AutoblogGreen (100 unread)

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• Chrysler working with General Electric on hybrid and battery technology

  Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Hybrid, Chrysler, Legislation and Policy, USA

  
  General Electric has been building hybrids for many years. Its Evolution Series of locomotives are some of the most efficient currently on the market, and the giant company has plans [...]

  Fetched: June 15, 2008, 1:02pm EDT by Jeremy Korzeniewski

• Mahindra's new truck searching for new name

  Filed under: Diesel, India, USA

  Considering how slow change tends to come in the compact truck market, perhaps the domestic automakers should feel a mild quaking in their collective boots over the impending arrival of Mahindra's new diesel-powered pickup. We can at [...]

  Fetched: June 15, 2008, 1:02pm EDT by Jeremy Korzeniewski

• Mazda working on cellulosic biomass based plastic

  Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Mazda

  Ford has been developing lots of different materials from renewable sources including the soyfoam that they introduced in the Mustang seats for 2008. Now Ford's Japanese affiliate Mazda has kicked off a new research program with hometown school Hiroshima University to [...]

  Fetched: June 15, 2008, 1:02pm EDT by Sam Abuelsamid

• Non-auto related businesses giving away free gas

  Filed under: Etc., Green Daily

  
  
  By now, you are surely aware of the gas promotions being run by auto companies such as Chrysler and Suzuki. While these programs have proved unsuccessful overall, this has not stopped other industries from [...]

  Fetched: June 15, 2008, 1:02pm EDT by Jeremy Korzeniewski

• Fake 3D speed bumps to appear in Philly

  Filed under: Etc., Legislation and Policy, Green Daily, USA

  
  Photo: Mike DeNardo
  
  In what strikes us as a bit... uh, stupid, Philadelphia is actually planning to install fake speed bumps on some city streets in an effort to slow drivers [...]

  Fetched: June 15, 2008, 1:02pm EDT by Jeremy Korzeniewski

• ETA's Green Car of the Year is the Toyota ...

  Filed under: Etc., Green Daily, UK

  
  
  
  Saturday will kick off the 2008 Green Transport Week in the UK. To gin up a little bit of discussion at the start of the week, the organizing group (the Environmental Transport Association) has released a [...]

  Fetched: June 14, 2008, 5:37pm EDT by Sebastian Blanco

• Chicago lawmakers trying to get taxi fleet to clean up by 2014; cabbies not happy

  Filed under: Hybrid, Green Daily

  
  Photo by Mister-E. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.
  
  What's worse, suffering under $4 gallons of gas or having to buy a new, more efficient (but also very expensive) vehicle? For the drivers of the 6,700 taxis [...]

  Fetched: June 14, 2008, 5:37pm EDT by Sebastian Blanco

• Mercedes Benz's modular green car technologies

  Filed under: Diesel, Emerging Technologies, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Mercedes Benz, Green Daily

  There is no silver bullet to kill the oil werewolf. How many times have we heard that line (well, without the werewolf part)? A lot, and Mercedes issued a press [...]

  Fetched: June 14, 2008, 5:37pm EDT by Sebastian Blanco

• Are high gas prices "forcing" Americans toward ethanol?

  Filed under: Ethanol, Green Daily

  Here's an interesting way to phrase things. The Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC) is trying to reframe America's current high pump costs with this headline: "Gas Prices Force Americans to Push for Ethanol Fuel." O rly?
  
  See, [...]

  Fetched: June 14, 2008, 5:37pm EDT by Sebastian Blanco

• Creating reverse-graffiti by selectively cleaning

  Filed under: Green Culture, Green Daily

  
  
  Grafitti has long been the scourge of building owners and municipal officials everywhere. Sometimes graffiti is actually really great urban art. But often it is just vandalism. Now there is a third category. English artist Paul "Moose" Curtis [...]

  Fetched: June 14, 2008, 5:37pm EDT by Sam Abuelsamid

• T. Boone Pickens continues his bad energy news tour, wants to be a player in the fall election

  Filed under: Etc., Legislation and Policy, Green Daily, USA

  
  Andrew Littlefair (left) and T. Boone Pickens in Las Vegas in May
  
  There was a lot of interest in my post about oil (and wind and natural gas) man T. Boone Pickens' [...]

  Fetched: June 14, 2008, 5:37pm EDT by Sebastian Blanco

• Volkswagen shows off fuel cell Tiguan at new San Jose dealership

  Filed under: Hydrogen, Volkswagen

  
  
  At the opening of a new Volkswagen dealership in San Jose, CA on Thursday the company celebrated by showing off its Tiguan HyMotion concept in the U.S. for the first time. The Tiguan was joined by the regular 2.0L TFSI [...]

