General Motors Chevrolet announced Thursday that the Spark EV will be available for lease for $199 per month at some dealerships. In which we bring you motoring news from around the Web:
• As of Thursday morning, General Motors jumped into the heart of the electric car fray with an announcement from Chevrolet that it would offer a $199-a-month lease for the Spark EV. That puts the tiny all-electric model in direct competition with the Nissan Leaf and Fiat 500e, both offered with $199 leases. General Motors said it expected to have the Spark EV available at some California and Oregon dealers by mid-June. Lower lease prices for battery-electric cars could help automakers meet tightening air quality regulations in California by increasing sales, which have been stymied by customer perceptions that electric models are too costly. (The Los Angeles Times)
• Two Denso executives, Yuji Suzuki and Hiroshi Watanabe, will be spending more than a year in American prison and each pay $20,000 fines after pleading guilty to charges of conspiring to fix prices of electronic auto parts. According to the United States Justice Department, the parts in question were heater control panels Denso sold to Toyota. Denso, which pleaded guilty to conspiracy last year, paid $78,000 in fines. (Reuters)
• A developer in Michigan is in the process of buying property once owned by General Motors for a car-themed condominium park. The 80-acre Pontiac, Mich., property was once the site G.M.’s validation center, but the automaker lost it during bankruptcy proceedings. Brad Oleshansky said he was trying to raise $40 million to buy the property, where he would build a park for car enthusiasts to meet and to drive their cars on an on-site test track. Plans call for a garage where owners of classic car could store their vehicles. (The Detroit Free Press)
• The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has begun releasing a series of videos offering a “behind the scenes” look at the crash testing it conducts at its plant in Virginia. The first two explain how crash test dummies work and the mechanics of frontal offset crash tests. In all, I.I.H.S., which is financed by the insurance industry, will release eight videos, each six minutes long. The informative videos provide a clear picture of tests that are often described in confusing proprietary terms. (Autoblog)
• At 7 years old, Scarlett Gurr may be the youngest classic-car owner alive. But her “classics” are pint-sized, just like she is. Scarlett’s father, Stuart Gurr, built the cars for his car-loving daughter. Her collection now includes a mini red Ferrari GTO (the pair’s favorite), a blue Cobra, a Blower Bentley and a diminutive replica of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, among others. Mr. Gurr, who owns a London-area car restoration shop, also takes his daughter to shows and races, where Scarlett drives the cars. As the youngest member of the British Women Racing Drivers Club, she has caught the bug early and will undoubtedly transition into bigger, more expensive cars before father knows what happened. (Huffington Post)
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