2008 Smart Fortwo Lorinser Passion Convertible on 2040-cars

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Daimler chairman agrees with German Greens on reducing emissions

Daimler Chairman Dieter Zetsche spoke at a Green Party congress in Germany earlier this week and said he agreed with the party's urge to dramatically cut transportation-based greenhouse-gas emissions by expanding plug-in vehicle sales, Reuters says. Zetsche stopped short of backing the Greens' suggestion to ban gas- and diesel-powered vehicles by 2030, though. The man must keep his job, after all. Zetsche did say that reducing greenhouse-gas emissions from the transportation sector was "necessary," and his company has made plans to do just that. Daimler representatives said at the Paris Motor Show earlier this year that Smart and Mercedes-Benz both planned to debut more than 10 electric vehicles within the next decade, and that plug-ins may account for as much as 25 percent of Mercedes-Benz's sales by then. Moreover, Dr. Thomas Weber, Head of Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development, said in June that Mercedes could be selling as many as 100,000 EVs a year by the end of the decade. Last month, Mercedes-Benz announced that its EQ electric-SUV concept would go on sale by 2020, and that the Bremen factory that's producing the model will broaden its plug-in vehicle production further. Zetsche's cautious support notwithstanding, the German government appears to be doing its own part to reduce emissions from the country's light-duty vehicles. Earlier this year, Germany enacted a plan that provides as much as 4,000 euros ($4,270) in perks for people who buy new electric vehicles, with German automakers agreeing to foot about half of the estimated $1.4 billion bill. German lawmakers had also floated the idea of a 10-year moratorium on electric-vehicle taxes for cars purchased before 2020. Related Video: News Source: Reuters via Automotive News Europe-sub.req.Image Credit: Ralph Orlowski / Reuters Government/Legal Green Mercedes-Benz smart Electric

Auto Show Notebook: Legendary Continental name inspired Lincoln's designers

What's in a name? A lot for the Continental concept, and it gave Lincoln designers a sense of purpose as they styled the brand's upcoming flagship sedan. "The moment that we told them, it was amazing," Lincoln president Kumar Galhotra said. "They totally got it." "It" is cutting-edge technology wrapped in stately, large-sedan design. It's a nod to Lincoln's storied past, but a signpost for where the brand is heading. Though the Continental name dates to the late 1930s, Lincoln designers avoided making the concept overtly retro. "You can't let it pull yourself back too far in history, but you've got to design a car that lives up to the name," Galhotra said. Speaking to Autoblog on the floor of the New York Auto Show where the Continental formally debuted Wednesday, the Lincoln president reiterated that the car is on track to launch in 2016. It will compete against the Audi A6, Lexus GS, BMW 5 Series and other large luxury sedans. After its debut, the concept in New York will fly to China – another critical market for Lincoln – for display there. It will be replaced in New York by a prototype without an interior. The Continental is the latest high profile play by Lincoln to raise its image with consumers, who have either ignored or forgotten about it amid steep competition in the luxury sector from German and Japanese brands and a potentially resilient Cadillac. Lincoln sales are essentially flat compared with 2014 through the first quarter of this year, with total volume of 21,478 units. The middling start to 2015 comes on the heels of nearly 16-percent sales growth last year spurred by the launch of the MKC and the prominent signing of Matthew McConaughey to star in Lincoln advertisements. Other News, Notes & Quotes Speaking of names, Chevrolet did its homework before deciding to proceed with "Malibu" for its new generation of midsize cars. "We went out and researched it," said Alan Batey, president of General Motors North America. "People actually like the name 'Malibu,'" he said. Admittedly, the current Malibu has struggled in the marketplace against entrenched competitors, Batey said, but he's optimistic its awareness and historical value are assets to the dramatically redesigned sedan."The name's strong," he said. Meanwhile, in other Chevy news, the brand kicked off a new marketing campaign, "Real People, Not Actors" Wednesday. It will show consumers interacting with Chevys and their spontaneous reactions to the vehicles.

San Diego Car2go fleet replaced with 400 2014 Smart Fortwo EVs

The city of San Diego was the first in the US to get an all-electric fleet of Car2go carsharing vehicles. Back in 2011, the Daimler-owned carsharing service started offering local drivers the chance to get to their destination in a battery-powered car for around 40 cents a minute. It's proven to be a success, with over a million trips taken in the city since launch. Car2go has been changing how it runs the program, introducing charging incentives last year. Now, the entire fleet of EVs is going to be replaced with 400 2014 Smart Fortwo Electric Drive vehicles. The news is welcome, since each iteration of the Fortwo ED improves on the previous version, but it again highlights just how long we will have to wait in the US to get the totally updated EV. If it was coming before 2016 or early 2017, as is currently the plan, maybe Car2go wouldn't be so eager to update right now. As always, you asked and we listened! As always, you asked and we listened! We are very excited to share the news that beginning today we are replacing our current fleet with 400 powerful 2014 smart fortwo Electric Drives. The addition of our new vehicles will also increase the car2go San Diego fleet size providing members with more vehicles throughout the Home Area. These brand new vehicles, while maintaining their zero-emissions footprint, have a much smoother acceleration, and overall, a more comfortable car2go driving experience that we know our members will truly enjoy (especially on the freeway). We hope to have the entire fleet switched out in a very short period of time. When driving a new car2go vehicle you'll notice stronger acceleration and breaking. Due to the different handling experiences, you should familiarize yourself with the two cosmetic differences between the old and new vehicles. The new vehicles will have the smart logo inside of the grille whereas old vehicles have the logo on the hood. The car2go logo is also larger on the new vehicles. Since launch, the car2go Home Area has expanded to 45 square miles within San Diego, providing all of our members the flexibility to get to their destinations at their convenience without having to return the vehicle. Today, we have seen nearly 1,000,000 car2go trips taken since our initial launch in San Diego in November 2011 as the largest electric carsharing fleet in the nation. We are constantly striving to be member focused to get you what you want and appreciate all the feedback we receive from our members.