One of the first production all-electric Coda EV cars sits in a parking garage in Los Angeles, Calif. There have been plenty of warning flags along the way to Coda's bankruptcy, Read writes. (Bret Hartman/Reuters/File)

Electric car company Coda files for bankruptcy

By Richard Read, Guest blogger / 05.01.13

Well, that was fast: roughly one year after it first began delivering all-electric sedans to American consumers, electric-car startup Coda Automotive has filed for bankruptcy. 

The bulk of the company's website has been disabled. On the front page, we find only a press release, which states that Coda Automotive has filed for Chapter 11 protection and that after restructuring, it will focus "on the growing energy storage market". As for Coda's remaining inventory of electric cars, the company "will seek to monetize value of its existing automotive business assets". Translation: a sell-off is a-coming.

OUR TAKE

In all honesty, none of us like to see companies in this position. It means that someone's big dream didn't pan out, and more importantly, it means that many folks who worked for that someone are now out of a job.  ( Continue… )

A 1970 Plymouth Satellite police cruiser is parked on a downtown Seattle street. (Manuel Valdes/AP/File)

Pulled over? Top 11 excuses to get out of a ticket.

By Richard Read, Guest blogger / 04.30.13

A couple of weeks ago, we told you about a study that suggested drivers' excuses have little bearing on whether they're ticketed when they're pulled over. 

But of course, that doesn't mean that drivers will stop offering alibis altogether. The folks at Insurance.com recently asked 500 U.S. motorists about the excuses they've given police officers. Here are that survey's top 11 responses, along with some helpful translations: 

1. I couldn't see the sign telling me not to do it.
(Translation: "If you'd cut back the trees, I'd have known this was a school zone!")

2. I'm lost and unfamiliar with the roads.
(Translation: "Please, take pity on poor little me!")

3. I didn't know it was broken.
(Translation: "Really, I've been meaning to get it fixed!")

4. Everyone else was doing it.
(Translation: "Yo, why are you picking on me?") 

5. I'm having an emergency situation in my car.
(Translation: "Officer, I just spilled coffee in my lap, and it's VERY hot!") 

6. I missed my turn/exit.
(Translation: "Obviously, I need to get where I'm going, right?") 

7. I had to go to the bathroom.
(Translation: "Surely it's okay to zip through intersections when you have to pee?") 

8. I didn't do anything dangerous.
(Translation: "Hey, it's not like I was doing doughnuts on a pre-school lawn!") 

9. I was on my way to an emergency.
(Translation: "And my emergency is far more important than any emergencies I might've just caused!") 

10. My GPS said it was the right thing to do.
(Translation: "It was peer pressure, okay?")

11. I'm just helping out; I wasn't even supposed to be driving.
(Translation: "Which would you prefer: me cruising five miles over the speed limit, or my drunk friend here plowing through a red light?")

To make things even more interesting -- and contentious -- surveyers kept track of respondents' gender. So, the breakdown of folks who used those 11 excuses looks like this:  ( Continue… )

A woman walks past a Honda Fit Hybrid car during the media preview of the 10th China International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou last year. Honda Motor Co Ltd is recalling almost 46,000 Fit small cars in the United States and Canada to fix a problem with the electronic stability control system software. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters/File)

Honda recalls 46,000 Fit cars. Is yours on the list?

By Suzanne Kane, Guest blogger / 04.29.13

Honda is recalling certain 2012 and 2013 Fit Sport small cars to fix a software glitch in the electronic stability control (ESC) system.

A notice on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website indicates that the affected vehicles were built from May 23, 2011 through March 22, 2012.

According to a statement on the Honda website, the voluntary safety recall affects some 43,782 Fit Sport cars in the United States.

