Almost 300 Ohio-based fleet vehicles

Milestone is part of a 10-year, $565-million investment to deploy cleaner fleet vehicles. AT&T today announced the deployment of its 1,000th alternative-fuel vehicle in its corporate fleet. The deployment is part of a $565 million commitment announced in March 2009 to replace more than 15,000 fleet vehicles with more fuel-efficient models through 2018. AT&T currently operates a fleet of more than 77,000 vehicles. The 10-year commitment includes an expected $350 million to purchase approximately 8,000 compressed natural gas vehicles over a five-year period, including the 1,000th alt-fuel vehicle, a CNG van deployed in Oakland. This represents the largest commitment to CNG to

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AT&T Rolls Out Its 1,000th Compressed Natural Gas Vehicle; 7,000 More Planned

Diesel drivetrains have long been a crucial component to the European market’s forbidden-fruit appeal for American enthusiasts, ranking right up with station wagons and manual transmissions on the list of under-offered features in the American market. But there are signs now that Europe’s longtime infatuation with oil-burners might be drawing to a close (and not

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Are Europe’s Diesel Days Drawing To A Close?

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor We've seen photos – from back when England's Smith Electric Vehicles was making its own version of an electric-drive Ford Transit Connect, but now that Ford's getting ready to unveil its proprietary electric cargo van, we've not only got photos, we've got data! We've also got official reiteration of Ford's time-line for the Transit Connect EV (in the market later this year), the Focus EV sedan – 2011 – and a Ford plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and new conventional (not grid-rechargeable) hybrid technology, both coming in 2012. The official covers come off (or maybe its the covers officially come off ) the Ford Transit Connect EV this morning at a preview of the Chicago Auto Show, but Ford – looking to generate as much publicity as we're willing to give, and we are willing – has released the accompanying photos as well as a look at the technology packaged inside. Additionally, the company says it will launch a

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor We've seen photos – from back when England's Smith Electric Vehicles was making its own version of an electric-drive Ford Transit Connect, but now that Ford's getting ready to unveil its proprietary electric cargo van, we've not only got photos, we've got data! We've also got official reiteration of Ford's time-line for the Transit Connect EV (in the market later this year), the Focus EV sedan – 2011 – and a Ford plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and new conventional (not grid-rechargeable) hybrid technology, both coming in 2012. The official covers come off (or maybe its the covers officially come off ) the Ford Transit Connect EV Tuesday morning at a preview of the Chicago Auto Show, but Ford – looking to generate as much publicity as we're willing to give, and we are willing – this evening has released the accompanying photos as well as a look at the technology packaged inside. Additionally, the company says it will launch a

Meantime, We Find

I've got blowdown failure. It's not fatal, but it does gets a little frustrating. It's been taking an extra 30 minutes or so to get the job done every night. Seems like each time I hook the 2007 Civic GX up to the Phill home natural gas fueling system, a red error light pops on before I've walked the 20 feet to the door leading from garage to house. The first two green lights on the fueling indicator display also light up when I go back and push and hold the Phill's “stop” button,

]]> http://blog.dealerdex.com/2009-mazda-6-o-christmas-tree/feed/ 0 http://blog.dealerdex.com/2009-suzuki-sx4-stacking-it-up/ http://blog.dealerdex.com/2009-suzuki-sx4-stacking-it-up/#comments Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:55:13 +0000 Edmunds.com Road Test http://blog.dealerdex.com/2009-suzuki-sx4-stacking-it-up/

I'm a big fan of the SX4. I dig its roomy cabin, standard nav system and relatively smooth ride quality; still, it doesn't exactly sprint with the lightning speed of Usain Bolt. With this sort of tepid acceleration, the payoff is usually stellar fuel economy. But the SX4 ain't no champ in this area either, bringing up the rear in its category. I thought about all this as I was making a recommendation this weekend to a friend who's in the market for a new car in the sub-$20,000 price range. My buddy's goal? He wants a cheap ride that's decent to drive and easy on the wallet at the pump. I love you, Suzy, but in this case, the smart money's on the Fit.

In a move designed to show continued support for development and use of natural gas as a transportation fuel, the House late last week voted to continue subsidizing liquid and compressed natural gas fuels at least through the end of until the end of 2010. Retailers of natural gas transportation fuel receive a tax credit of 50-cents-per-gasoline gallon equivalent – a sum passed on to consumers at nonprofit fuel stations such as those operated by utilities and municipal governments, and often kept for reinvestment by profit-makers such as Clean Energy Fuels . Natural gas at commercial stations typically is at least 50 cents a gallon cheaper than unleaded regular gasoline and the price difference – helped by the tax credit – can be considerably greater. The extension bill now goes to the Senate, where questions have been raised about paying for this and other tax credit extensions the House has approved. The natural gas credit has been allowed since 1996. Congress also is considering a measure, H.R. 1835 ,