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MotorWeek checks out two sides of the '90s Japanese car scene

MotorWeek's Retro Reviews let you feel nostalgic about a huge range of classic cars, and the latest two releases offer a look at two very different sides of the Japanese car market in the 1990s. The video above shows off tuned examples of the Mazda RX-7 and Nissan 300ZX. Check out the clip below to remember the 1997 Honda CR-V, if you want to reminisce about something a little more utilitarian. The RX-7 and 300ZX were among the era's best Japanese sports cars, and these examples' suspension and engine overhauls gave them an extra boost. Peter Farrel Supercars tunes the Mazda, and the vibrant yellow paint and body kit make it look ready for an episode of Initial D. The updated powertrain stands up to the mean styling and gets the RX-7 to 60 miles per hour in 4.5 seconds. The Stillen 300ZX GTZ sports a giant wing, and new turbos take the output to 465 hp. It sprints to 60 in 4.9 seconds. The CR-V sits on the opposite end of the automotive spectrum as the tuned RX-7 and 300ZX, but it's even more important in a historical sense. The Honda (along with the Toyota RAV4 and others) was among the progenitors of today's mega-popular compact crossovers. These early examples set the foundation for offering buyers a utilitarian vehicle in a comfortable package with good fuel economy at an affordable price. The CR-V had some quirky charm, too, like the removable picnic table hidden in the cargo floor. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Norway about to run out of EV incentives; plan to be reviewed

As electric vehicle advocates in Norway may ready to celebrate, executives over at Tesla Motors and Nissan may be preparing for a healthy bawl. That's because Norway, whose financial support of plug-in vehicle use have pushed the country to the forefront of plug-in vehicle adoption, is about to reach its government-imposed threshold for electric vehicle and plug-in vehicle incentives, Hybrid Cars says. Two years early, in fact. Norway's perks for EVs and PHEVs include free access to bus lanes, highway tolls, ferries and parking, not to mention a big tax rebate. As a result, the country is less than 250 units away from hitting its 50,000-vehicle limit for those perks, which were initially estimated to expire in 2017. In fact, last month, more than 25 percent of the four new cars sold in Norway were plug-in vehicles. The government is now saying it will review the incentives and put forward a new plan in the next budget, which is due in May. Late last year, Nissan put out a video saying that electric vehicles had about a 15-percent new-vehicle market share in Norway, and that the Japanese automaker had sold more than 15,000 all-electric Leaf vehicles in the country since starting sales there in 2011. Last spring, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Tesla Model S broke Norway's all-time monthly sales record for a single model in March 2014, with almost 1,500 Model S vehicles sold. This is for a country whose population is less than that of Colorado. Whether those days will soon be gone remains in question. Advocates will push for some sort of extension on the perks, but opponents in government say the incentives have cost the country as much as $500 million a year in tax revenue. News Source: Hybrid CarsImage Credit: Elbilforeningen/Flickr Government/Legal Green Nissan Tesla Electric incentives government incentives

Recharge Wrap-up: EV taxis in Amsterdam, Montreal's electric carsharing goals

Amsterdam has become the electric taxi capital of the world. Taxi Electric, TCA, and Connexxion each operate electric cabs around the city, including 170 Nissan Leaf and e-NV200 taxis. Taxi Electric started with three Nissan Leafs in 2011, and the idea has caught on. Businesses are saving money on fuel and maintenance, garnering attention and new clients for themselves and doing their part to help reduce emissions and improve local air quality. The city of Amsterdam hopes to be emissions-free by 2025, and is building more and more charging stations to this end. This helps make the city the perfect home for the electric cabs. See the video above and read more from Nissan. Montreal is calling for a large electric carsharing program. Mayor Denis Coderre says that he'd like the city to be seen as a leader in electric transportation. His vision includes a carsharing program of 250 electric vehicles by next spring, growing to 1,000 EVs by 2020. This would help Montreal reach its goal of cutting the city's greenhouse gas emissions by a third over the next five years. The city also wants to build new charging infrastructure to make the carsharing plan, as well as individual EV ownership, easier to achieve. Currently, carsharing group Communauto operates a fleet of 40 EVs in Montreal. Read more at Treehugger. Enterprise Carshare has joined the nonprofit CarSharing Association. The car rental company's carsharing business made the announcement at the 2015 International Car Rental Show, during a session called "The Convergence of Car Sharing and Car Rental." "Enterprise CarShare is a well-established player in the industry and we're glad to have their help in expanding support for sustainable urban mobility in communities around the world," says CarSharing Association Executive Director Alan Woodland. Read more from Enterprise in the press release below. Enterprise CarShare Joining CarSharing Association LAS VEGAS (April 15, 2015) – Enterprise CarShare formally announced yesterday – at the 2015 International Car Rental Show – that it has joined the CarSharing Association, a not-for-profit organization committed to advancing cooperation between urban mobility providers, cities and public transit. The announcement was made during a Car Rental Show session titled, "The Convergence of Car Sharing and Car Rental," which highlighted the important role that the car rental industry plays in the evolution of urban mobility.