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The automotive industry is getting more evidence that it's time to expand product offerings or switch over to another business. A new study by the US Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) says the "driving boom" is over. While Baby Boomers loved their cars, their kids - aka Gen Y or Millennials - have different idea.

From 2004 until 2012, the total miles traveled remained about the same, but the amount, per capita, decreased by one percent each year.

The numbers tell the story, and the total miles driven, per capita, in the US has been declining. While gasoline price spikes and the Great Recession play a role, the numbers have been dropping gradually since 2004. That marks the end of a 40-year driving boom that started up in 1964, according to the PIRG report. The number of miles driven by Americans increased each year an average of 2.5 percent per capita and 3.8 percent total during that time. From 2004 until 2012, the total miles traveled remained about the same, but the amount, per capita, decreased by one percent each year.

Urbanization appears to be causing some of the trend, and use of mass transit and carsharing has been increasing. On top of that, boomers are aging and will be driving less and Millenials don't like to drive as much. Automaker executives have been voicing concern that young people are much less interested in driving and owning cars then their predecessors. The PIRG report's authors are concerned that highway system authorities have been too focused on expanding the nation's roads rather than accurately gauging the landscape.

It's tough to know for sure how many plug-in vehicles have been sold throughout the US, but if anyone has been keeping count, it's the fine folks at Plug In America. And, according to them, somewhere in America this weekend, maybe, someone will buy the 100,000th electric car. PIA says it expects the "historic milestone" to happen by Monday, May 20, 2013.

This isn't counting golf carts or GEMs or any of the old-school EVs, things like the EV1 or the first-generation RAV4 EVs. No, PIA is only tracking vehicles like the Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt and Tesla Model S that have come along in the last two years or so. We know Nissan has sold over 25,000 Leafs in the US and the Volt has sold more than 36,000 as of the end of April. That leaves 40,000 more from the likes of Tesla, Fisker, Ford and all the others we write about all day. PIA is promoting the event with the #PIA100K hashtag and notes that plug-in vehicles are approaching 48 percent annual growth, so the next 100,000 can't be too far away.

Ford is waiting to see if it will be facing several class action lawsuits over its mileage ratings - three of which were filed in late April. Suits filed in federal courthouses in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and California claim Ford is overstating the average mileage ratings for its 2013 Ford C-Max and Fusion Hybrids.

Marianne Cibeu, a Massachusetts resident, filed for a federal class action lawsuit claiming she's only getting 32 miles per gallon in her Ford C-Max hybrid despite the EPA/Ford rating of 47 mpg. As you can see in the complaint filed in a US District Court, the suit is asking for $5 million in damages for Cibeu and all Massachusetts buyers of 2013 C-Max and Fusion hybrids.

"Plaintiffs purchased a Fusion Hybrid or C-Max Hybrid, only to be stuck with under-performing, less valuable vehicles that inflict higher fuel costs on their owners."

In California, two law firms combined their cases against Ford for making "false and misleading" claims. When we first reported on the case, back in December, there were reportedly hundreds of C-Max and Fusion Hybrid owners who'd joining the lawsuit. Not much later, Consumer Reports conducted extensive tests for both hybrids and found their performance to be significantly worse than the US Environmental Protection Agency mileage ratings. A similar case has been filed in US District Court in Philadelphia. "Plaintiffs are some of the tens of thousands of consumers who purchased a Fusion Hybrid or C-Max Hybrid, only to be stuck with under-performing, less valuable vehicles that inflict higher fuel costs on their owners," according to the complaint.

So far, the wave of lawsuits hasn't hurt sales of the C-Max or Fusion Hybrid, though it's still early in the legal battle. The EPA, which determines (sort of) the mileage numbers Ford and other automakers put on window stickers, says that it's confident the ratings of both Ford vehicles are sound but will review them. Both Ford and the EPA have emphasized real-world mileage results are completely dependent on how the driver operates the vehicle. That hasn't gone over well with people filing class action lawsuits.

Any old codger wondering if our future's in good hands should check out what Juan Ehringeras is doing with his Honda S2000. The high school senior is rebuilding the two-seater as an all-electric vehicle, and seems to be having fun with the process, according to Motor Authority.