  Fetched: June 14, 2008, 5:37pm EDT by Sam Abuelsamid

• Piaggio MP3 on the Lincoln Highway: A "No Age Limit" adventure

  Filed under: Green Culture, On Two Wheels, Green Daily, USA

  
  Click above for more images of the Piaggio MP3 400 and 500
  
  Two seventy-something year old men will soon be embarking on a 3,400 mile trip across the U.S. on the [...]

  Fetched: June 14, 2008, 5:37pm EDT by Jeremy Korzeniewski

• Who Killed The Electric Car - with stars - in Cali next weekend

  Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Green Daily

  A screening of Who Killed the Electric Car? doesn't usually merit a post. I mean, this is a 2006 movie that is available pretty much everywhere these days. But at the Torrance Public Library in Torrance, California next weekend, you'll [...]

  Fetched: June 14, 2008, 5:37pm EDT by Sebastian Blanco

• Got an extra $90 grand? Consider a self-driving Escape hybrid

  Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Hybrid, Ford

  
  
  We've been taking a close look at many of the vehicles created for various DARPA challenges, and it finally appears as if some of the new technology gained by these trials is trickling down into [...]

  Fetched: June 14, 2008, 5:37pm EDT by Jeremy Korzeniewski

• Ratan Tata, Michael Boustridge join X Prize Foundation Board

  Filed under: Automotive X-Prize

  
  
  
  A month ago, Tata Motors announced they would be entering two vehicles in the [...]

  Fetched: June 14, 2008, 5:37pm EDT by Sebastian Blanco

• Trucks, tonneaus and mpg - what's the scoop?

  Filed under: Etc., MPG, Green Daily

  
  Photo by Mountain/\Ash. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.
  
  There are many articles and forum discussions about the mileage benefits (or lack thereof) of a tonneau over a truck bed. We wrote about the [...]

  Fetched: June 14, 2008, 5:37pm EDT by Sebastian Blanco

• Volt battery decision soon, and 20 mile EV option possible

  Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Chevrolet, GM

  
  
  Much has been said recently about both the potential cost of the Chevy Volt and who will supply the batteries for the production car. During our recent chat, Bob Lutz he told us that [...]

  Fetched: June 14, 2008, 5:37pm EDT by Sam Abuelsamid

• Ungreen your Smart of the day: Smart Fortwo Königseder

  Filed under: SMART, Green Daily

  
  
  Smart already offers a tuned up version of the Fortwo in Europe, named Bravus, for those who think that its original power is not enough. But wait, there's even more now: Austrian tuner Königseder decided that the two [...]

  Fetched: June 14, 2008, 5:37pm EDT by Xavier Navarro

• Sigh. Hybrid lies continue to spread

  Filed under: Green Culture, Hybrid, HUMMER, Toyota, Green Daily

  
  
  At this point, it seems certain that the old Prius versus Hummer "debate" is never going to die. Despite being proven false, the study continues to pop up every [...]

  Fetched: June 14, 2008, 5:37pm EDT by Jeremy Korzeniewski

• While Elon takes credit, Tesla Roadster heads to Le Mans

  Filed under: Tesla Motors

  
  
  While Tesla Chairman Elon Musk is taking credit for other people's work, the sales team is off continuing its European tour with a visit to Le Mans. While the diesel Audis and Peugeots were out tearing up the track [...]

  Fetched: June 14, 2008, 5:37pm EDT by Sam Abuelsamid

• Sumitomo superconducting motor powers prototype

  Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Japan

  
  
  Sumitomo Electric Industries (SEI) will soon be showing off a new superconducting motor that increases torque and takes your electric vehicle 13 per cent farther. If you happen to be in Sapporo, Hokkaido in Northern Japan [...]

  Fetched: June 14, 2008, 5:37pm EDT by Domenick Yoney

• Fiat CEO: Our most realistic way to go green to reduce size

  Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Green Culture, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Fiat

  If you didn't know, Sergio Marchionne is Fiat's CEO. In a recent interview in the French-speaking Swiss media outlet L'Hebdo, he spoke about the bank crisis, Switzerland's politics and his life in Switzerland. [...]

  Fetched: June 14, 2008, 5:37pm EDT by Xavier Navarro

• Audi launches new 46mpg A4 TDI in British market

  Filed under: Diesel, MPG, Audi

  
  
  Our British friends now have a couple of new engine options to choose from in the Audi A4, including a lower-powered version of the 2.0L TDI diesel. The new diesel is rated at 119hp and 214hp and [...]

  Fetched: June 14, 2008, 5:37pm EDT by Sam Abuelsamid

• Another way to scoot: Pulse Kick 'N Go Xcelerator

  Filed under: Etc., On Two Wheels, Green Daily

  
  Click above for more high-res shots of the Pulse scooter
  
  According to the advertisements, "The more you kick it, the more it screams." Perhaps they aren't talking about what you think they are talking [...]

