FedEx experiments with eco-friendly Urban-Cabs as delivery vehicles

PRESS RELEASE
FedEx Express and Urban-Cab Join Forces for Ecological Deliveries
Another Step For More Environmentally-Friendly Town-Centre Express Deliveries
PARIS, April 21st, 2009 – FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and the world’s largest express transportation company, and Urban-Cab, Paris leader in 100% ecological passenger transportation, have announced their program for efficient and environmentally-friendly parcel [...]

Read Full Post »

GM and Segway conjure up PUMA, a mobility pod

G.M.’s P.U.M.A. prototype in Manhattan.
The New York Times reported of a venture that makes sense: GM and Segway got together to develop prototypes of a vehicle that could revolutionise transport: the P.U.M.A. (short for the rather mouthful description Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility vehicle, a term that must have been invented by an engineer). First [...]

Read Full Post »

The crazy race to produce cheaper cars continues

Not only does Tata Motors with its Nano want to dramatically increase car pollution in India and the rest of the world, Chevrolet has joined the mad race hand in hand with some short-sighted European government incentives. In Lombardy, Italy the starting price of about €10,000 can be dropped down to €2,900 with various incentive, [...]

Read Full Post »

BMW announces Megacity hybrid-electric vehicle

BMW Chairman Norbert Reithofer has reportedly confirmed a new eco-friendly machine called the Megacity Vehicle as part of the automaker’s Project i. Beyond the name, details are sketchy. According to Reithofer, “Customers will have the choice between a fully electric drive and a high-efficiency combustion engine. Large-scale production could start in the first half of [...]

Read Full Post »

Hybrid owners show very little loyality to hybrids

According to R.L. Polk & Co.’s director of industry analysis Lonnie Miller, when he asked a group of over 300 people in Detroit a question about how many of those present drove hybrid vehicles, only three hands went up.  On average, throughout the U.S. 2.5% of people own hybrid vehicles. Furthermore, the recent North American [...]

Read Full Post »

China to subsidise buyers of greener cars for up to US$7,300

The West often points its fingers at China’s abysmal environmental record. Whether that’s fair or not given that it was us who with our once insatiable consumer demands have created or at least contributed to it, is still a question that is not easy to answer. But let’s also not forget that China often is [...]

Read Full Post »

Nissan to trial fast charge electric car network

The prospect of electric cars that can be recharged within 10 to 15 minutes moved a step closer last week with the announcement of a new pilot project in Arizona.
Car giant Nissan announced that it has signed a partnership with electric vehicle charging technology firm ECOtality and Pima Association of Governments, which represents the Tucson, [...]

Read Full Post »

Renault fully commits to electric vehicles – drops hybrid and hydrogen development

Good to see that the electric car push is gaining momentum. Governments in Israel, Britain, California, Hawaii and many other places have made a commitment to invest in infrastructure for electric cars (see links below); now Renault has declared its full commitment to the technology – as Autoblog Green reports:

“While it’s sister company, Nissan, [...]

Read Full Post »

iChange – the iPhone controlled car that changes its shape

World Debut at the 79th Geneva Motor Show, March 5th through 15th, 2009
Swiss Automobile Visionary Frank M. Rinderknecht Builds a Concept Car with Adaptive Energy Concept
„iChange“ Alters its Shape – and Automotive Thinking

The Swiss auto powerhouse Rinspeed presents the ‘iChange’, the world’s first car whose body adapts to the number of passengers on board. In seconds [...]

Read Full Post »

Bridgestone introduces Ecopia EP100 tyre for better fuel economy and handling performance

Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BTAO) officially launched the Ecopia EP100, a low rolling resistance tyre which provides drivers with improved fuel economy without sacrificing wet handling performance.
The Ecopia tyre line targets fuel efficient vehicles, including hybrids and electric vehicles and will be used in original equipment and replacement applications. The new Ecopia EP100 is the [...]

Read Full Post »

Tips for greener motoring

Image by reflexer via Flickr

Your driving habits, the type of vehicle you drive and the conditions under which you drive will affect your vehicle’s environmental performance. Follow these tips for greener driving.
Minimise your vehicle use
Think about your travel needs prior to your travel. Planned travel decisions will result in fewer trips and more efficient/cheaper travel [...]

Read Full Post »

Buy a car by its emission rates

This list of course will change change over time; for the latest updates as well as for more information on all kinds of aspects of green motoring (if there is such thing ) see the Green Vehicle Guide.

Read Full Post »

Where does the term “horsepower” come from?

 

The measure of power under the hood of a car was established by Scottish engineer James Watt, often credited with inventing the steam engine. To convince potential buyers of the value of his steam engine, he devised a way to rate its power by comparing it to the work done by horses — the usual source of [...]

Read Full Post »

Some reflections on airconditioners in cars

Cool approach to driving

Michael O’Reilly, Sydney Morning Herald
December 17, 2008

SUMMER is here and the car windows have been rolled up. Walk or cycle past any line of vehicles on a hot day in Sydney and you will hear the click and hum of car engines racing as they drive energy-sapping air-conditioners.
Calculating the effect of running [...]

Read Full Post »

Why Obama should treat the car industry like the internet

Bobby Johnson, Guardian Technology Blog, 01.12.2008
 
Like much of the economy, America’s car industry is in turmoil. Ford and General Motors are begging for a $25bn bailout from the US government, and the clouds are hanging heavy over Detroit. Some hope that innovative new companies will rise to fill the space left by these fallen giants [...]

Read Full Post »

California to become America’s electric vehicle hub

Talking about San Francisco’s green transport initiative: California’s progressive policies go far beyond raising taxes, as the following Inhabitat post indicates:
Recently the cities of San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland unveiled a massive concerted effort to become the electric vehicle capitol of the United States! This groundbreaking development heralds a nine-step plan that includes everything from buying [...]

Read Full Post »

Congestion charge in San Francisco

The image above is quite amazing for two reasons: the amount of small cars parked in this street in San Francisco and the traffic congestion they seem to symbolise. On the surface it seems contradictory to choose ownership over a small car rather than using pubic transport given that the latter is equated with much higher [...]

Read Full Post »

Bridgestone could begin using rubber from Dandelions

Natural rubber is rather hard to get, as the trees from which it is cultivated from only grow in certain areas and the method of obtaining it is difficult and time-consuming. Synthetic rubber, on the other hand, is not too tough to create, though it generally comes from petroleum — not necessarily the greatest compromise. [...]

Read Full Post »

Cree SAM – sustainable driving

It had seemed like the Swiss-born psycho-looking three wheeler from Cree had died in 2003 when the company closed its doors but now comes word that the “SAM” project has been adopted by the Polish company Impact Automotive Technologies of Pruszków and may be rolling out of factory doors soon.
Cree’s goal in designing the SAM [...]

Read Full Post »

Electric BMW Mini

The electric Minis are painted silver and have yellow roofs
It’s not really the latest news anymore, but I just stumbled across Automotive News Europe and read an article they published at the beginning of July. I’ve been wondering recently whether any car manufacturers are ready to produce cars other than fossil or (the useless) bio [...]

Read Full Post »