2015 Kia Sorento Lx on 2040-cars

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Recharge Wrap-up: Venturi seeks funding for speed record, Kia partners on V2G

Venturi Automobiles has started a crowdfunding campaign to help break an EV speed record. Venturi's goal, with the help of The Ohio State University, is to set a new FIA World Speed Record for Battery Powered Electric Vehicles of over 7000 pounds with its VBB-3. Venturi set the current record at 307 miles per hour, but wants to exceed that this September at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Funders can score merchandise like T-shirts, miniature models, and even their name on the side of the car. Learn more at Venturi Automobiles' Kickstarter page. Kia is providing six Soul EVs to UC Irvine's Advanced Power and Energy Program (APEP). APEP is using the electric vehicles for the development of vehicle-to-grid technology and smart charging systems. Kia says the collaboration is helpful in its goals of expanding EVs over the next five years. "Grid-connected electric vehicles offer tremendous potential in terms of energy storage and dispersion during high-demand periods," says Kia VP of Product Planning Orth Hedrick, "and Kia is excited to collaborate with APEP in the study and development of advanced smart grid technologies." Read more from Kia, or at Green Car Congress. Daimler is launching its Mercedes-Benz Energy brand for stationary energy storage. Taking on the likes of Tesla with its Powerwall, Daimler began shipping battery packs for residential energy storage in Germany in April, with an eye toward solar systems. Now, with its new brand, the company looks to expand to the global market. "By founding Mercedes-Benz Energy GmbH, we are underscoring our ambition to be a technological and market leader in the field of highly efficient storage systems," says Daimler's Harald Kroger. "With our unique combination of high standards of quality and safety and positive economies of scale, we are supporting the success of the new energy era while helping to make electromobility affordable." Read more in the press release below. Daimler Establishes Mercedes-Benz Energy GmbH for Stationary Energy Storage Daimler AG is continuing to expand its network of expertise in the field of lithium-ion battery applications. Within this innovative line of business, the newly established Mercedes-Benz Energy GmbH is assuming the development and global sale of Mercedes-Benz brand stationary energy storage with immediate effect. Thus, Daimler is focusing even more on the growing market for stationary batteries.

Kia teases e-AWD Trail'ster concept ahead of Chicago

Last week, Kia dropped a teaser on our heads of a new concept it would be bringing to the Chicago Auto Show. Now it's revealed another view, and this time it's revealed the name, as well. The new concept is dubbed the Trail'ster, and it's essentially a turbocharged Soul with an electric all-wheel drive system, a retractable canvas roof and a rugged design. The shot above (depicting the back three-quarters angle from low on the ground) doesn't show us much more than the previous side shot of the nose, but as you can see, the round light theme continues around back, with lower body cladding, underbody protection panels and red-trimmed, five-hole wheels wearing chunky rubber. We'll have to hold on to find out more, but from what we've seen so far, our level of interest is officially piqued. Kia to Bring Electric All-Wheel Drive Trail'ster to Chicago Aligning form and function to conceive a uniquely compelling vehicle for the city-dweller-turned- outdoor-adventurer, Kia Motors America will take the wraps off the rugged Trail'ster e-AWD concept at the 2015 Chicago Auto Show. With its bold design, fully retractable canvas roof and smartly integrated rear electric all-wheel drive system, the turbocharged Trail'ster takes Kia's iconic Soul to a new level of expression, efficiency and capability. The Kia Trail'ster concept will be unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show on Thursday, February 12, at 9 a.m. CT.

Best gas mileage cars

If you're looking for the cars with the best gas mileage, your best bets are hybrids and EVs, and with the latter, then it's a case of energy efficiency considering the lack of gasoline. But maybe you don't like the idea of an electrified vehicle. Maybe you're concerned about more complicated powertrains or new technologies. Maybe you're put off by the extra up-front cost of those vehicles. So what's the best way to get good fuel economy, without batteries? Well, we've pulled together the 10 most fuel-efficient cars that only run on gasoline. Best Gas Mileage Cars for 2024: 2021 Mitsubishi Mirage and Mirage G4 View 27 Photos Mitsubishi Mirage: 39 mpg combined When you can't be electrified, you need to achieve high efficiency with other strategies. In the case of the Mitsubishi Mirage, those come from low weight (just 2,084 pounds) and low power (just 78 horsepower). That's how the Mirage manages to top the list at 39 mpg combined. In the city it gets 36 mpg, and on the highway it manages 43, both of which are tops in this list, too. That just applies to the hatchback, though. The sedan would technically be second on the list with 37 mpg combined, but we're generally lumping together body styles. The other big draw of the Mirage is that it's incredibly cheap and has a long warranty. The base hatchback starts at $18,110 with destination, making it one of the cheapest cars on the road. And it has a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. So if you're looking for maximum frugality above literally all else, it's hard to top the Mirage. Honda Civic: 36 mpg combined While the Mirage wins technically, it makes many compromises to achieve its price and fuel economy. The rest of the list provides far better balancing of economy with being quality modern automobiles. And coming in second is the Honda Civic sedan (pictured at the top of this article) in EX trim with the turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder and CVT. This variant manages 33 mpg in the city, 42 on the highway and 36 combined. Going to the Touring trim drops fuel economy to 34 combined, and the 2.0-liter non-turbo engine gets between 33 and 35. The most efficient hatchback gets 35 mpg combined. The hatch is even available with a manual transmission, but it's also the least efficient (31 mpg). Then there's the Si and Type R, but with much more power and handling upgrades, they're basically different models. Regardless, almost every version of the Civic is quite frugal.