UK RECALL - #20 - MITSUBISHI - i-Car recalled for reverse gear may fail to function.

Vehicle Details
Reference :	R/2015/005
Manufacturer Ref :
Make:	MITSUBISHI
Model :	i-car
Launch Date :	11/02/2015
Numbers Involved :	602
Build Start Date :	31/01/2006
Build End Date :	14/11/2007

Recall Details
Concern :	REVERSE GEAR MAY NOT FUNCTION
Description :	On affected vehicles a component within the transmission valve block may be defective. If the component fails the gear box may not select gears correctly. In the worst case scenario the driver may not be able to select reverse gear.
Remedial Action :	On affected vehicles inspect the gearbox valve block. Depending on inspection outcome, replace valve body installation kit or valve body assembly.
Vehicle Id :	JMYLRHA1W7U000408 to JMYLRHA1W7U500595

Other Vehicles Affected (Click the vehicle to perform an extended search)

MITSUBISHI - I

UK RECALL #10 - NISSAN - Leaf recalled for possible loss of steering.

Vehicle Details
Reference :	R/2014/171
Manufacturer Ref :	RG4BR
Make:	NISSAN
Model :	Leaf
Launch Date :	19/01/2015
Numbers Involved :	4474
Build Start Date :	12/02/2013
Build End Date :	16/10/2014

Recall Details
Concern :	LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL
Description :	A fail safe clip on the steering column may have become dislodged during the assembly process. As a result the column may not have been correctly assembled. Over a period of time and under certain conditions the column may work loose and disconnect causing a loss of steering.
Remedial Action :	On affected vehicles, inspect column and where necessary replace the column shaft.
Vehicle Id :

Other Vehicles Affected (Click the vehicle to perform an extended search)

NISSAN - LEAF

UK RECALL #6 - BMW - New i8 supercar recalled for possible fuel leak.

Vehicle Details
Reference :	R/2014/190
Manufacturer Ref :	0016890100
Make:	BMW
Model :	i8
Launch Date :	14/01/2015
Numbers Involved :	128
Build Start Date :	21/03/2014
Build End Date :	12/09/2014

Recall Details
Concern :	FUEL MAY LEAK
Description :	It is possible that lubricant contamination may result in the high current welding of the bolt for the fuel tank earth strap not being to specification. This could over time result in the fuel tank leaking. The driver will become aware of the leak either by the smell or dripping fuel after refuelling.
Remedial Action :	Recall all affected vehicles and inspect the fuel tank. If necessary, replace the fuel tank.
Vehicle Id :	WBY2Z22090VX65023 to WBY2Z22010VX65209

Other Vehicles Affected (Click the vehicle to perform an extended search)

BMW - i8

JANUARY USA SALES - MITSUBISHI - It just keeps getting better every month.

• 11th consecutive month of year-over-year sales increases
• Best January sales month since 2008
• Total sales up 33.4 percent from last January

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) continues its sales momentum with January 2015 vehicle sales of 6,493 units, a 33.4 percent sales increase from January 2014. MMNA ended 2014 with a nearly 25 percent sales increase over the previous year and January marks the brand's 11th consecutive month of year-over-year sales increases.

The Mirage 5-door subcompact scored its best-ever month of sales since the vehicle was introduced in 2013 with 1,705 units sold. Outlander Sport continues to be the brand's top-selling model recording 2,267 units sold, up 23.3 percent year-over-year with its best ever January. 

Sales of the Outlander crossover climbed to 1,003 units, up 6.6 percent and represented its best January sales month since 2007. The Lancer compact sports sedan demonstrated excellent momentum with sales of 1,515 units, a 68.3 percent increase from January 2014 and the fourth consecutive month of year-over-year sales increases.

"After finishing 2014 with sales up nearly 25 percent over the previous year, we are off to a phenomenal start in 2015," said Don Swearingen, Executive Vice President MMNA. "The Mirage had its best-ever sales month, Lancer sales are up significantly, Outlander Sport continues to lead the way and Outlander maintains solid sales traction."

	January		YTD
	2015	2014	2015	2014
i-MiEV	3	1	3	1
Mirage	1705	1170	1705	1170
Lancer	1515	900	1515	900
Outlander	1003	941	1003	941
Outlander Sport	2267	1838	2267	1838
Total	6493	4867	6493	4867

Elon Musk urges Texas to play fair with Tesla car sales, and offers future facilities in the state.

Tesla Motors Inc. CEO Elon Musk urged Texas lawmakers on Thursday to ease restrictions on sales of the company's electric luxury cars as he floated the prospect of locating a new car factory or a test facility for his "hyperloop" mass transit concept in the state.

