LA Auto Show Roundup: Ford Fusion, Audi’s 282 Mpg, Honda, Chevy Spark

by | Dec 3, 2012

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Here’s the latest in green fleet news from the LA Auto Show, taking place now:

The 2013 Ford Fusion has been named Green Car Journal’s 2013 Green Car of the Year. The Fusion emerged on top of a field of finalists including the 2013 Dodge Dart Aero, Ford C-MAX, Mazda CX-5 Skyactiv and Toyota Prius c. The Fusion reduces petroleum use, CO2 emissions and overall environmental impact, but is priced to encourage the kind of sales volume that can truly influence environmental improvement, according to Green Car Journal.

Audi is developing a city car that will get 282 mpg, according to Autocar. The car, which is known internally as “the 1.0-litre car,” will be based on the existing Audi A1. Details as to how the car will achieve this rating are sparse at presently, but Autocar suggests that the vehicle will have electrical assistance. The German automaker is also making an aggressive push into the diesel market, according to the Los Angeles Times. Speaking at the LA Auto Show, Audi of America president Scott Keogh said clean diesel is “not simply a viable choice, but frequently it’s today’s best.”

Honda’s 2014 Accord Plug-In Hybrid has earned a class-leading EPA-certified 115 MPGe rating, the company announced at the LA show. The car will go on sale in New York and California on January 15 with an MSRP of $39,780. It has been rated by the EPA with a maximum all-electric EV mode range of 13 miles, and a fuel-economy rating of 47/46/46 mpg (city/hwy/combined). The Accord Plug-in is the first production car in America to meet the more stringent new LEV3/SULEV20 emissions standard, and it will also qualify for single-occupant carpool-lane access in California.

Toyota has launched its 2013 RAV4 crossover SUV, which boasts a fuel-efficient four-cylinder engine, at the LA show. RAV4 front-wheel-drive models have received EPA-estimated fuel efficiency ratings of 24 mpg city/31 highway, while all-wheel-drive models are EPA-estimated at 22 mpg city/29 mpg highway.  A new Eco mode is designed to promote more efficient driving, thus helping to enhance fuel efficiency, Toyota says.

Just ahead of the LA show, GM launched the 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV. The car will be priced under $25,000 with tax incentives. Chevy did not detail the car’s electric-only range, but expects the Spark to have “among the best EV battery range in its segment.”

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