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Recharge Wrap-up: Ford HQ gets giant solar array, Chevy City Express gets 24 MPG city

Ford will be building Michigan's largest solar array at its Dearborn headquarters. With funding from DTE Energy, the solar carport will provide covered parking, as well 30 charging stations for electric vehicles. The array is expected to generate 1.13 million kWh per year for Ford's operations, and offset 794 metric tons of carbon emissions. Read more in the press release below. Chevrolet announced the fuel economy for the 2015 City Express, at 25 mpg combined. The cargo van is rated at 24 mpg in the city, and 26 mpg on the highway. Chevy credits the van's inline four-cylinder engine and continuously variable transmission for its impressive city mileage. For its customers - which are mainly businesses - "The fuel economy of the City Express will help stretch their dollar at the pump and give them the flexibility to invest the savings back into their business," says Chevrolet's Ed Peper. The City Express starts at $22,950. Read more in the press release below. Engineers at the University of Wisconsin have developed an efficient engine that runs on a diesel-gas blend. The engine, which uses a computer to control the blend proportions, is about 15 percent more efficient than the any diesel engine according to mechanical engineering professor Rolf Reitz. The team has put the experimental reactivity controlled compression ignition (RCCI) engine in a demonstration car - a 2009 Saturn. "This vehicle can do 50 miles per gallon," says Reitz, who believes the system could be improved further. Read more at Wisconsin Public Radio. The Southeast Alternative Fuel Conference and Expo will take place in October in Raleigh, North Carolina. Held at the NC Clean Energy Technology Center from October 22-24, the event will feature a variety of exhibitors, speakers and, most importantly, alternatively powered vehicles. "The three day conference will be a one-stop shop for fleet and transportation related decision makers to learn about return on investment, efficiency and alternative transportation fuels such as biodiesel, electricity, ethanol, propane and natural gas," says Anne Tazewell of the NC Clean Energy Technology Center. If you can't make it to Raleigh for the Expo, you can still enter to win a free two-year lease of a Nissan Leaf at the Center's website. Learn more about the event in the press release, below.

Domino's reveals Chevy Spark-based delivery car

Next time you order from Domino's Pizza, check out the delivery car. In an effort to get hot and fresh pizzas to hungry customers, the company is creating a small run of custom vehicles that are tailored for the job. Dubbed the Domino's Delivery Expert (DXP), these 2015 Chevrolet Spark-based hatchbacks pack a plethora of features to provide the perfect pie. When the DXP's on delivery duty, every order should arrive steaming hot thanks to the hatchback's biggest custom upgrade – a warming oven right behind the driver. Accessible from outside, it can keep pizzas at the perfect temperature on the way to your house and hold two of Domino's Heatwave bags. Other than the driver's seat, the rest of the interior also gets replaced with bountiful storage and non-slip surfaces. According to the company, as many as 80 pizzas could conceivably fit inside, and that would be quite a party. The exterior is still clearly derived from the Spark but with some clever additions. An illuminated "Out for Delivery" sign is on the roof, and a puddle light shoots the Domino's logo on the ground. Plus, the company's red-and-blue color scheme is emblazoned over the hood, pillars, and hatch. Underneath all the pizza-related mods, power comes from a 1.2-liter four-cylinder and CVT. Rather than just a one-off stunt, Domino's is working with Roush Enterprises and former General Motors exec Kenneth R. Baker to build 100 DXPs. They're hitting the streets in 25 US cities, and you can check if your locale is included on the project's website. The seed of this idea came from a partnership with Local Motors to crowdsource the ultimate pizza delivery platform. Domino's Launches Purpose-Built Pizza Delivery Vehicle Domino's Innovative DXP™ Created by Three Great Michigan Brands and an International Crowdsourcing Design Competition Ann Arbor, Mich., Oct. 21, 2015 -- In its latest innovation as the recognized world leader in pizza delivery, Domino's (NYSE:DPZ) is launching the Domino's DXP™ (Delivery Expert), a specially designed and built pizza delivery vehicle. The DXP is the combined brainchild of former GM R&D executive Kenneth R. Baker, Michigan-based Roush Enterprises and Domino's. To also include consumers' input, hundreds of concepts were initially identified in an online crowdsourcing design competition hosted by Local Motors. "The Domino's DXP is the first purpose-built vehicle aimed at revolutionizing pizza delivery," said Russell Weiner, president of Domino's USA.

2016 Chevy Volt will be available across Canada, unlike most of US [UPDATE]

UPDATE: The story's been updated to add a response from General Motors of Canada. It's not enough that the Toronto Blue Jays may be the most intimidating team in Major League Baseball. Now, it appears that our neighbors to the north will also have some bragging rights in regards to General Motors' Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in vehicle. Specifically, most of Canada will have access to the 2016 version before most of the US will. In fact, the car will be available in Canada before people can buy it in Michigan. A trip to Windsor, Ontario, anyone? The Volt, which will boast a longer plug-in range than the current version, could go on sale in Canada as soon as November, GM Authority says. The model's second-generation version may debut in California as soon as this month, and is slated to be sold later this year in the 10 other states that abide by the so-called CARB (California Air Resources Board) rules for zero-missions vehicles. Those states include Oregon, Maine, New York and Massachusetts. But not GM's home state of Michigan. Either way, the new generation model's debut can't come soon enough for the US automaker, as Volt sales in 2015 have seriously lagged the 2014 numbers because of people waiting for the new version. "We will receive the 2016 Volt in Canada this fall, starting with our key Volt markets in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia," wrote General Motors of Canada spokesman George George Saratlic in an e-mail to AutoblogGreen. "Note these are also the three provinces that provide provincial incentives on EV purchases. We'll then roll out Volt to the rest of the country." Last week, details were revealed about the first sales of the 2016 Volt, where marketing efforts will be concentrated among the largest plug-in buying states in the union. The other 39 states will get their shot starting next year with the 2017 model-year variant. Related Video: