The Environmental Protection Agency is standing by rules for automakers to help make the air cleaner.  The EPA is proposing to keep greenhouse gas emissions standards in place through 2025.  They were established in 2012.  The EPA says maintaining the standards will help automakers with product planning and engineering.  Public comments are being accepted while the EPA considers changes to the standards between 2022 and 2025.

 

You know hybrids get better mileage, but Chrysler has one that goes farther than even they expected.  The company says the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid has earned an 84 MPGe fuel economy rating in electric-only mode from the Environmental Protection Agency.  That exceeds their initial program targets by 4 MPGe.  Chrysler says EPA testing put total driving range at 566 miles, and electric-only range at 33 miles.  Both of those numbers are also more than Chrysler had projected.

 

There’s a shift inside Toyota to take on the competition in Electric Vehicles.  The Japanese automaker has created an in-house venture company that will develop electric vehicles.  They stress it will be independent of other internal organizations, speeding up the process of bringing electric products to the market.  While Toyota is plugging in to the electric vehicle market, they’re still pursuing other alternatives, like hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.  Toyota believes FCVs are “ideal as a form of ultimate eco-car".