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Renewed deal continues to give Honda power to Ariel models

You can expect to hear screaming Honda engines in Ariel's stripped down vehicles for even longer; the two companies have just reaffirmed their exclusive powerplant supply deal in the UK. Ariel's models have used Honda power for the last 16 years. Just in time for the updated agreement, the eight technicians at the sports car brand's tiny factory just completed their 1,500th model with the Japanese automaker's high-revving engine. The basic Atom in the UK comes with the naturally aspirated 2.0-liter K20Z engine, and Ariel fits the mill with an exhaust and custom ECU tuning to make 245 horsepower. An optional supercharger can push the output to 310 hp or up to 350 hp. The top versions can reach 60 miles per hour in less than 2.7 seconds and a top speed over 155 mph. Ariel's other products have different Honda powerplants. The company's new Nomad uses a 2.4-liter K24 with 235 hp, and an optional supercharger can give the off-roader 290 hp. For those that prefer two wheels, the Ace motorcycle packs a 1,237cc V4 with 173 hp. In the US, the Atom wasn't always available with Honda power. Brammo, which previously imported the sports cars here, fitted them with a 2.0-liter EcoTec four-cylinder engine from General Motors. Ariel toyed with other powerplants, too, like its 500-horsepower V8 in the Atom 500. HONDA (UK) AND ARIEL RENEW EXCLUSIVE ENGINE SUPPLY DEAL AS 1,500TH HONDA-POWERED ARIEL ROARS OUT OF THE FACTORY Honda (UK) and Ariel renew exclusive engine supply deal as 1,500th Honda-powered Ariel roars out of the (very small) factory Honda (UK) and Ariel Motor Company renew exclusive engine supply deal for Atom and Nomad 1,500th Honda-powered Ariel in 16 years roars out of the factory Supercharged Civic Type R engine delivers a scorching 350bhp and top speed of more than 155mph in the famed Ariel Atom Honda (UK) and Ariel Motor Company have renewed their 16-year strong exclusive engine supply agreement which sees the famed Atom powered by the Civic Type R engine, and the new off-road Nomad by the Civic 2.4 unit. The news comes as the two brands celebrate the 1500th Honda-powered Ariel roaring out of the small factory in Somerset, where just eight highly skilled build technicians spend 100-200 hours painstakingly hand-crafting one vehicle each at a time, from start to finish. Over the last 16 years 1,500 new Ariels have been built here – just a few day's work for Honda's Civic-producing Swindon plant.

Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla is for Mistresses; Yo, free Smart ED rides!

Smart used the Yo app to give free test rides to San Franciscans last week. Yo is a free app wherein users tap a username to send a notification that simply says "Yo" to the recipient. Signs at locations in the Mission and SoMa neighborhoods gave instructions to send a Yo to SmartUSA for a free ride anywhere in the city. Three of the eight Smart vehicles used for the promotion were the Smart Fortwo Electric Drive. The event allowed people to see how well suited the cars are to the city, particularly when it comes to San Francisco's parking problems. It also saved users the fare of an Uber or Lyft hire. Read more at TechCrunch. Zipcar has added the 2014 Honda Fit EV to its UC Davis fleet near Sacramento, California. The cars will go to the school's West Village, a planned zero net energy community, which plans to generate as much energy as it uses within a year. "Innovations like solar power to help generate the electricity needed to charge the EV," says Dan Sperling, founding director of the school's Institute of Transportation Studies, "and fully zero emission car sharing moves us aggressively toward a sustainable future." The addition of the Fit EVs will also give cash-strapped students access to affordable emissions-free driving. Read more in the press release, below. California is one step closer to adding 15,000 new green HOV stickers after a bill was approved by the state Senate. Now the bill must go up before the California State Assembly for approval before it can be signed by Governor Jerry Brown. The bill will raise the total number of the green HOV stickers for plug-in hybrids to 70,000. Raising the cap on the green decals, which allow owners use of the carpool lanes, could encourage more California drivers to buy a PHEV. Read more at Inside EVs. The Tesla Model S made a star appearance on the ABC television show Mistresses. In the episode "Choices," the character Joss receives the car as a gift from her fiance, but is not all too happy about it, seeing it as putting her in a position of dependency. "I could never in a million years afford that Tesla," Joss complains to her friend. "How am I ever supposed to get mad at him when he can hold a Tesla over my head?" The luxury EV makes an on-screen appearance in the episode complete with an interior shot of the car's touchscreen display. See a clip from the episode below or read more at Green Car Reports. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences.

Honda recalling 405K vehicles over airbag issue

Honda is in hot water due to an airbag glitch that is causing it to recall 405,400 vehicles. According to the campaign, the supplemental restraints might fire for no apparent reason. 342,000 of the affected vehicles are 2003 and 2004 Odyssey minivans, which gels with a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation we reported on in June.
Joining the Odyssey in the recall is the Acura MDX, with 63,400 units covered from the 2003 model year. Unlike the van, though, the MDX's recall covers Japan and Australia, in addition to the US and Canada. Both vehicles are suffering from an airbag control unit that is prone to malfunction when exposed to electrical noise, a condition that can cause the airbags to deploy without warning. Although no crashes have been reported in such scenarios, there have been some injuries typical of airbag deployment - abrasions and such.
Honda will be mailing recall notices to owners near the end of October, asking them to bring their vehicles into the dealership for installation of an electrical noise filter. The repair will take about an hour and be free of charge. Scroll down for the official announcement from Honda.