  Fetched: June 14, 2008, 5:37pm EDT by Jeremy Korzeniewski

• Traffic vibration on bridge generates electric power

  Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Etc., Japan

  
  
  The Metropolitan Expressway Co., a company managing the construction, renovation, maintenance, and administration of expressways in and around Tokyo, has announced a project to generate electricity by converting energy created by the vibration resulting from automobiles driving [...]

  Fetched: June 11, 2008, 11:36pm EDT by Xavier Navarro

• Ford picks Johnson Controls-Saft to supply batteries for PHEV Escapes

  Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Ford, Green Daily

  
  
  When Ford handed over the keys to a plug-in Escape hybrid to Southern California Edison last December, one of many secrets the companies kept to themselves was which battery maker was [...]

  Fetched: June 11, 2008, 11:36pm EDT by Sebastian Blanco

• Toyota confirms plug-in hybrid vehicle for 2010

  Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Toyota

  
  
  Toyota has announced it will offer a plug-in hybrid vehicle with lithium-ion batteries (most likely, for lease, not for sale) in Japan, the U.S. and Europe by 2010. This is the confirmation of the success of Toyota's [...]

  Fetched: June 11, 2008, 11:36pm EDT by Xavier Navarro

• Photoshop of the Day: Flying high with a Vectrix scooter

  Filed under: EV/Plug-in, On Two Wheels, Green Daily, Vectrix

  
  Click above for two shots of the stunting Vectrix
  
  Being big fans of electric vehicles in general, the Vectrix scooter is high on our lists of cool transportation options. Sure, the two-wheeled [...]

  Fetched: June 11, 2008, 11:36pm EDT by Jeremy Korzeniewski

• Auto Nation CEO says gas prices will benefit Detroit

  Filed under: MPG, Green Daily

  Mike Jackson is the Chairman and CEO of Auto Nation, the largest dealership group in the United States. Auto Nation showrooms around the country sell just about every brand of car offered here and Jackson is actually glad to see [...]

  Fetched: June 11, 2008, 11:36pm EDT by Sam Abuelsamid

• Pilgrim International begins producing composite RVs

  Filed under: Etc., Lightweight, USA

  As was just pointed out on this very blog the other day, the Recreational Vehicle (RV) market has been hit extremely hard by the recent rising fuel prices. As you have probably noticed yourself, diesel prices have seen [...]

  Fetched: June 11, 2008, 11:36pm EDT by Jeremy Korzeniewski

• Fiat 500 sells for £200,000

  Filed under: Etc., Fiat, UK

  
  
  You must think that the buyer was crazy, as the Fiat 500 can be bought in the dealer for about £10,000. Why would someone pay £200,000 for one? The car was sold at an auction last week for [...]

  Fetched: June 11, 2008, 11:36pm EDT by Xavier Navarro

• What Car? starts up "Slow down, save cash" project

  Filed under: MPG, Green Daily, UK

  
  
  Hypermilers know this already, but What Car?, the British automotive media outlet, released the results of a study today that shows just how much money can be saved by some sensible - in this case [...]

  Fetched: June 11, 2008, 11:36pm EDT by Sebastian Blanco

• Automakers not keen on fuel incentives in Europe

  Filed under: Chrysler, Kia, Suzuki, Green Daily

  Here in the United States, consumers who fill up their fuel tanks are just now beginning to see the type of pain that Europeans have seen at the pump for years. Reactions to the recent rises in [...]

  Fetched: June 11, 2008, 11:36pm EDT by Jeremy Korzeniewski

• Can-Am hosts Inaugural Spyder Homecoming Owner Event in Canada

  Filed under: On Two Wheels, North America

  
  Click above for more shots of the Can-Am Spyder
  
  We are certain that there are quite a number of people on the roads who don't quite know what to make of the Can-Am Spyder. In case [...]

  Fetched: June 11, 2008, 11:36pm EDT by Jeremy Korzeniewski

• Automakers work on sustainable air conditioning

  Filed under: Etc., Legislation and Policy, Green Daily

  
  It wasn't all that long ago that the auto industry was under fire for its use of ozone-depleting chemicals in its air conditioning systems. To curb those fears, the older R-12 refrigerant was replaced [...]

  Fetched: June 11, 2008, 11:36pm EDT by Jeremy Korzeniewski

• Glasgow council orders 320 Polo BlueMotion vehicles

  Filed under: Diesel, Volkswagen, UK

  
  
  This is the largest order to date for the Polo BlueMotion: 320 Polos have been ordered by Glasgow, Scotland city council. The vehicles were judged on parameters including fuel efficiency, viability for every day use, comfort and value [...]

  Fetched: June 11, 2008, 11:36pm EDT by Xavier Navarro

• GM and Clean Energy to open hydrogen station near LAX

  Filed under: Hydrogen, Chevrolet, GM

  
  
  General Motors is announcing a new partnership today with Clean Energy to install a hydrogen filling station near Los Angeles International Airport. Clean Energy is a California-based company that currently operates 170 compressed natural gas filling stations around [...]

