An all-electric motorcycle has beaten the traditional gas-powered bikes and posted top times in practice runs at Pikes Peak in Colorado.

The electric Lightning, under rider Carlin Dunne, this week ran the lower half of the steep, 12-mile course at 4:32 and the top at 5:04 -- many seconds ahead of the next-fastest machines, officials at Lightning said.

That sets up the possibility that Dunne will beat his own record, set last year at Pikes Peak on a Ducati Multistrada. He's the fastest person ever to climb the hill on a motorcycle, with a total course time of 9:52.819. (A couple of cars have made it just a fraction faster. The current record is held by driver Rhys Millen, who ran the hill at 9:46.164 in a Hyundai Genesis coupe.)

Photo gallery: Ten very fuel efficient motorcycles

Lightning is a Silicon Valley motorcycle manufacturer based in San Carlos, Calif. The brainchild of investment banker-turned-entrepreneur Richard Hatfield, Lightning has set multiple land-speed records on flat...

Once used mostly to move luxury cars, leasing has reached record levels, helped by easing credit restrictions and a move downmarket.

Leases on Jaguars and BMWs remain plentiful, but the most-leased cars in America are now the Honda Civic, Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Hyundai Sonata, according to Experian Automotive, an arm of the consumer credit-rating company.

Consumers gravitate to leases — essentially long-term car rentals — mostly because they offer lower payments. Last year, the median lease payment was $361, about 20% lower that the median $434 loan payment on a purchase, according to auto information company Edmunds.com.

Shoppers have pushed leasing to a record 25.6% share of new-vehicle sales in the first quarter of this year, up from just 16.3% in 2004, according to Edmunds.

Leasing attracts buyers such as Jerry Festa, a Pacific Palisades insurance agent who likes the "simplicity and convenience."

"I go down, pick out the car that I want. I drive it for a few...

The BMW 3 Series coupe is dead. Long live the 4 Series.

Looking to delineate the 3 Series sedan and its more upmarket two-door brethren, BMW officially unveiled the 4 Series coupe on Friday. It’s the first time the German automaker has sold the coupe under the 4 Series name.

By separating the two, BMW’s move is similar to what the automaker did with its 6 Series coupe. That car is a more luxurious and sporty model based on the 5 Series sedan, and has spawned a convertible and four-door coupe variant. Expect a 4 Series convertible and possibly four-door coupe version in the coming years.

PHOTOS: BMW announces all-new 4 Series Coupe

Audi has taken a similar approach with its A5 coupe and convertible, which are based on the less expensive A4 sedan.

Mechanically, the 4 Series coupe is identical to the 3 Series, and most of the dimensions are the same. The wheelbase and length are identical, while the coupe is almost three inches lower and half an inch wider.

Under the hood, the new...

Honda issued a rare apology on Friday to frustrated customers who were having difficulty grabbing one of its 1,100 all-electric Fit EV cars.

Honda has seen a rush of interest in the low-volume model since dropping the lease price in late May, to $259 from $389. The deal requires no money down, has no mileage limit, and includes a free in-home charger and collision insurance.

One Santa Monica dealership said it had three of the cars sitting on the lot for months. Just after Honda’s announcement, all three were snatched up by customers in a single morning and a waiting list formed.

Honda saw similar interest nationwide. After selling just 176 Fit EVs during the first 11 months the car was available in the U.S., the lease deal led to an additional 144 sold in the first two weeks of June alone.

Dealers sold out of the model in Southern California and elsewhere, but more Fit EVs are on the way, assured Steve Center, Honda’s vice president of Environmental Business Development, in...

Automakers topped the list of the greenest global businesses when Interbrand released its annual list earlier this week.

But while the industry has made gains, it isn’t a bastion of green policies and often fights the efforts by regulators to reduce emissions, according to some environmentalists.

“The question remains as to whether the auto industry continues to invest in fuel economy and zero emission technologies or will they fight back whenever there is a periodic review,” said Simon Mui, director of the California vehicles and fuels office at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Toyota, followed by Ford and Honda claimed the top three spots on the brand consulting firm’s list, which measures companies against two criteria: their ability to demonstrate that they source and produce products in an environmentally responsible manner and the consumer perceptions of their environmental credibility.

There are probably two reasons why automakers score so well.

Fir...

Projects supporting California’s hydrogen fuel cell infrastructure will see a hefty boost thanks to more than $18 million in grant funding, the state’s Energy Commission announced this week.