The automaker said that the problem with the stability assist software occurs when the vehicle is equipped with certain tires. ( Continue… )

Pre-owned Porsches are on display in the front lot at Porsche of Norwell in Norwell, Mass. Carfax has exclusivity agreements with several popular used-car sites, Read writes. (Melanie Stetson Freeman/Staff)

Auto dealers sue Carfax for $50 million

By Richard Read, Guest blogger / 04.28.13

Carfax's catchy ads have encouraged millions of Americans to say "Show me the Carfax!" when purchasing used cars. That's great for Carfax's bottom line, but not so much for the dealers who have to provide those brand-name reports -- to the tune of $16.95 a pop, or a monthly subscription of up to $1,549.

According to AutoNews, 120 dealerships from across the U.S. are now suing Carfax for violating antitrust laws. And according the lawyer handling the case -- Leonard Bellavia of Bellavia Blatt Andron & Crossett in Mineola, New York* -- dozens more dealerships have submitted paperwork to join the suit.

THE CLAIMS

Bellavia's clients are suing Carfax for $50 million in damages. Among the plaintiffs' allegations:

• Carfax has exclusivity agreements with several popular used-car sites. In practical terms, that means dealers selling vehicles on those sites can only show vehicle history reports from Carfax, which effectively shuts out the competition.
• Out of 40 used-car certification programs run by automakers, Carfax has exclusive arrangements with 37. In other words, if you're looking at vehicle history report on a certified used car, there's a very good chance that your dealer has been obligated to use Carfax. 
• Carfax charges more for vehicle history reports than its competitors. 

Adding a little bit of spice to the plaintiff's case is the fact that Carfax reports aren't always accurate. Carfax and its competitors rely largely on the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System, a database of insurance claims and other data pulled from 41 states. Vehicle info from other regions can be left out of those reports, resulting in inaccuracies, not unlike the kind recently uncovered on 20/20. (Check out that news segment, embedded above.)

What does Carfax have to say about these allegations? So far, the company hasn't released a statement on the matter.

* If Bellavia's name sounds familiar, that's because he was also the lead attorney for U.S. Saab dealers seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy status last year. 

A Ford 2013 Ford C-MAX Hybrid vehicle is seen on display outside the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich. At least some of the government's new hybrids will be the Ford C-Max Hybrid model, Voelcker writes. (Rebecca Cook/Reuters/File)

Obama administration to add 10,000 hybrids for 'green' government fleet

By John Voelcker, Guest blogger / 04.26.13

President Barack Obama may not achieve his goal of 1 million plug-in electric cars on U.S. roads by the end of 2015.

But his administration continues to try to green the U.S. vehicle fleet.

The latest salvo: The government's General Services Agency plans to add an additional 10,000 hybrid vehicles to its fleet of roughly 200,000 cars and trucks.

Currently, the GSA operates roughly 10,700 hybrids, or slightly over 5 percent of its fleet. It purchased 919 last year.

Participation in the program by the many different U.S. agencies that lease their vehicles from the GSA is voluntary.  ( Continue… )

A truck driver fills up a garbage truck with compressed natural gas in Newark, N.J. Converting trucking fleets to natural gas is more productive than doing the same for passenger vehicles, Ingram writes. (Melanie Stetson Freeman/Staff)

Why natural gas fuel is a better fit for trucks than cars

By Antony Ingram, Guest blogger / 04.25.13

Natural gas passenger cars have never really taken off in the U.S. like some thought they might.

While the fuel is hugely popular in countries like Brazil, gasoline has always reigned supreme in North America. Or diesel, if you're a long-haul trucker--though that could be about to change.

Natural gas is already becoming a major power source across the U.S, but the trucking industry is quickly turning to its two major benefits--cleaner running and lower pricing.

The former is particularly important environmentally, given the billions of miles truckers drive every year delivering produce to each corner of the country. But as an industry that spends vast amounts on fuel, the potential for something cheaper is highly attractive.  ( Continue… )

A police officer directs an electric taxicab carrying Mayor Michael Bloomberg as he arrives for a press conference on Monday. Mayor Bloomberg joined with Nissan officials to announce that six Nissan Leaf taxis would go into service this spring. (Bebeto Matthews/AP)

Nissan Leaf electric taxis launch in New York

By John Voelcker, Guest blogger / 04.24.13

Within a few weeks, a handful of New Yorkers each day will ride in a new kind of taxi: an all-electric Nissan Leaf.

