Recharge Wrap-up: Fiat 500e on sale in Oregon, Germany to offer EVs free parking
Germany moves to offer free parking to EVs in an attempt to encourage their adoption. The German cabinet has backed the bill, set to begin in spring 2015, which would also include certain hybrids in the free parking scheme. The eligible cars will get some sort of special label to make them more recognizable. Germany has a target of 1 million EVs on its roads by 2020. Read more at Bloomberg.
Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have determined that the best automotive use of natural gas is to provide electricity for EVs. In a well-to-wheels analysis, using the natural gas to power efficient turbines to produce electricity uses less energy and produces fewer emissions than other fuels, including on-board CNG. The research also concludes that CNG cars are a viable option, particularly if the fuel could be integrated into hybrid vehicles. The study digs into other future technologies, and what they might mean for overall energy use compared to using natural gas as a stationary power source for EVs. Read more over at Green Car Congress.
Scientists have created a new device to generate electricity from wind. Wind passing through the device causes gold-plated “tongues” to rub against PTFE tape, generating electricity using the triboelectric effect. Researchers created a triboelectric generator prototype that fit on top of a car in order to test it out. While mounting it on a vehicle may not necessarily be an ideal way to generate electricity for practical purposes, the test showed that the device works to produce a certain amount of energy at a specific windspeed, It could certainly be useful in stationary applications at the least, and might have further-reaching implications for generating electricity through wind or friction. Read more at Gizmodo.
– 2015 Fiat 500e models are now available at studios in California and Oregon
– Fiat 500e lease available for $199 a month for 36 months with $999 due at signing
– Fiat 500e recently named “Top Electric Vehicle” at the Northwest Automotive Press Association’s annual Drive Revolution event
– 2015 Fiat 500e features two new exterior colors and a redesigned center console
– All-electric Fiat 500e delivers a best-in-class 108 highway MPGe rating and class-leading 87 miles of combined city/highway driving range, with city driving range typically greater than 100 miles
The fully electric Fiat 500e is now available as a 2015 model year at FIAT studios in California and Oregon for $199 a month for 36 months with $999 due at signing. Sales of the Fiat 500e expanded to Oregon earlier this year. Previously, the all-electric Fiat had been sold only in California, where it has been in high demand since its introduction in 2013.
“Bringing the Fiat 500e to Oregon gives more customers in this environmentally minded state the opportunity to enjoy the Italian style and engaging driving dynamics of the Fiat 500, but with zero tailpipe emissions,” said Jason Stoicevich, Head of FIAT Brand for North America, Chrysler Group LLC.
This summer, the Fiat 500e was named the “Top Electric Vehicle” for a second consecutive year at the Northwest Automotive Press Association’s Drive Revolution, an annual alternative-fuel vehicle event in Portland.
“The Fiat 500e is attractive and fun. It remains a model that will, with a short test drive, convert people who hadn’t even thought about electric cars into EV enthusiasts,” said Bengt Halvorson, Drive Revolution Event Co-chair.
The 2015 Fiat 500e features a redesigned center console, with a new cup holder design and an additional, conveniently located USB port that is fully functional and integrated with the radio. Two paint colors have been added for 2015 for a total of seven available exterior paint colors, including new Luce Blu (light blue with a pearl finish) and Celeste (light blue).
Alternative Transportation Program
For those times when a 500e customer needs to drive beyond the vehicle’s range or needs the carrying capability of a larger vehicle, the Fiat 500e retail plan provides an alternative transportation plan called the Fiat 500e Pass program.
The FIAT brand and Enterprise Holdings, owner and operator of the Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Alamo Rent A Car, and National Car Rental brands, partnered on the Fiat 500e Pass program, which provides purchasers and lessees of a new 500e up to 12 days of alternate transportation each year for the first three years after the date of purchase.
About the Fiat 500e
With its iconic style, world-class dynamics and environmentally responsible zero-emissions design, the Fiat 500e builds on the Cinquecento legacy, while offering customers a no-compromise electric vehicle that embodies the FIAT brand’s simple, purposeful and fun-to-drive values. The Fiat 500e electrifies the Cinquecento lineup with even more innovation and style, an EPA tested 87 miles of best-in-class driving range and a best-in-class 108 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) highway rating of pure battery-electric power. The Fiat 500e is available at FIAT studios in California and Oregon, and is priced at $32,650, which includes an $850 destination charge. However, eligible California residents may be able to purchase the Fiat 500e for as low as $20,600, after federal credits, state incentives and FIAT rebates are included.
About FIAT Brand
The FIAT brand stands for discovery through passionate self-expression. It encourages people to be in charge of their lives, live confidently and celebrate the smallest of things with infectious excitement. That philosophy is embodied by the North American introduction of the iconic Fiat 500 or Cinquecento – a small car that lives big. Italian at heart and rooted in a rich heritage, the 500 is synonymous with modern, simple design blending form, function and a pride of ownership that is genuine.
Reminiscent of the original 1957 Cinquecento, the Fiat 500 and Fiat 500c (Cabrio) build on the vehicle’s global popularity. Since its launch in 2007, more than 1,000,000 Fiat 500 vehicles have been sold in more than 100 countries around the world. In addition to success on the sales front, the Fiat 500 has earned more than 80 international awards.
In North America, the FIAT brand portfolio continues to expand with the introduction of the high-performance Fiat 500 Abarth and Abarth Cabrio, the fully electric Fiat 500e and the Fiat 500L, an all-new five-passenger model that expands FIAT’s brand style and efficiency into the growing B-segment.
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