60 Percent of U.S. Drivers Are Unfamiliar with EVs, Survey Says

A recent survey suggests we still have a long way to go when it comes to educating the public about plug-in vehicles. Sixty percent of U.S. drivers said they were unaware about electric cars, and 80 percent have never ridden in or driven one, according to data from Altman Vilandrie & Company.

When drivers were asked about reasons they wouldn’t opt for an EV, 85 percent noted a lack of charging stations. Other reasons include high costs (83 percent) and uncertainty over how long they would take to charge (74 percent).  The survey also notes that range anxiety is a widespread concern, no matter how long a person’s commute. It was an issue for 87 percent of those with a commute of more than three hours, and 72 percent of those with commutes under one hour a day.

Despite some of these negative numbers, the electric future doesn’t look so bad if you consider other stats. Of the 2,500 customers surveyed, just 3 percent said they currently own an EV, although 10 percent said they plan to buy one as their next vehicle. And 60 percent of drivers who said they have experienced an EV reported enjoying it, while only 8 percent said they didn’t enjoy the experience. The strategy consulting group behind the survey noted that $35,000 is the magic price point that would greatly help expand consumer adoption of EVs.

“Price matters, and our analysis shows that more affordable models would go a long way to changing the perception that EVs are luxury items for the urban elite,” said Altman Vilandrie & Company Director Soumen Ganguly, in a statement. “Both electric and self-driving vehicles are the future of personal transportation but carmakers need to make sure consumers are excited about going electric now, and that goes beyond the obvious environmental benefits.”

Finally, the survey noted that drivers older than 65 were more likely to go for an EV from Ford or Volkswagen, while younger buyers were more attracted to Mercedes and Tesla.

Source: Altman Vilandrie & Company

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BMW Releases Videos on the History of the 5 Series

The New Year’s holiday is usually the time for looking back on the year before us, but it can also be a time when we look back even further. That’s exactly what BMW is doing with its new six-part series on the history of the 5 Series.

As of this writing, BMW has released two videos, each one exploring a different generation of the 5 Series. The first video takes us back to 1972 when the first models came to market. Paul Bracq, BMW’s head of design from 1970-1974, gives an account of how the 5 Series solidified the brand’s new design language for years to come. In the next video, we find out how computer engineering had a big impact on the drivetrain of the second-generation model.

The video series is a good lead-up to the launch of the seventh-generation BMW 5 Series. Bound for U.S. dealerships in February, the 2017 BMW 5 Series receives a host of updates, from more powerful engines to a redesigned chassis and a longer overall body. It also receives gesture control technology and semi-autonomous driving features borrowed from the 7 Series sedan.

Check out the videos below to delve deeper into the history of the BMW 5 Series.

Source: BMW via YouTube

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2016 Honda Civic Touring Update 1: Civic Si Lite?

Honda introduced an all-new 1.5-liter turbocharged DOHC I-4 engine for the completely redesigned 10th-generation Civic. The new engine is rated 174 hp and 162 lb-ft of torque when backed by a CVT, as is the case in our loaner. We introduced our Rallye Red 2016 Honda Civic Touring sedan in our arrival story, and now we have performance numbers.

At the drag strip, the sedan reached 60 mph in 6.8 seconds and finished the quarter mile in 15.3 seconds at 93.0 mph. It took the Civic Touring 120 feet to stop from 60 mph, it lapped the Motor Trend figure eight in 27.4 seconds at 0.64 g lateral average, and it pulled 0.84 g around the skidpad.

Learn more about the next-gen Honda Civic Si HERE.

Those numbers are significantly faster than the 2016 Honda Civic EX sedan, which won our 2016/2017 compact sedans Big Test with the base 158-hp, 138 lb-ft 2.0-liter DOHC i-VTEC I-4 and CVT. That car accelerated to 60 mph and through the quarter in 8.6 seconds and 16.7 seconds at 86.1 mph, respectively. It took the Civic EX 127 feet to stop from 60 mph. In handling, the Civic EX also took 27.6 seconds at 0.61 g and pulled 0.82 g, respectively.

Those performance differences come as no surprise due to the Civic Touring model’s more powerful turbo engine, slightly larger stabilizer bars (26.5mm vs. 25.5mm in front and 17.0mm vs. 16.5mm in rear), and larger 17-inch alloy wheels (versus 16-inch). Even more impressive, however, is that the Civic Touring posts similar performance numbers to the eighth- and ninth-generation Civic Si coupe and sedan models.

