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Recharge Wrap-up: Tow-charging a Tesla, Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell taxis in Paris

Watch a Tesla charge another Tesla by towing it. Bjorn Nyland has found yet another way to explore what Teslas can do, this time by towing a Model S behind a Model X to recharge the sedan's battery. While it's not the most efficient method of charging, it's definitely one way you could help out a stranded electric motorist in a time of desperation. The single-motor S was couldn't quite hit its regen capacity of 60 kW because of the towing speed. Nyland suggests a dual-motor Tesla in tow might be able to capture more energy. Check out the video above, and read more at Teslarati. Paris-based taxi startup STEP (Societe du Taxi Electrique Parisien) will use 60 Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cells in its fleet. These will replace internal combustion taxis on Paris roads. Hyundai says that its Tucson Fuel Cell taxi fleet presence in Paris will increase from five vehicles to up to several hundred in coming years. Read more from Hyundai. Montreal is installing 50 new EV chargers, with a goal of 1,000 by 2020. The new chargers are in addition to 50 built downtown in August. "Our administration has bet on the electrification of transportation, with a view to being the first electric metropolis in North America," says Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre. The 50 new stations are spread out throughout seven boroughs of the city. Read more at Green Car Congress, or from the City of Montreal (in French). Denver will add 200 electric vehicles to its city fleet by 2020. The city plans to save $800,000 over the next decade due to the switch, as it starts to replace aging vehicles with electric ones starting in 2018. "Both financially and from the environmental perspective, it puts the city in a leadership position," says Denver Energy and Transportation Administrator Tyler Svitak. The city currently employs three EVs in its fleet. Read more at Hybrid Cars, or from The Denver Post. Related Gallery Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell STEP Taxi Service News Source: Teslarati, YouTube: Bjorn Nyland, Hyundai, Green Car Congress, City of Montreal, Hybrid Cars, Denver Post Government/Legal Green Hyundai Tesla Green Automakers Electric Videos recharge wrapup

Judge reduces damages in fatal Hyundai crash to $81M

Hyundai no longer has to pay $248 million as part of a court ruling from a fatal accident in Montana that killed two cousins in a 2005 Tiburon. The judge hearing the appeal revised the amount down to a total of about $81 million. She upheld the original $8.1 million in actual damages but reduced the punitive damages to $73 million from the previous $240 million.
According to Bloomberg, the judge refused Hyundai's desire to reduce the amount even further. She said in her court order that the company showed "an indifference to or reckless disregard of the health and safety of the motoring public."
In the original case, the families' attorneys alleged that the cracking of a faulty steering knuckle caused the fatal accident. Hyundai argued that fireworks had been let off inside the vehicle, which caused the driver to swerve and crash. In a statement released after the ruling, the automaker claimed that evidence supporting its defense was barred from the trial. According to Bloomberg, had the original amount of damages been upheld, it would have been the sixth-highest amount awarded by a jury in the US this year.

5 Hyundai and Kia models have higher-than-average fire insurance claim rates

DETROIT — Owners of five Hyundai and Kia cars and SUVs file fire insurance claims at a rate far higher than the average for comparable vehicles, according to an insurance industry study. The Highway Loss Data Institute, which analyzes data from insurers representing about 85 percent of the U.S. industry, found that some Hyundai and Kia vehicles equipped with four-cylinder engines have double the noncrash fire claim rates than the average of comparable vehicles. Last week the South Korean brands announced they would recall about 168,000 vehicles to fix a fuel pipe problem that can cause fires. The problem stems from improper repairs during previous recalls for engine failures. They also announced additional sensor software for another 3.7 million vehicles. Hyundai and Kia started recalling 1.7 million vehicles in 2015 — about 618,000 of which are Kias — because manufacturing debris can restrict oil flow to connecting rod bearings. That can cause bearings in 2-liter and 2.4-liter four-cylinder engines to wear and fail. The problem can also cause fires. The repair in many cases is an expensive engine block replacement. Results of the Arlington, Virginia-based institute's study have been turned over the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is investigating engine failures and fires in Hyundai and Kia vehicles. The agency is mostly closed this week due to the partial government shutdown. Hyundai said Tuesday that the majority of its models in the study are already being recalled or are part of additional actions to keep customers safe. "Hyundai actively monitors and evaluates potential safety concerns, including non-collision fires, with all of its vehicles and acts swiftly to recall any vehicles with safety-related defects," spokesman Michael Stewart said. Kia spokesman James Bell said the company is cooperating with NHTSA "and will take any necessary corrective action in a timely manner." Many of the fires involve vehicles included the engine failure recall and could have been prevented if owners had the recall repairs done, he wrote. The institute began studying fire claims after the Center for Auto Safety petitioned NHTSA last year seeking a wider recall of Hyundai and Kia vehicles. The center had found a higher-than-normal number of consumer complaints about Hyundai and Kia fires in the agency's database. NHTSA has used Highway Loss Data Institute studies in the past to help make recall decisions.