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Chevy Bolt wins 2017 Green Car of the Year

We knew that a plug-in vehicle was going to win the 2017 Green Car of the Year award this year, given that all five finalists have a way to charge up. And when Ron Cogan, the editor and publisher of Green Car Journal, announced the winner – the 2017 Chevy Bolt EV – he said that the car itself represents one of those times in the auto industry when everything is about to change. Similar to the invention of the starter motor, things are about to get different. For now, though, the fact that the Bolt EV won an award sounds like the same old thing all over again. Just this week, it was named Motor Trends Car of the Year and to the Car And Driver Top 10 list. The other four finalists for Green Car of the Year included the Toyota Prius Prime, the Chrysler Pacifica, the Kia Optima (including hybrid and plug-in hybrid models) and the BMW 330e iPerformance. Last year, the winner was the 2016 Chevy Volt. Did Green Car Journal make the right selection this year? See the award ceremony below.

Lower gas prices mean there are excellent deals on green cars right now

The phenomenon was big enough to make news in 2006, then in 2008, in 2011, in 2012, in 2013, and again last year: a big move in gas prices means a big move in alternative-fuel-vehicle sales. True Car's TrueSavings report, which averages transaction prices across the country to figure out what people are paying compared to MSRP, shows that electric cars and hybrids are ripe for excellent savings right now. The Ford Focus Electric presents the greatest disparity, with the average transaction price of $25,168 representing a 16.1-percent saving off its $29,995 MSRP. The Kia Optima Hybrid and Toyota Prius also snagged spots in the top five, with the Kia offering a 10.7-percent discount and the Toyota a 10.1-percent discount. One hybrid managed to show up among the top five lease offers, too: the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid is just $315 a month for 36 months after $3,875 down in some markets. Alt-energy vehicles got bumped out of the top five finance deals, however. That was dominated by light trucks and, oddly, two subcompacts. The press release below has more details. TrueCar finds hybrids, EVs top list of best savings in January Gasoline price plunge = savings for consumers on alternative fuel vehicles SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Ford's Focus Electric hatchback, which sells at an average of 16 percent off MSRP, tops January's list of best savings on new vehicles, according to TrueCar, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRUE), the negotiation-free car buying and selling platform. The "TrueSavings" monthly report analyzes current transaction prices and identifies opportunities for consumer savings. "Fuel savings are not top of mind to many consumers right now, and that makes this a great time to buy a hybrid or electric vehicle," said John Krafcik, president of TrueCar. "With gasoline prices now averaging just $2.10 per gallon, and vehicle preferences tied so closely to short-term gasoline prices, automakers are heavily discounting their most fuel-efficient cars to clear inventories." Toyota's Prius, the world's best-selling alternative fuel vehicle for more than a decade, also makes January's list of best savings. Customers who purchase a Prius Two model this month can save 10 percent off the hybrid car's $25,025 MSRP. "Gasoline prices and vehicle type preferences are strongly related, and this relationship is cyclical in nature," said Krafcik.

Toyota's fuel pump recall now covers nearly 6 million vehicles globally

Toyota expanded a worldwide fuel pump recall to a total of 5.84 million vehicles for a defect that could cause the part to fail. In the United States, the total number of vehicles involved in this safety recall is now approximately 3.34 million vehicles. On January 13, 2020, Toyota announced a safety recall for 695,541 Lexus and Toyota models. In March of 2020, the Japanese automaker added an additional 1.1 million vehicles to the previous recall. Now, the largest Japanese automaker adds another 1.52 million U.S. vehicles to the recall that was first announced in January and covers numerous models built between July 2017 through September. Here is a full list of vehicles that are now included in the expanded recall: 2013-2015 Model Year Lexus LS 460; 2013-2015 Model Year Lexus GS 350; 2014 Model Year Toyota FJ Cruiser, Lexus IS-F; 2014-2015 Model Year Toyota 4Runner, Land Cruiser; Lexus GX 460, IS 350, LX 570; 2015 Model Year Lexus NX 200t, RC 350; 2017 Model Year Lexus IS 200t, RC 200t GS 200t; 2017-2019 Model Year Toyota Highlander; Lexus GS 350; 2017-2020 Model Year Toyota Sienna and Lexus RX 350 2018-2019 Model Year Toyota 4Runner, Land Cruiser; Lexus GS 300, GX 460, IS 300, IS 350, LS 500h, LX 570, NX 300, RC 300, RC 350; 2018-2020 Toyota Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Sequoia, Tacoma, Tundra; Lexus ES 350, LC 500, LC 500h, LS 500, RX 350L 2019 Model Year Toyota Corolla Hatchback and Lexus UX 200 2019-2020 Model Year Toyota RAV4 Toyota said the vehicles that have a fuel pump that may stop operating and could result in a vehicle stall, and the vehicle may be unable to be restarted. Dealers will replace the fuel pump with an improved version. Toyota's customer support is available to owners with affected vehicles by calling the Toyota Brand Experience Center at 1 800 331-4331. Related Video: Recalls Lexus Toyota Truck Coupe Crossover SUV Sedan