Those cars with the 197-hp, 139 lb-ft 2.0-liter i-VTEC I-4 (eighth-gen, 2006–2011) and the 201–205-hp, 170–174 lb-ft 2.4-liter i-VTEC I-4 (ninth-gen, 2012–2015) and six-speed manual reached 60 mph in 6.1–6.5 seconds and finished the quarter mile in 14.6–15.0 seconds at 92.3-95.6 mph.

Compared to the slowest Si model we tested, the 2017 Honda Civic Touring with the turbo 1.5-liter and CVT is only 0.3 second slower in both 0–60 and quarter-mile runs. Trap speed, however, is up 0.7 mph compared to the slowest Si.

Civic Si models stopped from 60 mph in 109–124 feet compared to 120 feet for the Civic Touring. Our 2006-2014 Civic Si testers lapped the figure eight in 26.4–27.0 seconds at 0.64–0.66 g lateral average and pulled 0.86–0.90 g around the skidpad. Despite not having the Civic Si’s standard limited-slip differential, the Civic Touring is only 0.4 second slower around the figure eight while matching the lowest lateral g. The Civic Touring was only 0.02 g behind on the skidpad.

Impressive.

Read more about our 2016 Honda Civic Touring:

• 2016 Honda Civic Touring Long-Term Arrival

2016 Honda Civic Touring
BASE PRICE	$27,161
PRICE AS TESTED	$27,996
VEHICLE LAYOUT	Front-engine, FWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan
ENGINE	1.5L/174-hp/162-lb-ft turbo DOHC 16-valve I-4
TRANSMISSION	Cont. variable auto
CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST)	2,919 lb (61/39%)
WHEELBASE	106.3 in
LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT	182.3 x 70.8 x 55.7 in
0-60 MPH	6.8 sec
QUARTER MILE	15.3 sec @ 93.0 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH	120 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION	0.84 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT	27.4 sec @ 0.64 g (avg)
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON	32/42/36 mpg
ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY	105/80 kW-hrs/100 miles
CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB	0.54 lb/mile

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Styling Size-Up: 2017 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack vs. Subaru Outback

The new 2017 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack enters the fray of rugged looking, moderately priced station wagons. The list of competitors is short. According to VW, the 2017 Golf Alltrack competes directly with the Subaru Outback (though it’ll undoubtedly be compared to the Subaru XV Crosstrek, too). But for this edition of Styling Size-Up, we’ll take a look at the Golf Alltrack and the Outback and see how they compare in the looks department.

The VW and Subaru feature the requisite plastic body cladding that contributes to the pseudo-rugged look. The VW has more of it, thanks to cladding on the wheel arches. Lower trim levels of the Outback have thick roof rails that give the wagon a clunkier looking side profile, especially compared to the VW’s low-profile and metallic roof bars. The Golf also features more metallic touches all around, especially at the front fascia, rocker panels, and lower rear bumper.

Inside, both wagons showcase simple designs and intuitive ergonomics. The Subaru can be optioned with premium touches including wood-like trim and real leather seats, items not available on the Volkswagen Golf Alltrack. With an electronic parking brake and a hidden 12-volt outlet, the Outback’s center console is less cluttered than the VW’s.

Which cargo-hauling wagon would you pick based on styling alone? Let us know in the comments below.

Last week, we conducted a Styling Size-Up featuring the 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia against competitors like the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and Jaguar XE. The Alfa did fairly well.

“My vote is for the Alfa,” said Wolf47. “New fresh, sensuous and aggressive. Italian design at its best. The BMW is in last place.”

John Vo was more critical. “The Alfa is so ugly. The face of the car reminds of the Whos in the Grinch that stole Christmas. The interior isn’t bad, but prefer the symmetry in the C-Class.”

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IIHS Study Reveals Deadly Stats of Traveling on New Year’s Day

A recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety confirms what is a widely known and unfortunate reality: that roads are a dangerous and deadly place to be on New Year’s Day.

IIHS looked at data from the past five years focusing on alcohol-related fatalities among drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians. According to the study, there was an average of 113 fatal crashes on January 1 during that time period, with 62 percent of those deaths related to alcohol impairment (with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or higher). That’s almost double the overall impairment rate of 35 percent between 2011 and 2015.

The study also points out that on New Year’s Day an average of 70 deaths occurred involving at least one impaired driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist. Findings were also grim for vehicle passengers; an average of 83 passenger deaths occurred on January 1 in that five-year period, up from an average of 59 fatalities on other days.

