2009 Honda Civic Ex Coupe on 2040-cars

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Recharge Wrap-up: GM, LG Chevy Bolt collaboration, Honda Energy Star plants

Green Car Reports details the relationship between GM and LG in the development and production of the Chevy Bolt. The unique relationship between the two companies began in 2008, and now sees LG producing a multitude of systems for the Bolt, many of which were designed by or with GM. LG's involvement in the Bolt has gone so deep as "defining what will this vehicle be, everything from how we are going to package it, what size it should be, what kind of performance it should have," according to Pam Fletcher, GM's Executive chief engineer for electrified vehicles. Forgoing the traditional automotive relationship for a more collaborative one doesn't just save money, but it also gives GM access to LG's suite of technologies and manufacturing capabilities. Read more at Green Car Congress. The EPA has awarded three Honda factories with Energy Star certification. The automaker's assembly plants in Marysville and East Liberty, Ohio have now earned Energy Star certification ten consecutive years. The Marysville plant added LED lighting, hydrogen-powered tow motors and forklifts, high efficiency HVAC and direct-fired water boilers. The East Liberty facility added new LED lighting and replaced a large water heater with a high-efficiency one. Honda's newest US plant, Honda Manufacturing of Indiana, installed LED lighting and used energy efficient features in its recent expansion. Honda also cites a culture of energy-mindedness – for every associate – for its success. "When everyone involved considers energy efficiency and how they can help the environment, results improve," says Karen Heyob, Honda's sustainability boss in North America. Read more from Honda. The student-led Associated Students of the University of Montana (ASUM) Transportation has ordered two Proterra electric buses. The 40-foot Catalyst Fast Charge buses will serve the campus, and will recharge with a semi-autonomous fast charger. "As part of our ongoing effort to innovate service, align with student advocacy and reduce our carbon footprint, we take great pride in our decision to go electric," says ASUM Office of Transportation Director Jordan Hess. "We hope this encourages – and challenges – other universities to seriously consider the economic and environmental benefits of zero-emission buses." Read more in the press release below. First Student-led Transit Agency in the U.S.

A 1903 Harley is worth how much? Hagerty adds bikes to price guide

Whenever the big auctions begin in places like Monterey, it's hardly a surprise to hear about classic Ferraris or other exotics crossing the block for a few million dollars. But, the record sale price last year for the "Captain America" bike from Easy Rider is just a small sign that there's a growing market to own a piece of motorcycle history, as well. To answer this demand, vehicle insurance and valuation company Hagerty is now including vintage bikes in its price guide. The most expensive cycle there is a 1903 Harley-Davidson Single with a value pegged at an eye-watering $15 million for an example in No. 1 condition. You don't need to be a multi-millionaire to buy a vintage bike, though. If there's an old cycle you're eyeing or there's one already in the garage, you can check what Hagerty thinks it's worth on the company's website, now. The database includes 61 motorcycle makers and 9,200 models from 1894-1996. The pages also have a ton of useful details, including a price history for four conditions. According to Hagerty, the market for classic bikes is up over 50 percent since 2010, and more of them are showing up at auction, as well. The vintage cycles with the biggest demand are Harley-Davidson FLHs from the '60s and '70s. Hagerty Launches Motorcycle Valuation Tools Motorcycle Market Demand Drives Creation of Database Covering Everything from $15 Million Harley-Davidsons to $1,500 Yamahas TRAVERSE CITY, MICHIGAN (October 14, 2015) —Hagerty, the world leader in collector vehicle insurance and valuation tools, is pleased to announce the Hagerty Price Guide now includes motorcycles. The motorcycle guide, published on the Hagerty Valuations Tools website, includes 61 makes, 9,200 individual motorcycles built from 1894 -1996, and pricing for four conditions. Like its vehicle car and truck valuation guides, Hagerty's comprehensive motorcycle guide features model histories, images, current and historic pricing, and recent auction sales. "Motorcycles are one of the fastest growing segments in the collectible vehicle market," said McKeel Hagerty, CEO of Hagerty. "The recent interest is inspiring enthusiasts to pull their bikes out of long-term storage to enjoy again and share with the next generation.

2015 Acura NSX burns to the ground at the 'Ring [w/video]

Assuming all goes to plan, automakers test their vehicles to the breaking point in the months and years leading up to that vehicle's actual release into the public. Which is good, because it's much better for a car to break in glorious fashion in the hands of the company that produces it than in the driveway of an owner who just spent their hard-earned cash to get it. Such was the case with this production-guise Acura NSX prototype that we saw running around the Nurburgring just the other day. We can't be 100-percent certain, but the burned-out carcass is wearing the same number plate as the car that was spotted earlier, so it's likely the very same NSX. We have no idea what was the cause of the blaze that turned this Acura into the car-b-q you see pictured above, but our spy shooters on the ground in Germany say it was not involved in any collision, having caught on fire all on its own with engineers behind the wheel. The good news is that nobody was hurt, though the car is quite clearly a complete loss. We're sure there's another ready to to test in the burned car's place... just as soon as the engineers at Honda figure out exactly what went wrong. Have a look at the smoldering aftermath up above, and feel free to scroll down below to see a video of the car in much better circumstances.