1973 Volkswagen Thing Hard Top on 2040-cars

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Scott Pruitt unfiltered: EPA administrator talks climate science, car emissions

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt gave Reuters a wide-ranging interview on Monday at his office in Washington, discussing issues from climate science to automobile emissions. The following is a full transcript of the interview: REUTERS: You have said the EPA will focus on a "Back to Basics" approach under your leadership. What does this mean for how EPA enforces polluters? You have been critical of the idea of regulation by enforcement. PRUITT: I think what I'm speaking about, there is a consent decree approach to enforcement, where you use judicial proceedings to actually engage in regulation. Enforcement should be about existing regulations that you're actually enforcing against someone who may be violating that, very much in the prosecutorial manner. As attorney general [in Oklahoma], I lived that. There was a grand jury that I led. Being a prosecutor, I understand very much the importance of prioritization, of enforcing the rule of law, of addressing bad actors. That's something we are going to do in a meaningful way across the broad spectrum of cases, whether it is in the office of air or the Superfund area, or otherwise. REUTERS: Do you want to see states play a bigger role in enforcing polluters, even though some have less of a capacity to do so – financially and personnel wise? PRUITT: I think the state's role is really, when you look at this office working with states, it should be how do we assist, how do we engage in compliance and assistance with states. The office [at EPA that deals with enforcement] is called OECA, the Office of Enforcement, Compliance and Assistance, so those are the tools we have in the toolbox to achieve better outcomes. So what we ought to be doing is working proactively with state DEQs [Departments of Environmental Quality] to get their state implementation plans [for federal regulations] timely submitted, provide assistance and technical support, drive a draft of state implementation plans, and then actually work with them on how to achieve through those plans better outcomes and air and water quality. As far as enforcement is concerned, we will actually work with states. We actually did that recently with Colorado. There was an oil and gas company that was emitting some 3,000 tons, is that what it was, it was quite a bit of ... it was an ozone case. In any event, we joined with Colorado in that prosecution. So sometimes states will do it, sometimes we will join with them.

2015 VW Golf R ready for your pre-order on January 8

If you want to be the first person on your block with Volkswagen's latest Golf R parked in your garage, you need to clear some time from your schedule on January 8. On that day, VW is opening the pre-order books for the first 500 Stateside examples of the new hot hatch, and they come with some neat accessories, too. Don't worry about specing just the right Golf R because all 500 early models are identical. In addition to the obvious 2.0-liter turbocharged engine with 292 horsepower 280 pound-feet of torque and 4Motion all-wheel drive, the six-speed dual-clutch gearbox is the only option here. Every one of these hot hatches comes in Lapiz Blue Metallic paint with 19-inch wheels covered in summer performance tires. Based around the DCC and Nav trim, each of them also has VW's adaptive damper system, bi-xenon headlights with LED running lights, a Fender audio system, parking sensors and navigation. Beyond just being the first ones to own VW's latest hot hatch in the US, the deal for these 500 folks also includes a Volkswagen R watch, carbon fiber and stainless steel keychain and a certificate. All three items are serialized to match the VIN of the buyer's Golf R. The total price for each one of these 500 Golf R's is $39,090, plus $820 destination and delivery. But potential buyers don't have to come up with all of that on January 8. They just need to visit VW's Golf R site and pay a $500 reservation fee to get in line, which goes toward the purchase of the car. The money is refundable for anyone who backs out, and any additional orders are put on a waiting list in case of any cancelations.

8 excellent minivans you can't buy in the United States

Americans have fallen out of love with minivans. For some reason, a super-practical, multi-seat vehicle that can haul almost anyone and anything is less popular than giant SUVs that make it difficult to access the third row. The rest of the world hasn’t forgotten the minivanÂ’s virtues, and many well-known automakers offer a whole rainbow of family carriers, some of which offer clever camping and luxury features. Here are some forbidden-fruit vans we canÂ’t buy in the United States. Toyota Noah/Voxy The Toyota Noah and Voxy have been around since the early 2000s and sit below the Alphard (more on that below) in the automakerÂ’s van line. ToyotaÂ’s sales model in Japan seems complicated from the outside, as the company sells different vehicles at different types of dealerships. The Noah was originally sold at ToyotaÂ’s Corolla Stores before the automaker shifted its model to the van in all locations in 2020. Now in their fourth generation, the van twins offer unique family-friendly features like a step system and use ToyotaÂ’s latest hybrid system. Toyota Alphard The Toyota Alphard is a stately minivan sold in several countries and regions, including Bangladesh, China and the Middle East. ItÂ’s now in its third generation and features Lexus-like styling with a massive cabin. The Alphard is available with several powertrain options, including some it shares with Lexus and other Toyota models, including the ES 350 and Highlander. Toyota equips the Alphard with several advanced safety features, and the van can comfortably carry up to eight people. That said, the Alphard is more expensive than many of its rivals in the markets where itÂ’s sold, so people may consider other options. Mitsubishi Delica If youÂ’ve spent any time in the automotive corners of social media, youÂ’ve seen a Delica. TheyÂ’re everywhere now, as Americans figure out that a small, light van with real ground clearance and four-wheel drive is a great thing. Mitsubishi has made different vehicles under the Delica name, including a truck and a kei car, but the minivan is the one most of us recognize. The Delica entered its fifth generation way back in 2007 and got a facelift in 2019. ItÂ’s still available with four-wheel drive, though Mitsubishi also sells a front-drive version. TodayÂ’s van is light years away from the classic models we can import here and features a massive grille with unique front lighting fixtures.