Many options exist to prevent a celebratory night from turning into a tragedy.  Ride hailing services like Uber and Lyft should be out in full force during the New Year (prepare for those surge prices), and the American Automobile Association (AAA) offers free towing services in select cities. Also consider the Hotel Tonight app if you’d rather find a nearby last-minute bed to crash on.

Source: IIHS

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Infiniti QX50 Concept Hints at Future Application of VC-Turbo Engine

Infiniti will use the stage of the Detroit auto show to introduce the QX50 Concept. According to Infiniti, the model previews a possible application for its new, production-ready variable-compression turbo engine.

Earlier this year, Infiniti announced it would bring out the new engine in 2018, although it didn’t give a specific timeline for its rollout among different models. Using a multi-link system, the variable compression engine, dubbed VC-Turbo, can adapt its compression ratio to different driving conditions to offer optimal levels of performance and fuel economy.

“Such an advanced powertrain would be perfectly suited to the packaging of the QX50 Concept,” Infiniti said in a press release.

On the outside, the Infiniti QX50 Concept looks quite a bit like the QX Sport Inspiration Concept that debuted earlier this year at the Beijing auto show. It features muscular proportions and a raked roofline like the previous model, as well as a new large skid plate that lends the SUV a distinctly athletic appeal.

Infiniti says the QX50 Concept also previews the brand’s rollout of autonomous technologies. Expect the automaker to make an announcement on that front at the show, but in the meantime, Infiniti says its autonomous technologies are intended to act as a “co-pilot” rather than a replacement for the driver. The car will take over certain driving tasks, such as muddling through start-stop traffic, while the driver can focus on more enjoyable ones.

We’ll learn more during the Detroit auto show, which begins January 8.

Source: Infiniti

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Report: Caterham Looking to Build Fully Enclosed Sports Car

Caterham has made quite the name for itself with its open-wheeled track-day superstars, but it looks like that no-fender policy might not be long for this world. During an interview with Autocar, Caterham head-honcho Graham MacDonald said a front-engined, closed-cabin sports car will arrive in the future.

MacDonald says there was a fair bit of regret when the C120 concept from 2014 never made it to production, and the automaker looks to bring the coupe concept back. This is likely too large of a project for a small manufacturer like Caterham to handle on its own, so MacDonald says it’s talking to “interested parties” about co-production.

The stillborn C120 was created in tandem with Renault, which saw this project as a potential way to resurrect the legendary Alpine badge. The project stalled with only about half the required funding, so Caterham says whoever joins up for the coupe would be on the hook for the outstanding bill as well.

It’s going to be a traditional sports coupe in the truest sense, with a front-engined, rear-wheel-drive layout. The car will be lightweight and will feature a naturally-aspirated powertrain from the company that joins.

Source: Autocar

Photo of the Caterham C120 courtesy of Drive Design

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Report: New Hyundai Fuel Cell SUV to Achieve 348-Mile Range

Hyundai introduced its first-generation fuel cell vehicle to California in 2014. But a little more than two years later, the Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell is the most expensive vehicle of its kind, and offers far less range than its competitors. Fortunately, the automaker is preparing a second-generation fuel cell vehicle that is slated to launch globally in January 2018.

According to a report from the Nikkei, a second-generation Hyundai fuel cell SUV will increase range by around 30 percent. It should travel up to 348 miles on a single fillup. That number would put it ahead of the Toyota Mirai (312 miles), but behind the new Honda Clarity Fuel Cell (366 miles). While range anxiety may not seem like such a problem at these numbers, the limited hydrogen fueling infrastructure makes it an important issue.

The report also says Hyundai wants to keep prices at a reasonable level of around 60 million won, or in the ballpark of $50,000. With government subsidies, the actual prices could be much lower. Currently, the Tucson Fuel Cell leases for $499 a month in California and achieves a range of 265 miles. It’s unclear whether or not Hyundai plans to continue with its lease-only strategy here in the U.S.

The Nikkei report confirms an earlier story from Automotive News, which said Hyundai would bring out a next-gen fuel cell just in time for the 2018 Winter Games in South Korea in February. But that report, which cited Hyundai’s eco-vehicle development chief Ahn Byung-ki, noted it would be a “totally new” vehicle that lies “somewhere between a CUV and SUV.”

Before it brings out a new hydrogen-powered vehicle, Hyundai will introduce a commercial fuel cell bus around the same time that Toyota brings out one of its own. Although not much is known about this new bus, expect a marketing rollout sometime in 2017, the Nikkei says.

Source: Nikkei

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