Prius Prime lease deal, Ford multi-activity EV, diesel fine for former Audi exec: Today’s Car News

The courts aren’t done with Dieselgate. Ford reveals another intriguing small EV for Europe. And why does the Prius Prime cost less to lease? This and more, here at Green Car Reports.

The Toyota Prius Prime plug-in hybrid costs less to lease than the Prius hybrid—even though the Prime has a higher sticker price. That’s because Toyota is applying federal tax credit funds for this made-in-Japan plug-in that apply to the lease but not to purchases. 

Dieselgate drags on in the courts, even with top-level CEOs. Former Audi CEO Rupert Stadler on Tuesday admitted guilt and agreed to pay a $1.2 million fine for continuing to sell vehicles with emissions-cheating software after the scandal broke. Stadler’s legacy isn’t entirely mired in diesel smoke though, as he pushed ahead with plans to electrify Audi that continue to this day. 

And Ford earlier this week showed the E-Tourneo Courier, a seriously small electric van that could be a go-against-the-grain game-changer for the U.S. market, versus the Hyundai Kona Electric or Kia Soul. But the “multi-activity vehicle” is another one—like the European Explorer EV—that won’t be coming to the U.S., while Ford focuses some or all of its electric efforts on larger EVs. 

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