The agency’s dollars will go toward installing, or in some cases upgrading, hydrogen fuel stations in several counties around Southern California. Ranging in size from $1.5 million to more than $6.6 million, the five awards come through the Energy Commission’s Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program.

The initiative and this particular round of awards are intended to move the state toward reaching a goal set by Gov. Jerry Brown in an executive order last year to have 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2025.

FULL COVERAGE: Electric cars gain momentum

Using hydrogen to create electricity with no gas emissions spewing from tailpipes, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles fall squarely into the ZEV category.  Both Mercedes-Benz and Honda have had...

This week brought news of numerous recalls (Honda, Chrysler's Ram truck, Dodge), big rebates on the Chevy Volt, and a partnership between DreamWorks and Ford that will bring a modified Mustang to the big screen in next year’s "Need for Speed" film.

Here’s what else you may have missed from this week’s car news:

Apple announced its latest operating system will have an in-car component. Speaking at Apple’s 2013 Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, senior vice president Eddy Cue said iOS in the Car would use the iPhone’s voice-activated Siri system and integrate the phone’s maps, texting and music into the existing screen in the car.

In his address, Cue said 95% of vehicles being sold today can integrate "music playback and control" from an Apple device. Seeking to build on this connectivity, Cue said, iOS in the Car will use voice-activated commands for hands-free and eyes-free control.

Numerous automakers are slated to include this system in their...

Chrysler Group is recalling about 30,000 new Ram pickup trucks to fix a dashboard light that is supposed to warn drivers if their vehicle tail lights aren't working.

Chrysler dealers will perform a software upgrade on the recalled trucks to reactivate the warning light, which is a mandated safety feature.

“Chrysler Group is unaware of any accidents, injuries or complaints associated with this recall,” said Kristin Kolodge, a senior manager at Chrysler for product investigations and Campaigns. “This proactive response reflects our ongoing commitment to regulatory compliance and customer satisfaction.”

The malfunction was discovered by Chrysler engineers during routine testing.

The campaign involves approximately 17,400 model-year 2013 Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickups in the U.S.; 11,500 in Canada; 470 in Mexico and 775 in overseas markets.

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The price of used cars posted its biggest drop since October, according to an industry guide, an indication the tight market for late-model-year vehicles is starting to ease.

The NADA Used Car Guide said prices for cars and trucks up to 8 years old declined 2.1% in May.

 “While prices this year have held up well, a growing supply of 3-year-old vehicles is applying downward pressure on prices for late-model used vehicles,” said Jonathan Banks, executive automotive analyst for the NADA Used Car Guide.

A better supply of late-model used cars results from a rebound in the new auto sales since the low in 2009. More people are buying new vehicles, trading in their used cars and more cars are coming off lease or are being sold by the car rental companies.

Some types of vehicles are in better supply and have prices that are declining faster than others.

For example, NADA estimated the late-model supply of midsize cars and compact and luxury utility vehicles has increased on average by...

Honda is recalling about 18,000 vehicles including the Acura RSX sedan and the Honda S2000 sports car sold in the U.S. because of a brake problem.
 
The automaker said a manufacturing error in the power brake system components may cause it to decrease the assistance it provides in braking, a factor that increases the risk of a crash.
 
However, no crashes or injuries have been reported related to this issue, which was discovered through an analysis of warranty claims.
 
The recall includes 5,239 Honda S2000 vehicles from the 2006-2007 model years and 13,113 Acura RSX vehicles from the 2006 model year. Honda said it will inspect and, if needed, replace the brake booster in these vehicles.

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Consumers have begun to buy fully electric cars and plug-in hybrids in numbers sufficient to help California meet its ambitious Low Carbon Fuel Standard, according to a new report.

California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, a regulatory program established under then Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, requires a 10% reduction in the carbon intensity of transportation fuels used in the state by 2020.

Carbon intensity is a measure of how much carbon dioxide is spewed into the atmosphere from using a fuel. One of the ways to meet that goal is to reduce the use of gasoline and diesel.

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Some might argue that fuel-efficient vehicles such as the Toyota Prius technically accomplish the same thing by delivering more miles per gallon.

But the Prius, California's bestselling car, doesn't count toward the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, according to Eileen Tutt, executive director of the California Electric Transportation Coalition and Philip Sheehy, a...