April 27, 2013

The Environmental Protection Agency released a list of the most fuel-efficient vehicles based on combined city and highway fuel economy estimates for model year 2013. We’ve covered the first three fuel-efficient vehicles already. The Toyota Prius, Prius c, Ford C-Max and Ford Fusion SE claimed the top spots. Here are the next four most fuel-efficient vehicles (excluding EVs and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles).

Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid

Combined MPG: 45

Going green can be difficult in a city like Phoenix with its relatively subpar public transit system. However, there are ways to cut down on your carbon footprint. Local dealerships such as Scottsdale AZ Volkswagen offer hybrid vehicles including the VW Jetta Hybrid. The Jetta Hybrid ranks third on EPA’s best cars for fuel economy— excluding electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. Car and Driver calls it “one of the rare hybrids that can be fun to drive.” The Jetta accelerates quite quickly in comparison to other compact hybrids. In 7.9 seconds, it can reach 60 mph. The VW Jetta Hybrid’s achieves EPA ratings of 42 mpg city and 48 mpg highway for the combined mpg of 45.

Photo from Autoviva.com via Wikimedia Commons

Lincoln MKZ Hybrid

Combined MPG: 45

The Lincoln MKZ Hybrid is a midsize luxury sedan with a sleek styling aesthetic for a hybrid. Its 2.0-liter four-cylinder combined with an electric motor generates a combined 188 hp, according to Edmunds.com. Standard features include adaptive LED headlights, adaptive suspension dampers and leather upholstery. Also standard— and more luxurious— are driver memory settings, 8-inch touchscreen display, 11-speaker sound system and Sync voice-command system.

Honda Insight

Combined MPG: 42

The Honda Insight is a less expensive— though less sophisticated— alternative to the Toyota Prius. For frugal, yet environmentally-conscious motorists, the Insight is a suitable choice. This four-door hatchback hybrid is offered in three packages: base, LX and EX. The standard or base Insight includes  expected features like full power accessories, 60/40-split-folding rear seat, trip computer and a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel— among others. The LX and EX add more sophisticated features like cruise control, upgraded stereo system and voice-controlled touchscreen navigation. The Insight also has standard safety features like antilock brakes and front and side airbags. The Insight received the best possible rating in side crash, frontal offset and roof strength tests from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (Edmunds.com).

Lexus CT 200h

Combines MPG: 42

Powered by a 1.8-liter four-cylinder and a pair of electric motors, this premium compact four-door hatchback generates 134 hp. As indicated by the Lexus CT 200h’s inclusion on this list, it exceeds in fuel economy. The EPA estimates the hybrid achieves 43-mpg city and 40-mpg highway for a combined mpg of 42, according to Edmunds. The CT 200h oozes luxury both inside and out. On the inside, it’s decked with premium vinyl upholstery and a 10-way power driver seat. On the outside, its sporty design and low stance earns high marks in urban style.

If you find a great deal on car outside of your geographical area consider RCG Logistics for your auto transport needs. We ship vehicles all over the United States door-to-door.

February 22, 2013

Despite all the setbacks of 2012 — record high gas prices, Hurricane Sandy, an economy that continues to struggle — a once defeated U.S. auto industry has shown impressive resilience over the last 12 months. According to USA Today, just about everything involving domestic-made cars is better now than it was a year ago. Factories and plants have hired more workers and given existing employees more overtime opportunities, the price buyers are willing to pay at the dealership hit a record average of $30,700, and foreign companies like Saab and American Suzuki Motor have stopped selling traditional cars in the U.S.

Things are really looking up, and for good reason. The auto industry got smart about the way they compete with the global market. Something that seemed to sit on the back burner while Europe and Japan climbed to the top with superior cars. So while the industry here in the states still has a long way to go before earning back the number-one spot, some of the most important steps were made in 2012. Here’s how it happened:

The Cornerstone of an Election

When President Obama decided to bail out GM and Chrysler during the trough of the recovery, he didn’t know at the time he would also be fueling voters in his favor in states that were once home to his would-be opponent, Gov. Mitt Romney. More so than any election in recent history, the state of auto was a big talking point among each candidates campaigns. The attention given to recovering cars made in the U.S. was a key factor in its success.

Hybrids, Finally

It seemed like the Toyota Prius was the only good hybrid car anyone could buy for just about forever. It still holds the top among hybrid vehicles sold in the U.S., for domestic competitors like the Ford C-Max are covering ground quickly. The country seems to finally be getting on board with the concept of the low cost of fuel efficiency, which helps with car insurance rates that tend to be higher for hybrid vehicles. Even specialized manufacturers like Tesla are making all-electric cars a reality.

So Long, “Government Motors”

According to the U.S. Treasury Department, it plans to sell all of its 500 million shares of GM in the next 12 to 15 months, closing the books on an almost $50 million bailouts of the auto industry. Whether or not you can safely say “the bailout worked” is yet to be determined, but the fact that investor confidence is now high to put the shares of GM back onto the market, really speaks to how well the company has recovered over the last few years.

