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Recharge Wrap-up: BYD unveils 60-ft electric bus, Honda sticking with hybrids in Europe

BYD has debuted a 60-foot electric bus at the American Public Transportation Association Expo in Houston, TX. The Lancaster bus, as it is called, has a 120-passenger capacity and can drive over 170 miles on a single charge. The articulated bus features low floors and no steps, thanks to in-wheel hub motors. BYD also displayed a 40-foot electric bus that drove the 1,500 miles to the show under its own power (recharging along the way, of course). Read more in the press release below. Honda says it will continue to sell hybrids in Europe, despite the fact that it has stopped selling the CR-Z and Insight due to slow sales. "Our focus at the moment is on our 1.6-liter diesel but we haven't forgotten about hybrid technology," says Honda Europe's Philip Ross. Honda will sell the next-generation Fit (badged as the Jazz) in Europe when it launches next summer, and will sell the next-gen hybrid version beginning in 2016. Honda sold 4,500 of the Jazz hybrid in Europe last year. Read more at Automotive News. XL Hybrids is selling its XL3 Hybrid Electric Drive System in California. The news comes after the California Air Resources Board issued an executive order allowing the aftermarket hybrid conversion for 2012-2014 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans. The XL3 Hybrid regenerative braking conversion increases real-world mpg by about 25 percent. Read more in the press release below. NRG eVgo has finished installing 60 charging stations at the Sony Pictures Entertainment studio lot and offices in Culver City, California. The Level 2 chargers, which will be managed by NRG eVgo, allow employees to charge their EVs during the workday. An average of 90 EVs and PHEVs park at the studio headquarters every day, thanks in part to Sony Pictures' Alternative Vehicles Incentive program for its employees. Learn more in the press release below. Pennsylvania's Public Utility Commission will allow operators of EV charging stations to set prices based on kilowatt hour usage. This change ensures that drivers pay for the actual energy they use, rather than the time they spend charging, since different cars can charge at different speeds. Car Charging Group has already begun using the per-kWh fee structure at its charging stations throughout the state. Other states that allow kWh pricing are California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Virginia and Washington. Read more in the press release below.

Volkswagen's latest ad is not subtle | Autoblog Podcast #509

On this week's podcast, Mike Austin and David Gluckman are joined by special guest James Riswick, who has been driving a lot of new cars lately. All of them are discussed, plus a few more from Mike and David, and Mike rants a bit about a new VW Atlas commercial. The episode wraps up with the traditional doling out of Spend My Money buying advice, during which David briefly goes out into left field. (He's back now, don't worry.) The rundown is below. Remember, if you have a car-related question you'd like us to answer or you want buying advice of your very own, send a message or a voice memo to podcast at autoblog dot com. (If you record audio of a question with your phone and get it to us, you could hear your very own voice on the podcast. Neat, right?) And if you have other questions or comments, please send those too. Autoblog Podcast #509 Topics and stories we mention GMC Sierra HD Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Mazda CX-5 Honda CR-V vs. Mazda CX-5 Mini Countryman Honda Clarity Fuel Cell Ford F-150 Raptor Lexus RC 200t VW Atlas "Luv Bug" commercial Used cars! Rundown Intro - 00:00 What we're driving - 02:43 Ad of the week - 41:40 Spend My Money - 49:14 Total Duration: 56:27 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Feedback Email – Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show on iTunes Marketing/Advertising Podcasts Ford GMC Honda Lexus Mazda MINI Volkswagen mazda cx-5 ford f-150 raptor gmc sierra hd volkswagen atlas mazda mx-5 rf lexus rc 200t

2022 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali gets Super Cruise and an upgraded interior

The 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 is getting Super Cruise! Exclamation point required, because this is exciting news. Cadillac has been the sole owner of Super Cruise at GM from the start, and though we knew it was coming to the Hummer EV, we didn't know a fast-selling full-size pickup would be getting the technology. GMC says it will launch Super Cruise on the 1500 Denali, which is the most expensive and luxurious trim of the Sierra. It’s scheduled to arrive for the 2022 model year, but GMC qualifies that by saying “late model year 2022.” That means itÂ’s probably coming right toward the end, with 2023 scheduled as the first full year of Super Cruise in the Sierra 1500. GM also claims that the version of Super Cruise coming to the Sierra is capable of towing. Yes, hands-free towing, folks. WeÂ’re a little antsy, too. The tech is the same as the newest generation of Super Cruise coming in the Cadillac CT5 and CT4. ItÂ’s an improved version with more capability than the first-gen system that won AutoblogÂ’s Technology of the Year award a couple of years ago. Questions still remain to be answered, though. GM hasnÂ’t said anything about what it will cost on the Sierra 1500. WeÂ’re also left in the dark when it comes to other Sierra 1500 trim levels; and what about the Silverado 1500? It makes sense that GM would give the Sierra Super Cruise first, but itÂ’s certainly compatible with the Chevy version of the truck now, too. As for other GMC products, GM is quiet on when theyÂ’ll be blessed with Super Cruise. The redesigned Yukon would be the most obvious candidate being the flagship product, but GM says the program timing worked out best to launch on the 2022 Sierra, not the Yukon. ItÂ’s likely that the SUV will be updated with the system in the near future. Besides Super Cruise, GMCÂ’s photo also reveals that the 2022 Sierra is getting a fully digital instrument cluster. ItÂ’s surely an optional item, but could very well be standard on Denali. GM has flipped the speedometer and tachometer to opposite sides, but their digital versions still have that straight-edged GMC look to them. You can see the Super Cruise graphic in the center, and all the gauges are dropped down to the bottom of the display. But wait, thereÂ’s more. The photo also shows the beginnings of a totally new interior design, different from both the current Sierra, standard Yukon and Yukon Denali interiors. ItÂ’s immediately and obviously different everywhere we look.