Cars & Transportation
Posted Sat, 02/28/2009 - 16:00 by muenda
Rail station in Shanghai, China (photo via thetransportpolitic.com)
About a year ago, TreeHugger interviewed Andy Kunz, an urban designer, New Urbanist and rail advocate.
Posted Sat, 02/28/2009 - 01:53 by muenda
Photo credit: Vivir Mexico
Mexico City's minister of the environment, Martha Delgado, announced Friday that in August a pilot project requiring students to take school buses instead of private vehicles to school at 10 private schools would commence.
Posted Fri, 02/27/2009 - 19:34 by muenda
Part of Ford's "Green Strategy"
Ford is trying to adapt to the new car market (what's left of it, anyway) by bringing over European cars like the frugal Fiesta, and by building new more efficient engines which it calls "EcoBoost".
Posted Fri, 02/27/2009 - 19:07 by muenda
That's a Lot of Tailpipes
It wasn't so long ago that we wrote about China's 168 million motor vehicles (if you count everything), or about how taxes went up on big vehicles (though fuel is heavily subsidized, encouraging waste).
Posted Fri, 02/27/2009 - 18:36 by muenda
"President Clinton announced he was eager to take the Roadster for a ride"
On President Day, Bill Clinton was at a luncheon moderated by Paul Hawken in the only LEED platinum-certified airplane hangar in the world in Burbank, California, to discuss how "clean technology and “green collar” jobs could kick-start our sputtering economy." The 42nd president of the US expressed interest in taking the Tesla Roadster electric car tha
Posted Mon, 12/01/2008 - 19:17 by muenda
photo: Mini USA
You probably heard or read about last week’s announcement that applications for the Mini E field test had been opened and that 500 people in the Los Angeles and New York metro areas would be participating.
Posted Mon, 12/01/2008 - 17:20 by muenda
photo: The Guardian
If you live in the United States, you may have missed the announcement made last Thursday, that the world’s fastest all-electric superbike has been unveiled.
Posted Mon, 12/01/2008 - 15:49 by muenda
photo: Native American Biofuels
Considering that many of its higher profile vehicles really suck fuel like there’s no tomorrow, you may not think that the US military concerned itself much with reducing fuel usage, but based on a recent announcement that’s apparently not the case.
Posted Sun, 11/30/2008 - 19:32 by muenda
Image: Michelin
The Holy Grail of Eco-transportation
Could this be the technology that revolutionizes transportation? Will the company that invented the air-pressure tire trump that achievement by making electric cars affordable and practical?
Posted Wed, 11/19/2008 - 16:08 by muenda
A freakishly quiet moment on Istanbul's roads.
Despite the difficulties involved in comparing gallons to liters and converting from one currency to another, the price of gas in our respective countries somehow seemed to come up frequently as a topic of conversation in my Turkish clas
Posted Wed, 11/19/2008 - 01:49 by muenda
Image source: Season 3 e2 Transport
Brad Pitt continues to lend his talent on this 3rd season e2 for their latest installment titled "Transport." Episodes begin streaming on the web November 24 and then will air on PBS later this winter.
Posted Tue, 11/18/2008 - 22:08 by muenda
Mass-Transit Gets Funded to the Tune of $75 Billion
November 4th was a good day for democracy in general (most of the voting went off without a hitch) and Democrats in particular.
Posted Wed, 10/22/2008 - 19:58 by muenda
2009 Fuel Economy Guide
The U.S. government's 2009 Fuel Economy Guide (pdf) is out and there hasn't been much movement at the top once again this year.
Posted Tue, 10/21/2008 - 12:00 by muenda
Bike Sharing Has Gone Global
Bike Sharing--programs that enable multiple users to rent bikes and return them at stations scattered around a city or campus--has truly gone global.
Posted Mon, 10/20/2008 - 20:45 by muenda
Electric Porsche 911
Ruf Automobile GmbH, a German automotive company that has been tuning Porsches for a long time, will make an electric version of the Porsche 911 called the eRUF Model A.
Under the hood, a 150kW (201hp) brushless three phase A/C electric motor that can generate an impressive 480 lb.-ft. of torque and a lithium-ion iron-phosphate battery pack made of 96 160Ah Axeon cells and a sophisticated monitoring system to make sure it doesn't overheat.
Posted Mon, 10/20/2008 - 19:20 by muenda
Finally, Redesigned 2010 Toyota Prius
A member of the PriusChat forums has posted 5 shots of the new redesigned 2010 Toyota Prius, and Toyota has confirmed on its official blog that it was the real deal, though without any other details.
More photos below the fold....
Posted Mon, 10/20/2008 - 17:40 by muenda
Solar-powered rickshaw photo: Cleantech
While it is easily possible to argue about the human rights aspect of pedal-powered rickshaws (there’s certainly a bit of difference in the type of people involved in the biz in India compared to their limited use in the United States...), there’s no denying that from an environmental perspective they’re a better form of transport than burning fossil fuels.
Posted Mon, 10/20/2008 - 14:05 by muenda
Plug-In Hybrids and Electric Vehicles--Lots of Talk, Little Action
For all the talk and excitement about plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs), it is still extremely rare to come across one of these cars on the highways.
Posted Sun, 10/19/2008 - 17:00 by muenda
Photo by Boezak
Cold weather can be a nuisance, it is cold for one, uncomfortable at times, hard to drive in (when it is snowing), and puts added strain on your vehicle. There is no mystery really as to why your gas mileage is not quite as good in the winter time, but there are a few things that you can do about it.
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Posted Sun, 10/19/2008 - 16:23 by muenda
Image courtesy of BikeSmart
With bicycling still on the rise in Portland, a city recognized for its bike friendliness, the folks at BikeSmart sagely (and potentially profitably) recognized a need for instructional classes for enthusiastic beginners.
Posted Sun, 10/19/2008 - 14:20 by muenda
One of life’s many dilemmas: You want to hypermile but aren’t ready to drive barefoot, tape your grill, wear an ice vest or endure the demonstrated hostility of your fellow travelers as you ‘pulse and glide’ down the road at minimal speed. Or worse, how long do you have to idle before its better to turn off the motor? What gear should I use going uphill? Is it better to brake or shift down in a curve? And does everything I learn about driving for miles in my old beetle still apply to my Toyota? 1.) Dad told me 30 seconds. 2.) No clue.
Posted Sun, 10/19/2008 - 13:00 by muenda
Photo by Rosa Say
Okay, so it's not a done deal yet, but Cadillac is certainly considering it. The green communities calls for more efficient vehicles are being heard on all fronts today.
Posted Sun, 10/19/2008 - 12:00 by muenda
Update on BMW's Plans
Back in July we reported on BMW's plans to make 500 electric Mini Coopers available in the California market.
Posted Sat, 10/18/2008 - 05:24 by muenda
Photo by Scorpions and Centaurs
Well, it is probably a little bit of both to tell the truth. Gas has of course been taking a noticeable dip in cost at the pumps, coming down to around the low $3 a gallon range.
Posted Fri, 10/17/2008 - 23:12 by muenda
If you’re a high school student with a passion for the environment and a way with words then we’ve got a contest that’s right up your alley. But you’d better hurry because the deadline for the Weather Channel's high school essay contest is just days away. ...
Posted Thu, 10/16/2008 - 18:00 by muenda
photo: Matthew McDermott
Though most of the time when TreeHugger covers electric cars, we’re talking about hybrids, plug-in electric concept vehicles—basically substitutes for vehicles now powered by fossil fuels—some of which even putting the Porsche 911 to shame in terms of speed.