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Recharge Wrap-up: First EV to attempt Dakar Rally, Mazda makes bioplastic parts

Zap and Jonway Auto brought their Urbee EV and their new Falcon A-380 SUV to the Peru Motor Show in Lima. Jonway sells its SUV and minivan in Lima through Dai-Ichi Motors, which displayed the cars at the show. According to the companies, their cars "received tremendous interest from the public," including private citizens as well as groups who would use the EVs for security guard service or campus use. Read more in the press release below. California is the US leader when it comes to EVs. In 2013, California had 70,000 battery electric and 104,000 plug-in hybrids. The state boasts almost half of the country's electric vehicles, thanks largely to state and local EV incentives that go beyond the federal tax rebate. California also leads the way in legislation, and nine other states have adopted California's ZEV mandate. Washington, Maryland, Georgia and DC also have their own EV incentives, while some utility companies also offer benefits for EV owners in other states. Still, EV sales have only made up about 0.7 percent of new vehicle sales in 2014. Read more at the US Energy Information Administration website. Toyota will be using landfill gas to help power its Kentucky manufacturing facility. Beginning in 2015, Toyota's Georgetown assembly plant will use electricity converted from landfill-sourced methane gas from Waste Services of the Bluegrass. It will provide enough energy to produce 10,000 vehicles each year. Plus it diverts methane - a greenhouse gas - from entering the atmosphere and helps improve the local air quality. Learn more in the video or Toyota's press release below. Mazda has developed a plant-derived bioplastic for making exterior and interior parts. The dyed plastic doesn't require painting, and it reduces petroleum consumption and carbon emissions in the manufacturing process. The bioplastic will be used for interior parts in the all-new MX-5 before being put into use on the exterior of future vehicles. Mazda will display prototype parts at the Eco-Products 2014 exhibit in Tokyo. Read more in the press release below. Acciona will enter the first-ever zero-emissions vehicle (pictured) to compete in the Dakar Rally. The vehicle uses an electric motor and lithium ion batteries, as well as solar panels to power telemetry and security systems. The Dakar Rally will take place from January 4 through 17 through Argentina, Chile and Bolivia. See Acciona's Dakar EV in the video and read more in the press release below.

Mazda5 may not be long for this world

The concept behind building a smaller but still useful minivan like the Mazda5 always seemed like such a good idea. However, since the little people hauler's introduction, there has been the rise of the compact crossover in the US, which fulfills a similar niche for many buyers. The future is not looking good for the utilitarian Mazda. Autocar from the UK reports that company officials confirm the Mazda5 is being discontinued there, with no replacement planned. Autoblog reached out to Mazda North America, but the company would not verify future product changes in this region. Though, the model's cancellation would hardly be a surprise to follow in North America, as well. The minivan market is a tough place these days, and dealers tend to prefer more expensive models for their high margins. Even FCA US is abandoning the inexpensive portion of the segment for the next-gen Chrysler Town & Country. The Mazda5 isn't exactly a sales standout, either. Mazda sold 11,613 of them in all of 2014, which was a 16.4 percent drop from 13,884 in 2013. To compare to larger, more expensive minivans, Honda moved 122,738 units of the Odyssey last year, and Toyota did 124,502 examples of the Sienna. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2012 Mazda5 View 31 Photos News Source: AutocarImage Credit: Mazda Mazda Minivan/Van mazda5

Junkyard Gem: 1990 Mazda 929 S

In the late 1980s, Toyota, Nissan, and Honda were cleaning up in the American market with the Cressida, Maxima, and Legend, respectively. Mazda wanted some of those dollars, so the HC-series Mazda Luce was modified for the US market and sold here as the 929. It had rear-wheel drive, a powerful V6 engine, and lots of luxury features, but not many were sold. Here's a rare '90 that I spotted in a San Francisco Bay Area self-service yard. In 1990, the sporty 929S version got 190 horsepower from its DOHC 3.0-liter V6. Unfortunately for Mazda, American buyers associated the marque with sensible econoboxes and screaming rotary engines, not luxury machinery, at the time. For the 1990 model year, American-market cars were required to have either a driver's-side airbag or automatic seat belts. The 929 had the automatic belts, the less said about the better. The Luce-based 929 became the Sentia-based 929 for the 1992 model year. Meanwhile, the new luxury brands from Honda, Nissan, and Toyota were kicking the crap out of 929 sales; Mazda had planned to launch the Amati brand in the United States, but didn't have the resources to follow through. The last 929s were sold in the United States for the 1995 model year. Related Video: Featured Gallery Junked 1990 Mazda 929 S View 16 Photos Auto News Mazda