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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.

Ford confirms launch of new Tourneo vans and Ecosport in Europe for Geneva

We've already seen plenty of what the Geneva Motor Show will have in store for us in less than two weeks, but most of the confirmed debuts that were announced so far have generally been luxury or performance cars. Ford, on the other hand, will be showing off a couple of its new family-friendly models for European buyers to enjoy.
On the larger side of things, the full range of Tourneo vans (shown above) will be on display, including the introduction of the new Tourneo Courier model, but Ford will also be showing off the all-new EcoSport crossover, which is based on the automaker's Global B platform and will be positioned beneath the Kuga, better known here as the Escape. The subcompact EcoSport was originally unveiled at the Beijing Motor Show last April.

Watch this awesome R/C car chase scene made with cardboard and glue

It never ceases to amaze us how much video production talent you can find on YouTube, especially when considering movies like Battleship actually exist on the silver screen. It's even better, of course, when cars are involved, which is why we can't stop watching this car chase between a pair of radio controlled Ford Mustangs.
Racing through a detailed set built in the middle of a public street using just "cardboard, hot glue and spray paint," this video is possibly even greater than The Greatest R/C Car Chase Ever that we saw last year. With the exception of a fruit stand and/or a plate-glass window being carried across the street, this has all the makings of a classic cliché chase scene.
Scroll down to watch the scaled-down action ensue as well as the full-scale conclusion.