  Fetched: June 11, 2008, 11:36pm EDT by Sam Abuelsamid

• Saturn drops the Green Line moniker

  Filed under: Hybrid, Saturn, USA

  
  Click above for a high-res gallery of the Two-Mode Vue
  
  Ever since the initial hybrid version of the Saturn Vue, the "different kind of company" chose to go its own way by badging its fuel-saving wares as [...]

  Fetched: June 11, 2008, 11:36pm EDT by Jeremy Korzeniewski

• GM joins California EPA campaign to reduce motor oil consumption

  Filed under: Etc., GM, Green Daily, USA

  
  
  Not long ago we spoke about a campaign by the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) that recommended to verify how often motor oil had to be changed. General Motors has joined the campaign [...]

  Fetched: June 11, 2008, 11:36pm EDT by Xavier Navarro

• Toyota wants you to know it has the most fuel efficient line

  Filed under: MPG, Honda, Toyota, USA

  
  Click above for 91 high-resolution images of the new Scion xD
  
  Toyota and Honda have battled it out as the greenest automaker these last few years pretty much no matter how you look at it. [...]

  Fetched: June 11, 2008, 11:36pm EDT by Jeremy Korzeniewski

• Barack on a bike

  Filed under: On Two Wheels, Green Daily

  With the gas tax idea hopefully safely behind us and just two major party political contenders left in the race for president of the U.S., the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee, Barack Obama, spent some time over the [...]

  Fetched: June 11, 2008, 11:36pm EDT by Sebastian Blanco

• Sales of high polluting cars keep plummeting in Spain

  Filed under: Legislation and Policy, European Union

  
  
  Higher fuel prices? Higher registration taxes? Economic downturn? Might these three issues be the reasons why cars that produce more than 200 g/km of CO2 just aren't being purchased in Spain as much as they used [...]

  Fetched: June 11, 2008, 11:36pm EDT by Xavier Navarro

• Dodge to revise its marketing strategy, no longer wants to be power brand

  Filed under: Green Culture, Dodge, USA

  
  click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Dodge Challenger SE and R/T
  
  Dodge and its Ram badge has long been associated with power, and the marque is considered to be Chrysler's performance brand. In these [...]

  Fetched: June 11, 2008, 11:36pm EDT by Jeremy Korzeniewski

• Ford to shift U.S. truck plants over to producing Euro car models

  Filed under: Manufacturing/Plants, MPG, Ford

  
  
  In what may be the obvious move in recent memory, Ford is apparently scrambling right now to figure out how to quickly re-tool truck assembly plants churning out trucks that no one wants in order to build [...]

  Fetched: June 11, 2008, 11:36pm EDT by Sam Abuelsamid

• Honda Civic shoots to the top of the sales charts for May

  Filed under: MPG, Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Toyota

  
  
  In a generally awful sales month in May, one car had an exceptionally hot reception in the marketplace. In a month where the Ford F-Series pickup tumbled from the overall top spot for first [...]

  Fetched: June 04, 2008, 1:59pm EDT by Sam Abuelsamid

• Who said 130? 120? The EU could ask automakers go down to 95 g/km

  Filed under: Legislation and Policy, European Union

  
  
  The Slovenian rotating president of the EU (commemorative logo pictured above) has proposed a new, very low figure for average fleet CO2 emissions. Instead of going modest and demanding automakers lower their average to 130 g/km by [...]

  Fetched: June 04, 2008, 1:59pm EDT by Xavier Navarro

• Over a dozen cellulosic ethanol plants going up in the U.S.

  Filed under: Ethanol, Manufacturing/Plants

  
  Photo by Eric Charlton. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.
  
  Everyone who follows the biofuel industry knows that the future of ethanol lies in cellulose. While corn is today's big feedstock, the potential to make ethanol cheaper and [...]

  Fetched: June 04, 2008, 1:59pm EDT by Sebastian Blanco

• Ford Escape hybrid earns $33,000 for Santa Monica Bay group at auction

  Filed under: Hybrid, Ford, Green Daily

  
  
  SUVs just aren't as popular as they used to be. Last June, when Ford donated a 2007 Ford Escape hybrid to the Santa Monica Bay protection group Heal The Bay, the SUV sold for $37,000. [...]

  Fetched: June 04, 2008, 1:59pm EDT by Sebastian Blanco

• Ford preparing to launch fumes-to-fuel at Flex assembly plant

  Filed under: Manufacturing/Plants, Ford

  
  
  With full production of Ford's new Flex crossover kicking off this week, the Dearborn automaker is cleaning up the plant's emissions and generating electricity at the same time. The Flex is built at the Oakville Assembly Plant west of Toronto [...]

