1974 Toyota Corolla 1600 Deluxe on 2040-cars

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Recharge Wrap-up: BMW i8 Futurism Edition, Tesla picks Hankook for Model 3

BMW Italia has created a special edition BMW i8 to celebrate 50 years of the German automaker in Italy. The BMW i8 Futurism Edition, made in partnership with Garage Italia Customs, replicates artist Giacomo Balla's "Lampada ad Arco" on the car. The special edition i8 will take part in the 2016 Mille Miglia, following a BMW 328 driven by BMW Italia President and CEO Sergio Solero. The car "represents the pairing of a sports car of the future with Italian creativity and art," says Solero. See how it was made in the video above, and read more in the press release below. The Toyota Mobility Foundation has joined the New Cities Foundation (NCF) as a Global Strategic Member. The organizations will work together on research and initiatives to improve lives through better mobility. Toyota Group Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer Latondra Newton will serve on the NCF's Board of Trustees. "Our expanded partnership with New Cities Foundation will allow us to advance our work by joining a global network of leaders who are focused on solving the most pressing challenges to cities around the world," says Newton. Read more from Toyota. Electric bus manufacturer Proterra has created a simulator to help fleet managers assess the benefits of using EVs. The Proterra EV Simulator allows for a comparison of its electric buses alongside diesel, CNG, and hybrid buses on specific routes within a transit system. It uses Google Maps plus data and algorithms from two million miles of real-world driving to compare costs, performance, and environmental benefits, taking into account variables like routes, local temperatures, and passenger loads. Proterra will display the simulator at the American Public Transportation Association Bus and Paratransit Conference on May 17. Read more from Proterra. Tesla has chosen Hankook as the tire supplier for its upcoming Model 3 EV. According to Korean network Arirang News, Tesla chose Hankook after sampling various offerings from companies around the globe. Hankook will build the tires specifically for the Model 3 with the goal of minimizing driving range losses. The value of the contract has not been disclosed. See more from Arirang News, and read more at Teslarati. BMW Italia and Garage Italia Customs present the BMW i8 Futurism Edition. The initiative is part of the 50th anniversary celebration of BMW history in Italy.

Toyota says freezing temps pose zero problems for fuel cell vehicles

Hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric vehicles are not afraid of one thing – freezing cold weather. That's the latest from two companies that have been driving the cars in frostbite temperatures in the Northeast recently. Proton Onsite runs a fleet of 10 Toyota FCHV-adv fuel cell vehicles out of its Connecticut headquarters and discovered that the snow and three-degree temperature didn't restrict range. Mark Schiller, Proton vice president of business development, said in a statement that, "I went out to my Toyota FCHV-adv and brushed off a foot of snow before starting the car right up. No problem." While electric vehicles can have their driving range reduced in extreme temperatures (but not always), Proton Onsite hasn't seen that happen in the Polar Vortex. They're performing flawlessly in freezing temperatures even with the heaters blasting, and are continuing to hit their range of about 300 miles, Schiller said. Air Products, based on Allentown, PA, has had a similar experience. The FCHV-adv has had great performance under harsh conditions, according to Nick Mittica, commercial manager, hydrogen energy systems. Employees drove the fuel cell vehicle during one of Pennsylvania's worst winters in recent memory and, you guessed it, "No problem." Toyota says that has put its fuel cell fleet through the wringer, logging millions of miles over the last decade, to make sure performance can be delivered within extreme weather conditions. Toyota engineers spent weeks testing cold weather start up, performance and durability up in Yellowknife, Canada. Temperature can reach -30 degrees Celsius (-22 degrees Fahrenheit) at that location. On other end of the scale, Toyota was able to verify that its FCVs can handle driving through heat in Death Valley national park. We heard the same from Mercedes the other day, too. Extreme weather functionality is apparently something automakers want to make absolutely sure the public doesn't worry about. Jan. 30, 2014 – Record low temperatures have stranded many East Coast drivers, but not those driving a Toyota fuel cell hybrid vehicle. Connecticut-based Proton Onsite, which operates a fleet of ten Toyota FCHV-adv fuel cell vehicles, says that even in single digit temperatures, the FCHV-adv shows no signs of frostbite. "We had another snow storm Tuesday night and this morning the temperature was 3 degrees," says Mark Schiller, Proton vice president of business development.

Subaru planning to use Evoltis name on battery-electric crossover

Two years ago, Subaru Japan applied to trademark the name "Evoltis" in the U.S. At the time, it was thought the name would accompany the brand's new plug-in hybrid or some component of the hybrid system. Instead, the PHEV we got returned the Crosstrek Hybrid name to active use, after Subaru retired the first non-plug-in Crosstrek Hybrid in 2016. Whither the Evoltis, then? According to CarBuzz, citing "reports from Japan," Subaru will apply the moniker to a coming battery-electric crossover it is developing with Toyota. The automaker previewed the concept version of the crossover in January of this year during a technical meeting in Japan, built atop a flexible platform to accommodate multiple production vehicles from both brands. Subaru's known for exciting concepts that get stripped to comparative blandness for production. Perhaps tired of the ensuing vitriol, reports say Subaru's inverting the process this time, the production model promising to be more radical than the concept. That won't be difficult, seeing the concept looked like an appliance from a low-budget sci-fi movie, and if not for the Pleiades badge on the front fascia most enthusiasts probably would have thought the concept was a Toyota. Underneath the eventual sheetmetal, rumors figure electric motors turning both axles will combine to produce about 280 horsepower, supplied by a battery stout enough for a range of more than 300 miles — note, that could be a Japanese-cycle figure for range. The concept sat next to a cutaway of a boxer engine, so it's possible there'll be a number of powertrains on offer. Additional tech could include the next generation of Subaru's EyeSight driver assistants, and cameras providing a 360-degree view around the crossover. The debut's been mentioned for October 2021, which would be the same month as the next Tokyo Motor Show. Market launch won't happen until nearly 2025. From left field comes news of another Evoltis, however. TopGear magazine and other outlets from the Philippines write that our Ascent is headed to the island nation in the third quarter of this year. Instead of taking that name to Southeast Asia, it will get the name Evoltis — that's what Glenn Tan, the deputy chairman and managing director of Subaru's Philippines distributor Tan Chong International, told journalists at this year's Singapore Motor Show.