Journal. For now, the California Air Resources Board has set aside $5 million from the state's cap-and-trade program to fund things in these areas. Later, it will vote whether to adopt the initiative statewide. Not to be outdone, Arnold Schwarzenegger has thrown his prodigious muscle behind this program, and he put out an even more explosive video showing how to get rid of these old vehicles. You can watch a clip of the Ranger's destruction from the Sacramento Business Journal above and the Governator's response, below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: Sacramento Business Journal, Arnold Schwarzenegger via YouTube Government/Legal Green Ford Toyota Car Buying Green Culture Electric Hybrid Videos California cvrp kevin de leon

Ford rolls out diesel Focus ST at Goodwood [w/poll]

If you're in the market for a hot hatch, there are some excellent choices at your disposal - especially if you live in Europe. But if you want a diesel, well, your choices become rather more limited. Volkswagen tends to that niche market with the Golf GTD (essentially an oil-burning version of the GTI available Stateside), but that's about the extent of it. The pleas of those looking for more diesel-burning hot hatch choices haven't fallen on deaf ears at Ford, with the Blue Oval not only rolling out a facelifted gas-powered Focus ST at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend, but also a new diesel version as well.
The diesel Focus ST (which we hope and pray isn't marketed as the STD) packs a 2.0-liter turbodiesel four producing 182 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque to propel the oil-burning hot hatch to 62 in 8.1 seconds en route to a top speed of 135 miles per hour. With less power and only slightly more torque, that makes the diesel Focus ST considerably slower than the gasoline one, which packs 252 hp and 270 lb-ft, runs to 62 in 6.5 seconds and tops out at 154 mph, but (in a testament to how far particulate filters have come) the diesel model cuts carbon emissions by nearly a third compared to the petrol version and returns about 50-percent better fuel economy, which makes that much more of a difference in markets where diesel is already priced better than gasoline at the pump.
For buyers who wouldn't consider anything other than a diesel, it also represents 23-percent more power than the previous top-level diesel Focus. The VW Golf GTD, for reference, offers up 181 hp (just 1 horse less), 280 lb-ft (15 fewer torques) but is somehow estimated to reach 60 in a considerably fleeter 7.4 seconds.

Major automakers post mixed US June sales figures

General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV posted declines in US new vehicle sales for June on Monday, while major Japanese automakers reported stronger figures. Once again, demand for pickup trucks and crossovers offset a decline in sedan sales. Automakers' shares rose as overall industry sales still came in above Wall Street expectations. The US auto industry is bracing for a downturn after hitting a record 17.55 million new vehicles sold in 2016. Analysts had predicted that overall, US vehicle sales would fall in June for the fourth consecutive month. As the market has shown signs of cooling, automakers have hiked discounts and loosened lending terms. Car shopping website Edmunds said on Monday the average length of a car loan reached an all-time high of 69.3 months in June. "It's financially risky, leaving borrowers exposed to being upside down on their vehicles for a large chunk of their loans," said Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds' executive director of industry analysis. GM said its sales fell about 5 percent versus June 2016, but that the industry would see stronger sales in the second half of 2017 versus the first half. "Under the current economic conditions, we anticipate US retail vehicle sales will remain strong for the foreseeable future." GM shares were up 2.4 percent in morning trading, while Ford rose 3.3 percent and FCA shares jumped 6 percent. "US total sales are moderating due to an industry-wide pullback in daily rental sales, but key US economic fundamentals clearly remain positive," said GM chief economist Mustafa Mohatarem. "Under the current economic conditions, we anticipate US retail vehicle sales will remain strong for the foreseeable future." Ford said its sales for June were hit by lower fleet sales to rental agencies, businesses, and government entities, which fell 13.9 percent, while sales to consumers were flat. But it sold a record 406,464 SUVs in the first half of the year, with Explorer sales increasing 23 percent in June. And sales of the F-150 had their strongest June since 2001. On a media call, Ford executives said an initial read of automakers' sales figures indicated a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of around 17 million new vehicles for the month, which would be better than 16.6 million units analysts had predicted. FCA said June sales decreased 7 percent versus the same month a year earlier.