  Fetched: June 04, 2008, 1:59pm EDT by Sam Abuelsamid

• Riding around town in the Sidekick, a homebrew pedal hybrid

  Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Green Culture, On Two Wheels, Green Daily

  
  
  Funny how the Internet operates. Treehugger wrote about the Trailcart, and then we and BoingBoing did as well. A BoingBoing reader thinks, hey, that's kind of like what my husband built, [...]

  Fetched: June 04, 2008, 1:59pm EDT by Sebastian Blanco

• Nissan announces new model to replace the Micra

  Filed under: Nissan, UK

  
  
  The somewhat funky Micra is going to be replaced in 2010. Nissan announced that its British plant in Sunderland, as well as other plants in four Leading Competitive Countries, will be building its replacement. It will be made from a [...]

  Fetched: June 04, 2008, 1:59pm EDT by Xavier Navarro

• Amid GM doom and gloom, some good news for Michigan

  Filed under: Manufacturing/Plants, MPG, GM

  
  
  There hasn't been a whole lot of positive news for Michigan's economy in the last few years and the auto industry has been among the low-lights. Since the 1980s, the city of Flint, in particular, has been [...]

  Fetched: June 04, 2008, 1:59pm EDT by Sam Abuelsamid

• MIT working on semi-autonomous cars that adapt to drivers

  Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Transportation Alternatives

  
  
  The mavens at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are always up to something interesting. The latest project out of the MIT AgeLab is the Aware Car. What looks like a conventional Volvo to the casual observer is [...]

  Fetched: June 04, 2008, 9:07am EDT by Sam Abuelsamid

• Yokohama increasing tire prices 6 percent, fuel prices part of the reason

  Filed under: Etc.

  Keeping your tires in good condition is an important element of maximizing your fuel efficiency. Maintaining tire pressures at optimum levels and ensuring that the wheels are properly aligned helps to maximize a vehicle's handling capability which is important for safety and to minimize [...]

  Fetched: June 04, 2008, 9:07am EDT by Sam Abuelsamid

• GM asks Detroit and Michigan for tax breaks for Volt production

  Filed under: Manufacturing/Plants, Chevrolet, GM, Legislation and Policy

  
  
  No major manufacturer ever builds a new factory without getting lots of tax breaks from state and local governments. In fact, what happens is they announce plans to build a factory without specifying [...]

  Fetched: June 04, 2008, 9:07am EDT by Sam Abuelsamid

• Northside Choppers debuts "Hot Box" kit to run E85 in V-Twins

  Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Flex-Fuel, On Two Wheels, USA

  
  
  Northside Choppers has announced new product called the "Hot Box," a computer system that plugs into the existing wiring harness and allows the use of gasoline, ethanol or any mixture of [...]

  Fetched: June 04, 2008, 9:07am EDT by Jeremy Korzeniewski

• BREAKING: HUMMER may die, 4 GM plants to close, Volt approved for production

  Filed under: Etc., Hybrid, Manufacturing/Plants, MPG, Chevrolet, GM, GMC, HUMMER

  
  Gas prices in excess of $4 a gallon and a collapsing market for new home construction is triggering General Motors to undertake yet another round of restructuring and plant [...]

  Fetched: June 04, 2008, 9:07am EDT by Sam Abuelsamid

• Earthrace update: losing an engine here, damaging a propeller there

  Filed under: Biodiesel, Etc., Green Daily

  
  
  Following a biodiesel flood during the Atlantic crossing, the Earthrace biodiesel-powered boat continued on its [...]

  Fetched: June 04, 2008, 9:07am EDT by Sebastian Blanco

• Trailcart, a pedal-powered four-wheel-drive vehicle

  Filed under: Etc., Transportation Alternatives, On Two Wheels, Germany

  
  Click above for more images of the Trailcart
  
  While one could argue that there is nothing inherently wrong with a plain old off-road capable mountain bike and its two large wheels, we [...]

  Fetched: June 04, 2008, 9:07am EDT by Jeremy Korzeniewski

• Global biofuel industry representatives defend their product at UN conference

  Filed under: Biodiesel, Ethanol, Legislation and Policy, Green Daily

  
  Photo by Hummanna. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.
  
  Food security is a big issue in global politics these days, and the UN is starting a three-day conference in Rome today to [...]

  Fetched: June 04, 2008, 9:07am EDT by Sebastian Blanco

• Japan Post plans a switch to electric cars, Mitsubishi stock soars

  Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Japan

  
  Click above for a high-res gallery of the Mitsuibshi i MiEV
  
  News comes from the Japan Post Service Co, which is the mail delivery unit of Japan Post Group, that the mail [...]

  Fetched: June 04, 2008, 9:07am EDT by Jeremy Korzeniewski

• Mazda2 three-door and diesel now waiting for European buyers

  Filed under: Diesel, Mazda, European Union

  
  
  The new Mazda2 has been a sport success for Mazda, selling almost 40,000 copies as of April since hitting the showrooms last October. A three-door version (above) was announced back in January and is now available [...]

