2008 Ford F350 Diesel 4x4 Dually Lariat Navigation Heated Leather Powerstroke on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Recharge Wrap-up: Grimsel electric car breaks acceleration world record, electric Ford Raptor ATV debuts

An all-electric version of the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is now available... as an ATV. Made by Caddyshack Golf Cars, it features officially licensed Ford badging borrowed from the super-macho pickup. It has a lifted chassis with leaf springs in the front and rear, hydraulic shocks and off-road tires. Powered by a 48-volt motor, it can do 0-25 mph in 2.9 seconds. Range is an estimated 30 miles - plenty to get you through 18 of the most rugged holes of golf you've ever played. Caddyshack also offers other miniature electric Fords, including a Shelby GT500, Shelby Cobra and 50th Anniversary Mustang. Read more at Green Car Reports. Lexus takes a crack at the BMW i3 in a new video from Funny or Die. In the decidedly anti-EV film, a group of guys drives to Las Vegas for a "dad-chelor party" in a Lexus CT 200h and a BMW i3. The Lexus hybrid makes it to Sin City without any problems, while the BMW's occupants need to make several lengthy stops to charge along the way, missing much of the fun. The video lampoons the inherent range limitations of the EV (the BMW group ends up driving slowly through the desert with no AC or radio to save energy), all in a well produced, if somewhat misguided, short comedy film. Perhaps they should have considered the i3 with a range extender? See the video below, or read more at Green Car Reports. Students from ETH Zurich and Lucerne University have set a new EV acceleration world record. Their "Grimsel" racing car was able to zoom from 0-100 kph (0-62.137 mph) in just 1.785 seconds in less than 30 meters (98.425 feet), crushing the previous record of 2.134 seconds. Even more impressive is that the Grimsel was built by the students themselves, as part of the Formula Student team at the Academic Motorsports Club Zurich. The car weighs just 370 pounds and provides 200 horsepower and 1,202 pound feet of torque from the four hub motors. The Grimsel uses traction control to manage torque for maximum acceleration. See the record acceleration run in the videos below or read more at Gizmag, at Electric Autosport or in the press release from ETH Zurich below. 'grimsel' breaks world record The 'grimsel' electric racing car today broke the previous world record for acceleration in electric cars. The vehicle accelerated from 0 to 100 km/h in 1.785 seconds in under 30 metres. The new record was set by students from ETH Zurich and Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, who also designed and built the vehicle.

Ford recalling 126,000 Fusions and Milans over wheel separation concern

Ford has announced a recall of certain Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan vehicles after an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. A total of 128,616 2010 and 2011 models equipped with steel wheels may have been manufactured with wheel studs that could crack and split over time. If that happens, the vehicle may experience a wheel separation.
According to The Detroit News, the company is aware of a total of 30 wheel separation incidents, one of which occurred on the front of the vehicle. Even so, no injuries have been reported as a result of the defect.
The problem apparently stems from the fact that the mounting pads on the vehicles' steel wheels may have been faulty from the factory. In addition, the wheel mounting face on rear disc brakes may not have been installed properly. Ford will inspect the rear disc face and replace them as necessary. In addition, the company will replace all of the vehicle's wheel studs free of charge. Head to the NHTSA website for more information, and click past the jump to view the full recall notice.

Here's your chance to vote for the best-looking state police cruiser

Across the country, state police generally drive the same types of vehicles. Right now, the most common cruisers are Ford Explorers, Chevrolet Tahoes, and Dodge Chargers, with some exceptions sprinkled in. The differentiation comes through in the livery, which can range from simplistic badging to busy stripes. Each year, the American Association of State Troopers (AAST) holds a fun contest to determine which state has the coolest-looking cars, and 2019 voting has just opened. We discovered the contest after Motor1 posted about the Florida Highway Patrol's newest addition to its fleet, a Dodge Challenger R/T. The musclemobile is, without question, the coolest car in the competition, and it might have the best livery too. But that doesn't mean it's going to win, as contests like this often turn into hotbeds for chest-beating homers.  The AAST is posting results on Facebook, and as of July 17, 2019, Kentucky and Nebraska are blowing the rest of the states out of the water. Florida is in ninth place with 4,653 votes compared to first-place Kentucky's 14,699. New Jersey is in last place with only 107 votes. As the internet goes, this will likely be determined by how many times the contest is shared across social media.  The Challenger isn't the only eye candy, either. Not every state participated, but those that did came correct with the photography, including Nebraska posing its car in front of a freakin' tornado. Others staged their cars with helicopters in the background, some set the car in front of the gorgeous landscapes their states have to offer, and others posed with dogs. Because who doesn't love dogs? No matter which car wins, it's cool to see the various designs all in one place. Check out the gallery above and vote for your favorite on the AAST's survey. The survey will close on July 30, 2019.