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Recharge Wrap-up: BYD sales surge, new Mazda MX-5, plug-in VW Passat

BYD has enjoyed a tremendous leap in sales since last year, according to Want China Times. Sales from January to April were ten times that of the same period last year, with much of the credit going to government subsidies for clean cars. BYD claims, though, that battery production is limiting the number of vehicles it sells, and that by increasing that production capacity, it will see even more success. BYD's Qin plug-in hybrid, introduced in December, has already sold 4,500 units with another 8,000 orders already placed. Read more here. Mazda will reveal the fourth generation of its MX-5 roadster in September. To celebrate the car's 25th anniversary, the all-new two-seat convertible will debut during simultaneous private events in Spain, Japan and the US on September 3 and 4. Furthermore, the new Miata will be the center of a more public event in Barcelona on September 6. For fans in the US, Mazda will hold a Miatas at Mazda Raceway event from September 5 to 7. The 2016 MX-5 promises to continue to offer a lightweight, balanced design for fun and efficiency. The new Volkswagen Passat will feature a plug-in hybrid version. Volkswagen confirmed the Passat PHEV for Europe at the model's unveiling at the Volkswagen Design Centre in Potsdam, Germany. The plug-in Passat uses a 154-horsepower TSI engine and an 80-kilowatt electric motor for a total output of 208 horsepower. With a full charge, it can travel up to 31 miles on electricity alone. All versions of the eighth-generation Passat use stop-start and regenerative braking. Read more at Green Car Congress. BBC warns that the costs of charging an electric vehicle in the UK could surpass those of fueling a gasoline engine. Not so fast, says The Green Car Website. While the BBC cites charging services like Charge Master introducing fees for rapid charging making it cost about as much per mile to drive as traditional internal combustion engines. The Green Car Website points out that most people usually charge at home for much less, that paying for rapid charging is still not that expensive and that the BBC article misses the point about EVs, anyway. See the BBC article here or click here to read the rebuttal. News Source: Want China Times, Mazda, Volkswagen, BBC News, The Green Car Website via Charged, Green Car Congress Green Mazda Volkswagen Green Automakers Electric PHEV recharge wrapup qin

2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club long-term wrap-up | Farewell, fun friend

About one year ago, we took delivery of a 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata. We made sure we got the sportiest version we could, the Club model (which includes Bilstein shocks, a limited-slip differential and a front shock tower brace) with optional BBS wheels and Brembo brakes. We also sprung for the appearance package to give our cute little roadster a modicum of aggression. It was a tad pricey at $32,835, but we enjoyed every minute of it. Well, almost every minute of it. It's not a perfect car, as it's loud and stiff on the highway, and we ran into an issue in which the top had to be replaced (under warranty). But minor grievances aside, just about everyone who drove the little roadster came back with a smile, especially when we took it to a racetrack. Below are final thoughts on the car from our editors. Senior Green Editor John Beltz Snyder: This car is about as car as any car gets. It's so car! That is to say, it's pure in its mission and in its effective execution as a driver's plaything. Its crisp steering, snickety six-speed manual gearbox, and rev-happy engine create the wonderful sensation that you're driving faster than the speedometer reads. Normal speeds never felt so heroic. The view out the front is fantastic, too, and the curves of the hood are nothing short of inspiring as they frame the road ahead. I don't care that it's noisy, jarring, and ergonomically weird. Old and British in spirit, it offers a level of engagement that's hard to find in a new car, especially for under $30,000. Anyone who has a Miata in their stable isn't lucky. They're smart. Senior Editor Alex Kierstein: I'm a bit embarrassed to think back to my first impressions about driving the MX-5 now that I've had so much seat time in this one. While I loved the idea of it as a throwback to the original NA Miata from the moment it was revealed, I was a bit turned off by how civilized it was. And how quick it was. No longer a momentum car, the new MX-5 seemed more forgiving of bad gear selection or a bad corner entry. I felt like something had been removed, a ragged edge, some everyday engagement. Well, a year on, and my feelings have changed. If you stop comparing it directly to the (slow, weedy, rattly, uncomfortable) first- and second-generation cars, it's a brilliant little roadster. I miss the raw edge less and enjoy the livability more — the raw edge was really just a lack of civility. A flaw that forced you to engage with the thing every moment.

2014 Mazda6: July/August 2013

Our newest long-termer - the Soul Red 2014 Mazda6 seen here - arrived in my driveway at the end of June. Without hesitation, I immediately put it to work as a daily driver, carpool bus and family vacation sled, and it accomplished all of those tasks with aplomb. Now, more than 4,000 miles down the road, I am left convinced that Mazda's latest midsize sedan is one of the best in its segment.
During the past 60 days, I have subjected the Mazda6 to scorching travel across Southwestern deserts, wheezing climbs over 8,000-foot-high Sierra Nevada mountain passes and basking in the cool ocean breezes of Malibu. It traveled with four passengers and a full load of luggage from Los Angeles to Lake Tahoe, and it braved the bumper-to-bumper freeway congestion on a weekday trip down to San Diego. It accomplished everything that was asked of while hardly skipping a beat - it has only required a regular sip of unleaded fuel to keep it moving forward.