  Fetched: June 04, 2008, 9:07am EDT by Sebastian Blanco

• Superlattice Power Inc. claims new EV battery will offer 200+ mile range

  Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, USA

  
  
  We thought Hybrid Technologies had been awfully quiet of late about their new superlattice li-ion batteries, but it seems they've been busy forming a new battery company (not to mention designing a new car to [...]

  Fetched: June 04, 2008, 9:07am EDT by Domenick Yoney

• German journalists eke out 73 mpg in a production car

  Filed under: Diesel, MPG, Volkswagen, European Union, Germany

  
  
  This time, a high mile per gallon number was recorded in Europe and not with a Peugeot. A group of German motor journalists managed to get 3.2 l/100 km (73 mpg U.S.) [...]

  Fetched: June 04, 2008, 9:07am EDT by Xavier Navarro

• Citroën launches natural gas-powered C3

  Filed under: Citroen, Natural Gas, European Union

  
  
  digg_url = 'http://digg.com/design/Citroen_launches_natural_gas_powered_C3'; Citroën has decided to adapt the middle model of the C3 lineup to run on compressed natural gas (CNG). The CNG version manages to reduce by 18 percent the amount of CO2 produced [...]

  Fetched: June 04, 2008, 9:07am EDT by Xavier Navarro

• 35 mpg Jeep Patriot now comes with more shiny features

  Filed under: Diesel, Jeep

  
  click to enlarge
  
  A diesel-engined Jeep Patriot can go through six countries under the right circumstances. Jeep would like to remind you that even if you're not going on a lengthy journey, you can still enjoy the 35mpg [...]

  Fetched: June 04, 2008, 9:07am EDT by Sebastian Blanco

• Hitachi Maxell and Subaru working on new lithium battery, boast 20x power improvement

  Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Subaru, Japan

  
  Click above for a high-res gallery of the Subaru R1e
  
  News comes by way of the Japanese news resource Nikkei that Hitachi Maxell is currently hard at work on a new lithium-based battery [...]

  Fetched: June 04, 2008, 9:07am EDT by Jeremy Korzeniewski

• Get free gas with a new pair of pants

  Filed under: Etc., Green Daily

  Deals on gasoline make at least some sort of sense when automakers offer them (looking at you, crazy Chrysler), but when the latest free gas gimmick comes from buying Dockers, you know fuel prices are high. This is exactly [...]

  Fetched: June 04, 2008, 9:07am EDT by Sebastian Blanco

• Volkswagen Golf getting even smaller engines

  Filed under: MPG, Volkswagen

  
  
  Volkswagen has been one of the leaders in recent years in the area of downsizing engines. The German company was one of the first to start employing boosted and direct injected small displacement four cylinder engines to replace larger [...]

  Fetched: June 04, 2008, 9:07am EDT by Sam Abuelsamid

• Total opens highway hydrogen fueling station in Belgium

  Filed under: Hydrogen, BMW, European Union

  
  
  The first European hydrogen station installed along a highway is now open. The oil giant Total has opened the fuel kiosk along the Ruisbroek-Brussels highway in Belgium, and it is the first hydrogen dispensing station that is [...]

  Fetched: June 04, 2008, 9:07am EDT by Xavier Navarro

• Update to the Predator-Defiant EV3 story

  Filed under: EV/Plug-in, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, Green Daily

  
  If you've been wondering about the connection between the Predator EV3 and the Deviant EV3, two electric cars that look very similar and seem to be under development by the same company, we have your answer. [...]

  Fetched: June 04, 2008, 9:07am EDT by Sebastian Blanco

• Prius sales down 40% in May, tight supplies blamed

  Filed under: Hybrid, Toyota

  
  
  May was a tough month for almost every automaker doing business in the U.S. Only Honda and Toyota showed gains among the major full-line manufacturers. Mighty Toyota which seemed impervious for so long dropped by 7.9%. While a dropoff in [...]

  Fetched: June 04, 2008, 9:07am EDT by Sam Abuelsamid

• Toyota introduces Night View on Japanese Crown Hybrid

  Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Hybrid, Toyota, Japan

  
  Click above to view more images of Toyota's Night View technology
  
  Toyota has been offering a large car known as the Crown in Japan for many years, and it often gets flagship-level technology which [...]

  Fetched: May 31, 2008, 1:58pm EDT by Jeremy Korzeniewski

• Freed, the Honda Fit-based minivan, released in Japan

  Filed under: MPG, Honda, Japan

  
  
  Although it doesn't look as we are going to see it Stateside, Honda has launched a Japanese minivan based on the Honda Fit platform. It's called Freed and in just 4.2 meters (165 inches) we can carry [...]

  Fetched: May 31, 2008, 1:58pm EDT by Xavier Navarro

• A Subaru Outback that gets 40.6mpg? Welcome to diesel Subies!