Ehringeras, who chose the car because it was cheap (hey, it was damaged) and lightweight, has built his own battery packs and has gone genius on a bunch of other little features for his new ride. Ehringeras didn't talk single-charge range but did say the electric motor will be able to deliver about 780 horsepower. You read that right. For a kid in a two-seater.

The student appears to be continuing a tradition of young gearheads putting their own spin on the modern EV. West Philadelphia High School made news a couple of years back with its entrees in the Automotive X-Prize alt-fuel vehicle competition. And way back in early 2008, we reported on then-high schooler Andrew Angellotti turning his 1988 Mazda B2200 pickup truck into an all-electric green machine. Check out a short video of the S2000's test drive below. Yes, youth is served.

The Toyota Prius has put in its time as the benchmark for hybrids and fuel efficient vehicles on American roads. For Scott Burns, it's put in time as a family car as well, and one he's been incredibly happy with.

Burns, writing in the Houston Chronicle, says owning a 2003 first-generation Toyota Prius for the past 10 years has been smooth. (The larger, iconic second-edition Prius was launched as a 2004 model a few months after he purchased his). He calls it "a practical companion," and notes that even after 115,000 miles on the odometer, the metallic green Prius will live on with his 16 year-old granddaughter.

The Prius has only needed one expensive repair. It's been trouble-free over the years and has handled whatever road conditions it's been subjected to. While naysayers have voiced worries about the life of the Prius battery, the pack is still going strong. He's met several other Prius owners who've never replaced the battery and put a lot more miles on it.

While the second- and third-generation Priuses are known for getting 45-to-50 miles per gallon, his car averaged about 43 mpg. He estimates saving about 1,000 gallons of gasoline in the Prius compared to a comparable size non-hybrid, saving about $3,300 in the past decade.

Ten years later, Burns notes there are a lot of appealing hybrids on the market today, such as the Ford C-Max, which is larger and more fun to drive than a Prius. There's also a lot of high-mileage, cheaper small cars out there - which have become the Prius' strongest competitor. The Burns family is buying a new Honda Fit Sport model. It may not get 40-plus mpg, but at $20,000 it costs about $10,000 less than most hybrids - and he figures that will buy a lot of gasoline. Read his whole article here.

Honda once told Americans to "respect the van" in its effort to sell its Odyssey minivans. Now, BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer is telling his fellow Germans to "embrace the plug."

Reithofer cited "German angst" to explain a potential sales roadblock for the German automaker's new "i" sub-brand, which officially debuts later this year with the i3 battery-electric vehicle, Bloomberg News reports. Reithofer says Bimmer has taken a leap of faith of sorts by investing in plug-in drivetrain technology, and now needs to encourage the German public to do the same. BMW will also start selling its i8 plug-in hybrid next year.

Whether Germans will follow suit remains in question. Stefan Bratzel, director of the Center of Automotive Management at Germany's University of Applied Sciences, tells Bloomberg that plug-ins may account for as much as three percent of Germany's new-vehicle market by the end of the decade, and says Germans remain in a "phase of disenchantment" when it comes to plug-in technology.

Reithofer has previously made a different type of appeal, recently calling European emissions standards for 2020 "impossible to meet" and lobbying for funding from the German government to help with the necessary technological improvements.

Preparing for next month's Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, Mitsubishi – the presenting sponsor of this year's PPIHC – has unveiled its entrant for the race: the all-electric MiEV Evolution II. Building off last year's MiEV-inspired entrant, the Evolution II has received numerous improvements, including a more powerful electric drive system, a lower center of gravity and even a more traditional racecar look. Driving a pair of MiEV Evolution II models this year will be Hiroshi Masuoka from Mitsubishi vehicle development and six-time PPIHC motorcycle winner, Greg Tracy.

Both MiEV Evolution II racers employ a quartet of electric motors (last year's car used just three), and output has been increased from 280 kilowatts (375 horsepower) up to 400 KW (536 hp). For improved handling, the cars' lithium-ion battery packs help provide lower centers of gravity, and both Masuoka's and Tracy's cars have received active yaw control, stability control and redesigned anti-lock braking systems. Hopefully, this will help them stick to the mountain better. As previously mentioned, even their look has changed, with less of a wide-body i-MiEV feel and more of a racecar appearance. We think the finished product would actually make for a pretty cool Le Mans Prototype racer, or perhaps an electrically powered rival for trackday cars like those from Radical.

