2014 Ford Fusion Se on 2040-cars

Auto blog

1 in 7 Americans say they might buy an EV next, as sales of electrics surge

About one in seven driving Americans may likely purchase an electric vehicle as their next car, according to an AAA poll, meaning that as many as 30 million Americans may pony up for an EV within the next three to five years. While some of the motivation is environmental, survey recipients say that lower maintenance expenses and solo access to high-occupancy-vehicle lanes are also among the factors behind potentially going electric. Take a look at the AAA press release on the study here. The poll indicates that about as many people are planning to buy an EV for their next car as are looking to buy a pickup, which is impressive given that the best-selling US vehicle is the Ford F-150. And things should only improve, as about 20 percent of millennials polled said that their next car would probably be an EV. The results are all the more encouraging, at least among green-car advocates, because gas prices have fallen about 40 percent within the past five years, meaning that there's less of an incentive to go electric from a purely economic perspective. Through the first quarter of this year, US plug-in vehicle sales were up about 63 percent from a year earlier to about 39,000 vehicles. Meanwhile, when it came to AAA's annual green-vehicle awards for this year, Tesla's Model S and Model X took the large car and SUV categories, respectively, while the Chevrolet Bolt and Volkswagen e-Golf were listed atop the subcompact and compact lists. The Lexus GS 450h hybrid and the Ford F-150 took home AAA's best green vehicle in the midsize and pickup truck categories. Related Video:

Meet Shelby Mustang GT500 Miller, Iowa's latest hatchet-wielding criminal

Well, we've found the long-lost cousin of yesterday's Bentley-tattooed criminal from Florida. This is Shelby Mustang GT500 Miller. No, seriously. While his name seems just like the sort of thing we'd expect the Sunshine State to produce, he actually hails from Iowa. Despite coming from the Hawkeye State, Miller was arrested for a decidedly Floridian offense – getting in a bar fight and then returning with a hatchet. The only way this story could be more Florida is if meth, a manatee or bath salts were involved. The fight, which was at the Cheap Seats Sports Bar, started off typically enough, with a verbal argument in the parking lot (please, please let his nemesis be named "Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 Smith"). This, naturally, attracted passing police officers. Things were broken up and some friends took Miller to his home, which was apparently just behind the bar. That's when he returned with the hatchet tucked under his shirt. Miller promptly proceeded to take out the implement of destruction in the bar's bathroom and... forget about it entirely. Fortunately, the police hadn't left the area yet. Not surprisingly, Miller was arrested for a parole violation, as well as public intoxication and going armed with intent. Still, cool name, bro. News Source: Iowa City Press CitizenImage Credit: Polk County Sheriff's OfficeTip: Mike Government/Legal Ford crime shelby iowa

Ford Fiesta banned from SCCA autocrossing because of rollover risk

Autocross can be a great way to break into motorsports, especially at SCCA events that allow run-of-the-mill, street-legal vehicles to be run through the cones in parking lots across the country. But while a wide array of vehicles are eligible, not every one is. And now the Ford Fiesta has been removed from the list of qualifying vehicles in the Sports Car Club of America's Street category for solo events. The removal of the Fiesta was publicized in the latest issue of the SCCA's Fastrack News bulletin, which stated that, due to roll-over risk, Fiestas "do not meet the requirements and are to be removed" from the HS category of eligible vehicles. H Stock (or HS for short) is the lowest category of vehicles certified by the SCCA for use in sanctioned events. The disqualification applies to Fiestas from the 2011 model year onwards, and does not apply to the Fiesta ST, which remains eligible. Of course the Fiesta isn't the only model deemed ineligible for SCCA autocross events. According to Jalopnik, other small hatchbacks and crossovers including the Dodge Caliber, Fiat 500, Scion xB and iQ, Nissan Juke and Mini Countryman are also prohibited from competition. We've reached out to both Ford and the SCCA for clarification on the issue, and will issue an update if and when we receive any substantial information.