  Filed under: Diesel, Subaru

  
  
  Fans of Subarus tend to really love them. Their styling has more often than not been charitably described as quirky. But it's what's under the skin of a Subaru that makes it special. For decades, Subaru has touted the [...]

  Fetched: May 31, 2008, 1:58pm EDT by Sam Abuelsamid

• Kristen Davis takes Hydrogen 7 to "Sex and the City" premiere

  Filed under: Hydrogen, BMW, Green Daily

  
  Photo credit: Vince Bucci/Getty Images. Click to enlarge.
  
  Last night, for a special screening of the movie version of "Sex and the City," star Kristen Davis got a ride in the dual-fuel BMW Hydrogen 7. Davis [...]

  Fetched: May 30, 2008, 9:01pm EDT by Sebastian Blanco

• Is George Soros right about an oil price bubble that will burst?

  Filed under: Etc.

  With oil prices hovering around $130/barrel this week, the obvious question is how high can the price go. There are plenty of factors that affect the price of oil including possibly waning supplies, increasing demand and, of course, speculation. George Soros has [...]

  Fetched: May 30, 2008, 9:01pm EDT by Sam Abuelsamid

• Smith EV joins LTI to offer an EV cab for the UK

  Filed under: EV/Plug-in, UK

  Although there are some concerns about the range of an electric taxi for a city like London, Smith Electric Vehicles wants to prove that it can be made. Smith has announced, via its newsletter, an agreement with LTI Vehicles, the manufacturers [...]

  Fetched: May 30, 2008, 9:01pm EDT by Xavier Navarro

• Kelley Blue Book recommends maybe selling your SUV right now

  Filed under: Etc., MPG, Green Daily

  
  Photo by Joguldi. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.
  
  We all know that sales and values of large vehicles are slumping - just ask Nissan about their Titan pickup. But if you're driving [...]

  Fetched: May 30, 2008, 9:01pm EDT by Sebastian Blanco

• Ford expected to build North American Fiesta in Mexico

  Filed under: Manufacturing/Plants, Ford

  
  
  We still have another year and a half or so before the new Ford Fiesta will be available at North American Ford dealerships but we may know today where the little car will be built. Ford is expected to [...]

  Fetched: May 30, 2008, 9:01pm EDT by Sam Abuelsamid

• Project Driveway participant starts a blog on Popular Mechanics

  Filed under: Hydrogen, Chevrolet, GM, Green Daily, USA

  General Motor's Project Driveway campaign began late last year and is expected to continue on for a total of three years. A few of the participants have spoken about their experiences with [...]

  Fetched: May 30, 2008, 9:01pm EDT by Jeremy Korzeniewski

• FIM to observe World Environment Day at upcoming Superbike race

  Filed under: Etc., On Two Wheels, USA

  Adding fuel to the fire of whether or not racing activities could ever be considered green at all is the fact that the Federation International De Motocyclisme (FIM) will be observing the United Nations Environment Program's World [...]

  Fetched: May 30, 2008, 9:01pm EDT by Jeremy Korzeniewski

• Next generation Audi powertrain info comes to light

  Filed under: Diesel, MPG, Audi

  
  
  Audi looks set to go on a major engine downsizing kick in the next few years in an attempt to reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. It doesn't look like Audi plans any significant power reductions, [...]

  Fetched: May 30, 2008, 9:01pm EDT by Sam Abuelsamid

• Nissan's Barcelona plant cuts per car water use by over 50% since 1998

  Filed under: Manufacturing/Plants, Nissan, European Union

  
  
  Although the situation has improved in the recent weeks, Barcelona, Spain and its metro area is facing a severe drought, with water reserves that aren't expect to last until the end of the summer. The local governments [...]

  Fetched: May 30, 2008, 9:01pm EDT by Xavier Navarro

• Officially, official: Ford to build Fiesta in Cuautitlán, Mexico, US gets hatch!

  Filed under: Diesel, Manufacturing/Plants, Ford

  
  
  Ford has finally made it official: the upcoming Fiesta for the North American market will be built at the company's assembly plant in Cuautitlán, Mexico. Job 1 for Ford's new B-class car will be coming up in [...]

  Fetched: May 30, 2008, 9:01pm EDT by Sam Abuelsamid

• Toyota denies decision has been made to build Prius in U.S. at joint GM plant

  Filed under: Hybrid, Manufacturing/Plants, Toyota, Green Daily

  
  
  Responding to a Tokyo Shimbun story that said discussions with GM were underway, Toyota says that no decision has been made about potentially building the Prius at New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. (NUMMI), the [...]

  Fetched: May 30, 2008, 9:01pm EDT by Sebastian Blanco

• Biodiesel maker Imperium Renewables facing lawsuit from former employee

  Filed under: Biodiesel, Etc.

  Imperium Renewables operates a huge biodiesel plant in Grays Harbor in Washington State. But now the company has another potentially huge issue to deal with: a lawsuit from a former employee asking for millions of dollars.
  