Buying into a new, fledgling automaker is always a big risk – the early-adopter upside has the potential to be great, but the downside can look like the mother of all hangovers. Unsurprisingly, that's the unpleasant financial reality facing Fisker Karma owners as they look to unload their extended-range electric sedans while the company's future bleakens.

We've been keeping tabs on used Karma prices on eBay Motors and other websites for some time now, and there's been a steady stream of the voluptuous sedans on offer since not long after they first became available. Early on, we initially chalked that up to speculators, but moved on to imagining disgruntled owners as more and more mechanical and electrical problems were brought to light. Now, however, there's a bumper crop of Fisker models on the used market, with NBC News and Business Insider reporting that pre-owned examples are trading for under half their six-digit MSRPs just one year ago. Around 2,500 Karmas were made, and eBay Motors is playing host to 26 of them alone as this piece is being written. Scan over to AOL Autos' listings, and there are 126 entries.

For its part, the embattled startup has yet to declare bankruptcy, but it has laid off most of its employees and hired experts in the field suggesting they will soon. What's more, officials are looking to to recover as much of the $192 million in federal loans the company received, and despite some potential suitors sniffing around, no buyer for the company has emerged. No surprise, then, that Karma owners are looking to unload their models, likely fearing not only for their vehicles' resale values, but also the continued availability of parts and service.

Question: If Karma prices continue to crater apace, how soon until shadetree mechanics follow the lead of Bob Lutz's VL Automotive Destino, which bins the Fisker's complex plug-in hybrid powertrain in favor of the supercharged LS9 V8 from the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1?

For anyone wanting to get a clearer view of the "us vs. them" environment dividing electric-vehicle advocates and everyone else, Plug In Cars' take on Car and Driver's recent review of the Honda Fit EV is instructive.

The innocuous-looking Honda triggered some "anti-EV vitriol" Car and Driver readers. It's not a huge surprise that C&D bashed the model for its high price, tight quarters, limited (compared to the gas model) range and, of course, sub-par road performance. It's one writer's opinion, and that's that. What's more illuminating, though, are the comments from Car and Driver readers, which get into politics, elitism and, yes, Leonardo De Caprio. Oh, what fun. It's a bit of a rabbit hole, but here are a few examples:

• "[EVs] are for self-hating RICH people who the liberals have made ASHAMED to flaunt their wealth. If I had that kind of money, I'd drive around in a Lamborghini or Veyron. Even now, when people hear my engine and ask how many miles do I get per gallon, I proudly say "10.1"."
• "EVs are NOT improvements over gas powere vehicles. You have a very short leash on the car and have an extremely long recharge time. You can quick charge the batteries but at the cost of killing their longevity. You may not be spewing fumes outside a tail pipe but you are adding to the energy consumed by power plants. Don't even start with the ridiculous solar panel chargers since it would literally take you a week to get a full charge from the solar panels on tops of an average family home. God help you if you are in an apartment."

In the end, as Plug In Cars says, "anti-EV vitriol is alive and well," and you can read the rest here. For those curious, the Car and Driver review and comments are here. Our own Fit review is here.

Hybrid electric vehicles are gaining appeal for fleets of all types as more models make it to showrooms bearing a variety of price tags. Even commercial fleets are finding more available products, from pickups and vans to medium-duty trucks. Now, there's a new option.

XL Hybrids, Inc., and the Knapheide Manufacturing Company announced an agreement for installation and distribution of XL Hybrids' low-cost hybrid electric powertrains, which are designed for class 1 to 3 commercial fleet vehicles. Knapheide is a longstanding commercial vehicle equipment provider in North America, and provides fleets with other alternative fuel vehicle choices.

The announcement was made at the 2014 GM Fleet and Commerical Product Preview, where the companies displayed a hybrid Chevrolet Express cargo van upfitted with XL Hyrids' powertrain system at Knapheide's booth. XL Hybrids' technology will be installed by Knapheide through its existing ship-through process, offering fleets a one-stop purchase, upfit, delivery and invoice experience. Nationwide delivery of converted hybrid 2014 Chevy Express and GMC Savana vans will start Aug. 1. 2013. XL Hybrids and Knapheide are also available for installation on what the press release refers to as "bailment pool vehicles," or as a retrofit for 2010 to 2013 GM cargo vans. Read it below for more details.

