Grandma's 2007 Honda Fit Has Only 15,791 Original Miles on 2040-cars

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Recharge Wrap-up: Honda opens second CNG station, Fuels America's RFS ad for Obama

Biofuel group Fuels America is launching an ad campaign directed at President Obama regarding the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). It depicts a choice between listening to experts in favor of the RFS and its role in helping stem climate change and supposed lies told by the oil industry about renewable fuels. The seven figure ad campaign includes a TV spot and digital ads. National Corn Growers Association President Chip Bowling says "slashing the amount of clean, domestic renewable fuel in our motor fuel supply would dramatically increase pollution and carbon emissions, while strengthening the RFS and building on the progress of the past 10 years would help in our efforts to combat climate change." See the ad in the video above, and read more from the National Corn Growers Association. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) sees big savings under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA). The bill, which the ACEEE points out was signed by President Bush and implemented by Obama, is expected to save consumers more than $2 trillion, cut CO2 emissions by 17 billion metric tons and provide major cuts to oil and energy use through vehicle, equipment and lighting standards, efficiency programs and housing policies. Learn more from the ACEEE. Honda has opened a compressed natural gas fueling station at its campus in Troy, Ohio. It is Honda's second CNG station in North America, the other having opened at its Marysville, OH manufacturing facility in August. The stations are part of Honda's "green fleet" programs, and a larger goal of cutting the company's CO2 emissions by 50 percent by 2050. In addition to serving Honda and the trucks of its suppliers, the station is also open to public customers with CNG passenger vehicles. Read more from Honda. Connecticut has set aside funding for fleet EVs and workplace charging installation for state agencies and municipalities. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) will reimburse up to $15,000 per electric vehicle and $10,000 per charger (with a maximum of six per recipient). "Municipalities and state agencies can demonstrate leadership and their commitment to market development of zero emission vehicles (ZEV) through the purchase of EVs and the installation of EV charging stations for their workplace," says DEEP.

Honda execs take 'quality-related' pay cut after Fit Hybrid's 5th recall

Generally, the best policy in life is to admit when you're wrong and just accept the consequences. However, that attitude generally seems to be a bit less common in the world of business - at least without some government or legal prodding. So, it's especially surprising to learn that top Honda executives in Japan are taking a pay cut for the next three months following the fifth recall of the Fit Hybrid (pictured above) in the last 12 months.
According to Reuters, Chief Executive Takanobu Ito is taking a 20-percent pay cut to make amends for the quality issues. Also, 12 other high-ranking executives are taking 10 percent drops in their salaries. In addition to those temporary changes, Honda is creating a new position in charge of monitoring vehicle quality.
The latest recall fixes "noise-related defects," according to Reuters, on both the hybrid and naturally aspirated versions of the Fit, both variants of the Vezel (the sibling to the future HR-V in the US) and the N-WGN. There have also been three recalls for problems with the hybrid's seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. None of them have caused reported injuries or deaths, and these issues haven't affected US models.

Car and Driver 10Best list cracked by Tesla Model S, BMW 3 Series left off

Car and Driver is keeping new blood pumping into its annual 10Best cars list with three new entries making it on for 2015 and a perennial favorite falling off. Among the biggest shocks this year is that the BMW 3 Series and 4 Series are no longer named, despite years of some portion of that lineup earning a mention. In another surprise, the Tesla Model S (specifically in S 60 trim to fit under the $80,000 cost cap) makes it to the 2015 roster and is the only electrically motivated member of the group. Despite the loss of the 3 Series, BMW isn't entirely shut out this year, because the M235i gets its name on the list. Car and Driver argues that the little coupe feels like a welcome throwback to the E46 chassis M3 of the early 2000s. In addition to the Model S, the final newbie to the annual group is the 2015 Ford Mustang GT. The inclusion of these new members knocks the Audi A6/A7 family and Ford Fiesta ST out from the 2014 rundown. The other seven models carry over from last year, including the Cadillac CTS, Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, Honda Accord, Mazda3, Mazda6, Porsche Boxster/Cayman and Volkswagen Golf/GTI. The 2015 10Best cars list certainly seems to have something for everyone from the hot hatch fan to the family man and even the green car driver, thanks to the addition of the Tesla. Head over to Car and Driver to read its detailed explanations for each vehicle's inclusion, but if you've got a difference of opinion or just really like the list, let us know in Comments. Featured Gallery Car and Driver 2015 10Best Cars List View 10 Photos News Source: Car and DriverImage Credit: Car and Driver, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Mazda, Porsche, Tesla, Volkswagen Auto News BMW Cadillac Chevrolet Ford Honda Mazda Porsche Tesla Volkswagen Convertible Coupe Hatchback Performance Sedan 10Best