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Mystery shoppers love Infiniti, hate Tesla

Infiniti, followed by Lexus tied with Mercedes-Benz took the top two spots for best sales experience according to mystery shoppers from the latest Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index, while EV manufacturer Tesla recorded the lowest overall score. Not surprisingly, premium brands dominated the top ranks. Including the three already mentioned, luxury brands occupied seven of the top ten spots and included Audi, BMW, Porsche, and the only American brand to crack the upper echelon, Cadillac. Toyota, Volkswagen, and Nissan rounded out the first ten positions. The news for domestic automakers isn't good. Aside from Caddy, the only other star-spangled automaker to score above the industry average is Chrysler. The rest of FCA, most of GM, and all of Ford fell below the line. But Pied Piper's mystery shoppers handed Tesla the biggest walloping – the company is ten full points below the next lowest brand, Volvo, and its score of 86 is 17 below the average of 103. It's baffling, considering the company's touted direct-sales model. "Tesla leaves me scratching my head," Fred O'Hagan, Pied Piper's president and CEO, told Wards Auto. "They own all of their stores, so you would think each one would be doing the same thing. But they're not. Tesla is consistent in its inconsistencies." O'Hagan added that there's a "huge variation" in Tesla's store-to-store effectiveness, and that in some cases, shoppers found showroom workers that acted more like "museum curators," Wards Auto reports. It might be popular to call Tesla the Apple of the car world, but based on Pied Piper's work, the brand has a long way to go to emulate the uniform shopping experience of an Apple Store. The news might be bad for Tesla, but even for the brands that scored below average, there's cause for celebration. Only Tesla and Mini lost points in this year's rankings, and only Mercedes and Lincoln held steady. Every other brand, including Infiniti, which topped the index for the first time, gained at least one point. The biggest improvements belong to Porsche, Land Rover, and Mitsubishi, which all jumped five points. Pied Piper's annual Prospect Satisfaction Index uses mystery shoppers – over 6,100 this year – from across the country to assess dealers and generate rankings from over 50 individual factors. News Source: Pied Piper via WardsAuto Green Audi BMW Cadillac Chrysler Infiniti Lexus Mercedes-Benz Nissan Tesla Toyota Car Buying Car Dealers study

Recharge Wrap-up: BYD building e6 for Taiwan, Formula E announces season two test dates

The West Coast Electric Highway in Oregon and Washington offers EV drivers a lot of freedom to travel. With fast chargers available along I-5 and many other highways, drivers can travel through large parts of the Northwest without worrying about being stranded. Most chargers are 20 to 30 miles apart throughout the network - which is helpful considering the extra energy needed to climb the many hills - but things get a little more difficult at the border with California. From Ashland, Oregon southward, there isn't another fast charger for about 200 miles. Read more at Green Car Reports. The BYD e6 will be built in Taiwan for the Taiwanese market. AJ Greentech Holdings will manufacture the electric crossover taxi, which can travel 186 miles on a single charge. "This contract will ensure that our initiative for revolutionizing green energy transportation is carried out," says AJ Greentech Holdings CEO Chu Li An. "By driving this e6 electric taxi, drivers will save 10,000 Taiwan dollars a year on transportation costs, an unparalleled deal, while at the same time, providing a safer environment for all the citizens of Taiwan." Read more at Hybrid Cars. Nissan and Ricker Oil are partnering to bring EV fast charging to Ricker's Convenience Stores in Indianapolis. Nissan Leaf customers who purchase beginning April 1 will be able to charge for free at the nine locations as part of the automaker's "No Charge to Charge" program. "In Indianapolis, we are taking bold steps to reduce our city's oil dependence," says Mayor Greg Ballard. "Growing our citywide network of EV charging stations is important as we transition the city's entire fleet off foreign oil and work with residents to increase their access to electric vehicles." Read more at Convenience Store News. Formula E has announced its preseason test dates for its second season. Testing will take place in August at Donington Park in Leicestershire, England, where Formula E has its headquarters. Teams will be testing cars with powertrains from eight new manufacturers for the second season. The public is welcome to come watch on the last day of testing, August 25. See the full testing schedule and read more from Formula E.

Recharge Wrap-up: Nissan Leaf's UK milestone, SF's renewable diesel

San Francisco's municipal fleet will use renewable diesel, according to Mayor Edwin M. Lee. Switching to the greener fuel will reduce the fleet's greenhouse gas emissions by more than 60 percent. "By changing our fleet's fuel from petroleum to renewable diesel, we're taking action that is good for the global climate, and at the same time promotes environmental justice in our community by leading to cleaner, healthier air for some of our most vulnerable neighborhoods," Lee says. While renewable diesel is more expensive than the petroleum-based product, with government incentives, it could end up saving the city money. Read more from Biodiesel Magazine. Nissan has sold its 10,000th Leaf in the UK. As of July 6, Nissan has tallied 10,161 Leaf sales since its 2011 launch in the UK. More than half of those were sold in the last 12 months. Nissan sold 2,964 Leaf EVs in the first half of this year, an increase of 69.4 percent over last year. "The UK's electric vehicle market is growing at an extraordinary pace," says Nissan's James Wright, "and while it may be too early to talk about tipping points, today's achievement certainly indicates we're well on our way." The Nissan Leaf is the best selling battery electric vehicle in the UK. Read more from EV Meerkat. ClipperCreek has added a new 40-amp EV charger to its lineup. Called the HCS-50, the 240-volt level 2 charger is designed to serve both residential and commercial markets. "The HCS-50's rugged design and ample 25 foot charging cable make it a perfect solution for fleet and commercial applications," says ClipperCreek Sales Manager Will Barrett. "As battery range increases, the vehicle's ability to accept power is increasing, too, and the HCS-50 offers users extra power to get their vehicles charged up and back on the road fast." The HCS-50 charging station is priced at $835. Read more in the press release below. ClipperCreek Announces Availability of HCS-50 Electric Vehicle Charging Station Top selling EVSE manufacturer releases high-powered 40 amp EV charging station AUBURN, Calif., July 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- ClipperCreek has added the HCS-50 electric vehicle charging station to their product line. The HCS-50 is a powerful and rugged 40 amp station paired with a highly durable rubber overmolded cable and vehicle connector. Offering power, reliability and value, this 240 volt, level 2 electric vehicle charging station, rated for both indoor and outdoor use, is priced at $835.