Anyone paying attention to the electric vehicle scene for the last few weeks knows that the stock value of Tesla Motors has been climbing faster than a SpaceX rocket. As of this writing, TSLA is sitting pretty at $92 a share. Three weeks ago, it was at a then-record-high of $53.

In light of all the commotion, Tesla is going to make some money and pay back the government. The company announced yesterday it will sell 2.7 million shares (with a value of $229 million given the closing price of $84.84 yesterday) and $450 million in convertible senior notes. All told, Tesla will sell up to $830 million in shares and debt and use the money to pay back its $465-million Department of Energy loan. The DOE has agreed to let Tesla modify the terms of its loan and repay the money early., but the exact timeline of the repayment was not specified. As Tesla CEO Elon Musk put it to Bloomberg earlier this month, "Of all the car companies that got government funding, we got the least, and we're going to pay it off first. That's not bad." Musk will also buy $100 million worth of shares, $45 million in common stock and $55 million to be be "purchased directly from Tesla in a subsequent private placement."

The DOE handed out four loans through the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program: along with Tesla, Ford got $5.9 billion, Nissan got $1.6 billion and Fisker got $529 million. Tesla's press release is available below.

If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It



Look at the 2013 Nissan Leaf – even one parked next to a 2012 model – and you'll be hard-pressed to spot the differences. Changes and updates have been made, but you have to know the details to tell. It's sort of like listening to a hipster tell you why Interpol and The National have completely different sounds.

Nissan says it didn't reinvent the Leaf because what the company has created is working. Over 25,000 Leafs have been sold in the US – 62,000 around the world – since the car went on sale in late 2010. That may not sound like a lot, but it's heads and shoulders above any other all-electric car available anywhere. The car has its detractors – boy, does it ever – but Nissan knows it's hard to argue with real-world success.

We recently spent a few hours driving the new Leaf – an SL-trim version, optioned out to $36,910 – around the hills of central Tennessee after a visit to Nissan's new 475,000 square-foot battery plant. What we learned there provided a lot of hints about the company's electric future. Nissan may be leading today, but company head Carlos Ghosn has made huge, multi-billion-dollar bets on zero-emission technology and the rest of the world has been very slow to prove him right.

We'll forgive Nissan for gloating a bit, now that the Japanese automaker has surpassed the 25,000- sales threshold for the Leaf EV in the US.

Coming off two of its best months domestically, the all-electric Leaf has complemented its sales on the West Coast with more recent demand increases in markets such as Atlanta, Dallas and Chicago. All told, Nissan, which recently started producing US Leafs at its Tennessee plant, has sold 62,000 Leafs globally.

With production moving stateside, Nissan was able to cut the price of the 2013 Leaf by $6,400 to a base of $28,800, and that's before the $7,500 federal tax credit kicks in. Through April, Nissan more than doubled year-earlier Leaf sales to 5,476 units. And the model recently received an additional boost when the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) confirmed its new fuel economy rating for the Leaf at 115 miles per gallon equivalent, up from 99 MPGe. Check out Nissan's press release below.

Is there a plethora of big rigs in the Gem State? Results of a US Energy Information Administration (EIA) report tracking state-by-state energy-related carbon dioxide emission makes that question worth asking, as Idaho was the state with the highest percentage of emissions stemming from the transportation sector.

A whopping 58 percent of the Spud State's energy-related emissions in 2010 (the most recent year tracked) came solely from transportation, narrowly beating out California, New Jersey and Oregon in that department. On the other end of the spectrum, just 13 percent of North Dakota's energy-related emissions came from transportation, while Indiana checked in at 19 percent. Click here (PDF) for the 21-page EIA report.

Naturally (or not so naturally, in this case), California in 2010 had both the largest amount of transportation-related emissions (Texas was a close second) and most total energy-related emissions, belching 370 million metric tons of CO2 into the golden sky. Optimists will point out that that figure is down 11 percent from a decade earlier. So we have that going for us.