Dodging The Cliff

By narrow margins, Congress avoided the dreaded fiscal cliff at the beginning of 2013, keeping investor confidence high and giving a surge to the stock markets. According to NBC News, the Dow Jones Industrial average went up 263 points after the compromised bill passed, the largest spurge in six months. The confidence in the markets, combines with the 2012 success of the industry, will help maintain and facilitate growth for an even more prosperous 2013. However if there is one thing that could potentially hurt growth is the upcoming sequester due to congressional impasse . Set to take effect in a few weeks are automatic cuts in federal spending. $85 billion worth of cuts will are scheduled to hit on March 1st and may mean furloughs for thousands of government employees.

About the Author:Hank Young still remembers his first experience working on an electric car. It was a BMW, and since then, he’s been following alternatively fueled vehicles and writing about hybrid and electric cars exclusively.

August 8, 2012

Few things can ruin your day as quickly as a possibility that your car has been stolen. Unless you are delinquent on your car’s payments, few people prepare themselves mentally for the possibility of their car being gone when they return from the store. The usual question one asks when the looking for their car:

• Is the car stolen ?
• Repossessed ?
• Towed for tickets ?
• Forgot where you parked ?

“Has the city moved my car and simply forgot to tell me?”

Residents of Chicago can now add, the city moved my car and simply forgot to tell me. Chicago will not notify residents that their car has been moved but expects them to take initiative to locate their vehicles. Often in panic some owners call 911 to report their vehicles stolen. The city does not notify owners because it doesn’t have their emails or phone numbers readily available and mailing a letter would take too long. Read more →

June 5, 2012

With over 2500 of the finest Bavarian spectacles present the vendors, tuners, dealers and the thousands of enthusiasts made Bimmerfest 2012 the biggest gathering in it’s 9 year history. There were booths, showrooms, models and even Lamborghini’s. From old to young this years Bimmerfest had something to wow everyone. From the tiny commuters of the 40′s to the yet-to-be revealed to the public 2013 M6 there where couple, sedans and convertibles from every decade of the highly recognized German auto maker.

Everyone who’s anyone in the BMW tuning game came out to show off their latest and greatest in performance parts and body aesthetics. Names like HPF Performance and VF Engineering showed off their huge horsepower beasts as crowds gathered to take pictures next their respective all out race cars. Read more →

May 3, 2012

April 20, 2012

Using false identities, defrauding financing companies, vehilce insurers and even local dealerships it seems that these smugglers where ready to use any means necessary to get their hands on a list of 20 some high-end vehicles and get them overseas.

This is not a script for the highly anticipated sequel to “Gone in 60 seconds” featuring Nicolas Cage. This was the setting of our nation’s largest import and export harbor, the Los Angeles/Long Beach Sea Port early April where authorities seized the exotics that where boxed up in containers and labeled as used exercise equipment. Read more →

April 19, 2012

In the great recession of 2008 many trucking companies, auto transport companies, and car haulers were put out of commission. As car sales dropped dramatically there was simply not enough cars to haul and the market became over saturated with too many car haulers. The disequilibrium in the car shipping market had too many suppliers and not enough demand for their service. Weak demand caused prices for car transport to drop drastically,  combined with fewer overall shipments and all time high diesel prices nearing $4.77 a gallon forced many companies to shut down and liquidate their assets. Trucking companies started disappearing one by one abandoning their car haulers and putting many out of work.

2012 is total different situation, NADA economist predict 13.9 million new car sales in US. Read more →

March 16, 2012

Mankato, MN – A car hauler catches on fire and is quickly engulfed in flames. Local news reports that there were no injuries and the fire department was quickly on scene to extinguish the semi truck.

The owners of the truck apparently were in a nearby hotel and it wasn’t clear at the time what the cause of the fire was. The car hauler, which is a total loss, delivered a number of vehicles the previous night but did not have any cargo on board at the time of the fire. Read more →

January 24, 2012

Working in the transportation industry you have surely heard of comcheks. But just starting out it may be a bit confusing to figure out how a comchek works and why companies use them. A comchek is a form of payment most frequently used by freight brokers to pay contract carriers, and they work in a similar way to a regular check but with some differences.

Express Codes

A payer (shipper or a broker) that has an account with Comdata, issues Comcheks to drivers for services rendered or as a fuel advance and they do so in a form of an express code for a predetermined amount. The express codes vary in length, usually from 14 to 18 digits in length, but will always be just numbers not letters. Read more →

January 10, 2012

Another year is over and we would like to thank to our customers that continue to trust us with their vehicle shipping needs. 2011 was the year of recovery for the automotive industry as well as the car shipping industry. Demand for car shipping services rose sharply as new car sales increased and recreational travel resumed to historical levels.

RCG Logistics moved 3,787 cars in 2011 for over $2.5 Million in revenue. The average shipping price for a vehicle was $684. We shipped cars coast-to-coast, locally, regionally and all over United States, for car dealers, businesses and individuals.

Challenges

The number vehicles being shipped in 2011 often overwhelmed the available capacity. In some regions there was simply not enough car carriers to move all of the vehicles. This often led to increased lead times as well as higher prices. The price of diesel, as high $4.46/gallon last summer, Read more →