  Kenneth Orr [...]

  Fetched: May 30, 2008, 9:01pm EDT by Sebastian Blanco

• Th!nk to build cars in North America + Video

  Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Th!nk (Think), USA

  
  
  Back in April, Th!nk made it known that they would be selling its all-electric "City" car in America in 2009 with a sub $25,000 price tag. With an ambitious desire to ramp up future North [...]

  Fetched: May 30, 2008, 9:01pm EDT by Domenick Yoney

• Power of DC brings electric cars to Hagerstown, MD this weekend

  Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Green Daily

  
  
  If you're in the Washington, D.C. area this weekend and need your electrical vehicle fix, may we recommend the Power of DC. The two-day event takes place in Hagerstown and Frederick, Maryland and will feature a lot [...]

  Fetched: May 30, 2008, 9:01pm EDT by Sebastian Blanco

• Hole in One this weekend earns LPGA golfer one of first Aspen Hybrids

  Filed under: Hybrid, Chrysler

  
  
  Last summer Ichiro Suzuki was selected as the MVP of the baseball All-Star game and got the keys to one of the first Chevy Tahoe Two-Mode Hybrids. At the time, those SUVs were still more than six months away [...]

  Fetched: May 30, 2008, 9:01pm EDT by Sam Abuelsamid

• Four-day workweek becoming more common in U.S.

  Filed under: Etc., Green Daily

  
  Photo by Yandle. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.
  
  Some jobs easily lend themselves to telecommuting. Office work, for one, is easily done from home, as is any job that requires nothing but a phone. Oh, and [...]

  Fetched: May 30, 2008, 9:00pm EDT by Sebastian Blanco

• Lotus plans to recycle its unused leather

  Filed under: Etc., Lotus, Green Daily, UK

  Usually, when Lotus appears on the pages of AutoblogGreen, the story has to do with the engineering work that the storied British company does, either for itself or for other automakers -- including one of our [...]

  Fetched: May 30, 2008, 9:00pm EDT by Jeremy Korzeniewski

• Audi going to full LED lighting on the R8 for just $5,600

  Filed under: Emerging Technologies, MPG, Audi

  
  
  In the ongoing effort to improve fuel efficiency on vehicles, automakers are looking for ways to reduce parasitic losses that absorb power from the engine rather than sending it to the drive wheels. That means replacing constant [...]

  Fetched: May 30, 2008, 9:00pm EDT by Sam Abuelsamid

• National Alternative Fuels Foundation's $3.6m earmark trouble

  So, there was this group called the National Alternative Fuels Foundation. We haven't mentioned them on AutoblogGreen as far as I can tell, and that's a good thing. The NAFF, you see, was the recipient of a $3.6m earmark from Congress in the early part of [...]

  Fetched: May 30, 2008, 9:00pm EDT by Sebastian Blanco

• A solar electric lawnmower conversion for just $1,500

  Filed under: Etc., Solar

  
  
  This isn't the first time you've seen a solar lawnmower on AutoblogGreen. In fact, we've seen quite a few different green yard and farming implements in our time -- even solar powered tractors. The ever-increasing price of [...]

  Fetched: May 30, 2008, 9:00pm EDT by Jeremy Korzeniewski

• Ford: Green cars could look like sexy science projects

  Filed under: Etc., Green Culture, Ford, Green Daily

  
  
  Some see the success of the Toyota Prius, compared to such competitors as the Civic Hybrid, as proof that green cars need to look different from their normal siblings. While it may be [...]

  Fetched: May 23, 2008, 3:41am EDT by Jeremy Korzeniewski

• Ethanol usage up exponentially in U.S. and Brazil; not as much in Europe

  Filed under: Ethanol, European Union, South/Latin America, USA

  
  
  For the first time, sugarcane ethanol was a more important energy source for Brazilians (16 percent) than hydroelectricity (14.7 percent). This makes ethanol Brazil's second most-used energy source, right after oil-derived products. The U.S. [...]

  Fetched: May 23, 2008, 3:41am EDT by Xavier Navarro

• Fiat considers new brand for low-cost cars

  Filed under: Manufacturing/Plants, Fiat

  According to our list of the cheapest cars in the world, Fiat already offers the ninth least expensive car available: the Palio. It seems as if that might be the cheapest vehicle which Fiat would be interested in placing [...]

  Fetched: May 23, 2008, 3:41am EDT by Jeremy Korzeniewski

• Tyca reveals lamps that could absorb CO in parking lots

  Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Carbon Capture, Green Daily, European Union

  
  
  French company Tyca, which usually works on aquarium and aquiculture projects, has announced the development of lamps that could capture CO2. The lamps are actually a sort of aquarium made of transparent [...]

  Fetched: May 23, 2008, 3:41am EDT by Xavier Navarro