Texas is one of several states that have barred, or strictly limited, Tesla's ability to sell cars directly to consumers through company-owned stores.

Owners of franchised car dealerships in several states have lobbied to block Tesla's direct sales operations on grounds that they violate laws designed to protect auto retail franchises from competition from auto manufacturers.

Musk has fought to overturn the restrictions, and told an audience at a transportation seminar in Austin that the current franchise laws are "un-Texan."

"All I want to do is give the people in Texas the right to choose how they buy their cars," he said.

Musk said Texas could be a contender for future Tesla car or battery factories, and said he is considering building a test facility for his concept of a "hyperloop" rapid transit system in the Lone Star state. Musk's SpaceX space transport company already has a rocket development facility in the state.

A Tesla spokesman said Musk's comments about the factory and the hyperloop test track were part of a "wide-ranging discussion in Austin, Texas about Texas matters," and not an attempt to link those potential investments to a resolution of the dealership matter. Musk did plan to speak with lawmakers about the franchise issue, the spokesman said.

Musk's concept of a hyperloop would be an alternative to air travel or high speed trains for travel between cities several hundreds of miles apart.

The idea, sketched out in an August 2013 paper, is that people would be whisked from city to city in pods that traveled through steel tubes, propelled by differences in air pressure. The pods would ride on a cushion of air, Musk wrote, and use electric compressors mounted in the nose to push air from the front to back, propelling the pod forward.

On his Twitter account Thursday, Musk posted: "Will be building a Hyperloop test track for companies and student teams to test out their pods. Most likely in Texas."

Tesla shares have been sliding in recent days, and dipped again on Thursday, losing 0.4 percent to close at $191.87. The share's 52-week range is $162.40 to $291.42.

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WHAT CAR AWARDS - Renault ZOE takes 2nd successive award for best Electric car under £20k .

• ZOE named ‘Best Electric Car under £20,000’
• Second consecutive What Car? Award for ZOE
• UK sales of ZOE soared in 2014 by 169% to 1,016 vehicles

Renault has won the title of What Car? 2015 ‘Best Electric Car for less than £20,000’ with its pure electric ZOE Expression hatchback, making it two What Car? awards in two years for the 100% electric hatchback. 

Since being named What Car?’s ‘Best Green Car for less than £15,000’ in 2014, the ZOE has proved extremely popular with UK motorists with sales up some 169 per cent in 2014.

Commenting on the decision to give the award to ZOE, Jim Holder, Editor, What Car? said: “Renault set out to make the ZOE a genuinely affordable option in the otherwise seemingly expensive electric car market – and it’s worked. You can lease the battery from £25 per month, so the cost of the car is brought down to a very reasonable level.

“The really good news is that cost-saving isn’t the be-all and end-all for the cheerful, refined ZOE. On top of the cost and eco-conscious incentives, it will seat four adults comfortably, has a slick, well designed cabin and gets a good amount of standard equipment, including sat-nav. The ZOE is also perky to drive, with a good ride; it’s great to look at and affordable to run”, added Holder.

Darren Payne, Sales Director, Renault UK, said of the result: “The number of electric vehicles on sale in the UK has more than doubled in the last year so we’re thrilled that What Car? has recognised ZOE’s talents for the second year in a row.

“Sales in the UK were up nearly three-fold last year where the beautiful and efficient ZOE is proving popular with motorists who not only want an environmentally clean and serene driving experience but also an uncompromised well-equipped 5-door family hatchback.”

The ZOE is an all-electric, five-door family hatchback available in three trim levels that comes with a very high level of standard specification, despite its competitive price-tag. Standard specification includes items such as climate control and sat-nav. 

ZOE is available with a number of features that make for seamless electric vehicle ownership including remote monitoring of the battery and pre-heating the cabin via your phone as well as the Chameleon™ Charger that allows ZOE to make the most of the widest range of power supplies meaning excellent charging times in the real world. Retail ZOE customers also benefit from the free installation of fast-charging wall box at home.

ZOE is available to purchase in two ways. Firstly, under a Battery Hire scheme, where ZOE pricing starts at £13,995 after the Government Plug-in Car Grant with battery leasing from £25 per month. Benefits include a lifetime performance guarantee for the battery and 24/7 roadside assistance – even if you run out of charge.

You can also buy your ZOE outright. ZOE i ‘full purchase’ models start from £17,793 after the Government Plug-in Car Grant, giving the buyer full ownership of the car and battery and no monthly battery lease payment.

The ZOE is one three models in Renault’s diverse electric vehicle range which also includes the Twizy urban roundabout and the Kangoo Van Z.E.