1966 Chevrolet Corvette on 2040-cars

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No diesels in the running for 2016 Green Car Of The Year

It's a new era for the Green Car Of The Year. In the past, the theme of the award was to take a broad look at alternative powertrains and pick the best among them. "Clean diesels" from the Volkswagen group were often among the finalists and won the award twice. For the 2016 edition - which will be handed out at the LA Auto Show next month - not a single diesel made the list. There's little wonder why. Green Car Journal, which names the winner with a panel of experts, had to strip two VW brand vehicles of their past wins. The 2009 VW Jetta TDI, which won in 2008, and the 2010 Audi A3 TDI, which won in 2010, have both lost their titles now that the world knows about the "defeat devices" that VW installed in many of its TDI vehicles around the world. So, what does that leave us with for 2016? Two plug ins, a hybrid, and two gas vehicles. The two electric vehicle are the Audi A3 e-tron and the Chevy Volt, while the all-new Toyota Prius (which will come with a plug-in version later) is the lone pure hybrid. Rounding out the pack are two efficient gas models: the Hyundai Sonata and the Honda Civic. This is the tenth year for the Green Car Of The Year, and it will be interesting to see if diesels can come back into the award's good graces (for the record, no diesels were among the finalists in 2013, either) in the future. For now, we'd like to know who you think should win. You can read more about the finalists in the press release below and then cast your vote in our poll. Show full PR text FINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR 2016 GREEN CAR OF THE YEAR Green Car Journal to Reveal Winner of 11th Annual Award at LA Auto Show Press & Trade Days, November 19 LOS ANGELES, CA (October 15, 2015) – Green Car Journal has announced its five finalists for the magazine's prestigious 2016 Green Car of the Year® award. The 2016 models include the Audi A3 e-tron, Chevrolet Volt, Honda Civic, Hyundai Sonata, and Toyota Prius. An increasing number of vehicle models are considered for the Green Car of the Year® program each year, a reflection of the auto industry's expanding efforts in offering new vehicles with higher efficiency and improved environmental impact. Green Car Journal has been honoring the most important "green" vehicles every year at the LA Auto Show, since its inaugural award announced at the show in 2005.

Chevy launches Daytona delivery program with on-track driving

Talk about a dealer incentive: Buy a new Chevy and then shake it down at Daytona International Speedway. Chevy announced plans Thursday to launch a delivery program that will allow customers to pick up their new vehicles and then drive on the iconic 57-year old circuit. It will start later this year on 2017 models and includes a tour of the speedway, a keepsake of the event, and documentation that the car was driven at Daytona. The delivery center will be on the infield near victory lane. Chevy already offers a similar program that allows enthusiasts to get their new Corvettes at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KY. That costs $990, which is around the estimated price point for the Daytona delivery plan. "Select Chevy models," will be part of the program, spokesperson Afaf Farah said, "but the intent is to offer across a wide array of vehicles." It won't be a limited to a specific number, and Chevy will meet customer demand, she said. Daytona recently received a $400 million-facelift that had been ongoing since July 2013. It now seats 101,500 and has more restrooms and concessions. It was shown off in January at the Rolex 24 and will command a larger spotlight this weekend at the Daytona 500. Take a Spin in Your New Chevy at Daytona International Speedway DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Have you ever wondered what it is like to drive on the track at the famed Daytona International Speedway? If you buy a new Chevrolet, your dealer will be able to offer you that opportunity. Chevrolet and DIS today announced an exclusive delivery experience at the Speedway. This extra cost option will be available later this year through U.S. Chevrolet dealers on select new vehicle orders. While details are still being finalized, customers who order the option can expect: • A tour of Daytona International Speedway • An on-track driving experience • A keepsake to commemorate the experience • Authentication that the vehicle was delivered and driven at the Speedway "Chevrolet is committed to offering our customers the best overall vehicle ownership experience possible – starting with the most technologically advanced and most dynamic vehicles in the brands history," said Alan Batey, president of General Motors North America and leader of Global Chevrolet.

2016 Chevy Volt will not need premium gas

Buried in the new technical details of the 2016 Chevy Volt released yesterday was a throwaway line about a small but important change that's due to the new 1.5-liter, four-cylinder engine. The first-gen Volt has always required premium gas but the new powerplant will be happy burning plain old regular. The Volt's chief engineer, Andrew Farah, told AutoblogGreen that the change was due to today's Volt owners explaining they were not happy paying for top-shelf petroleum. "The ability to use regular unleaded was based directly on customer feedback," he said. "Since the range extender is an all-new engine, it was optimized to use regular unleaded at the outset. Using regular fuel will not have effect on vehicle acceleration or other performance factors." As Larry Nitz, GM's executive director of vehicle electrification, told AutoblogGreen yesterday, the new engine is more powerful and quieter than the outgoing 1.4-liter engine that's used in the current Volt. Fuel economy and EV range specs for the next-gen Volt are not expected until the full car is revealed at the Detroit Auto Show in January.