On Monday, to celebrate Earth Day, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg joined with Nissan officials to announce that six Nissan Leaf taxis would go into service this spring.

The plan, Bloomberg said, will help the city "answer important questions about incorporating electric taxis into the fleet, so that we can achieve the goal of a one-third electric taxi fleet by 2020."

Included in the test will be the installation of several DC fast-charging stations in New York City, which will enable Leaf taxi drivers to recharge their carsto 80 percent of capacity in 30 minutes or less.  ( Continue… )

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood briefs reporters at the White House in Washington in February. On Tuesday, the Department of Transportation announced guidelines for in-car communication systems, which it says can distract drivers if not properly designed. (Charles Dharapak/AP/File)

Feds suggest two-second rule for driver distractions

By Philip LeBeau, CNBC Auto and Airline Industry Reporter / 04.24.13

The Department of Transportation wants automakers to limit their in-car communication systems in an effort to curb distracted driving accidents.

On Tuesday, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration announced new guidelines it wants auto companies to follow as they develop in-car communication systems. NHTSA recommendations are designed to limit how long a driver takes their eyes off the road to no more than two seconds at a time.

"I think people using cell phones while driving is dangerous," said Ray LaHood, Secretary of Transportation. "These guidelines are based on the best data and best information we have." (Read More: GM's Wi-Fi Move Brings the Connected Car Closer)

The guidelines are voluntary for the automakers and do not require changes to infotainment and communication systems immediately. However, the Federal government is asking automakers to phase in the guidelines within three years. ( Continue… )

The logo of Toyota Motor Corp's hybrid car is seen on the body of a Prius at the company's showroom in Tokyo. Toyota has been particularly adept at exploiting this market, Ingram writes, having recently sold its 5 millionth hybrid vehicle worldwide. (Issei Kato/Reuters/File)

Hybrid car sales soar 40 percent, study says

By Antony Ingram, Guest blogger / 04.23.13

Just how popular are hybrid cars? 40 percent more in 2012 than in 2011, according to the latest study from Experian Automotive.

In fact, a little more than that--40.9 percent to be precise, with overall market share increasing from 2.2 percent to 3.1 percent in a single year.

It's a stark indication of the hybrid car's relentless transformation from eco-themed curiosity to mainstream car choice. It also reflects just how well the average hybrid assimilates into an owner's life, requiring no day-to-day compromise while it goes about saving them money on gas.

Toyota has been particularly adept at exploiting this market, having recently sold its 5 millionth hybrid vehicle worldwide. It's seen the Prius, once dismissed as a toy for celebrities wanting to appeargreen, become California's highest-selling vehicle.

Experian does reveal that total hybrid numbers still make up little over 1 percent of all the vehicles on U.S. roads, but it's a number increasing further every year.

Some of the company's other numbers make for interesting reading.

For example, the gender split is fairly even, if slightly in favor of women--53 percent of adults who live in a hybrid household are female.

It's a young market too, with 25-34 year olds perhaps more eco-concious than their parents--this age group is 16 percent more likely to live in a household that owns or leases a hybrid.

Experian's credit information has also turned up some interesting numbers. Consumers purchasing a hybrid vehicle tend to have a better credit score than buyers of other vehicles--790 next to a national average of 755.

This might offset the slight price premium of some hybrids for owners, since they're able to obtain financing at lower rates than the average consumer--3.51 percent, compared with 4.36 percent.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Toyota's Prius tops the list of hybrid vehicles bought on finance in 2012, and it took 37.2 percent of the hybrid market. Camry, Prius V and Prius C followed, while the Chevy Volt and even Nissan Leaf appear on Experian's list.