transportation

Will Stimulus be Enough to Bring High-Speed Rail to America?

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.

Ford Re-Opens Cleveland Plant to Build 'EcoBoost' Engines

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".

Guide to the Green in Obama's Budget: Dept. of Transportation

Photo via the Huffington Post

Yesterday, Obama delivered his ambitious budget to Congress. It's packed with loads of new spending that will land the US in a projected deficit of a whopping $1.75 trillion. So it'd better be good.

Private Cars in China Up 28% in 2008

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).

Bill Clinton Denied Tesla Roadster Ride by Secret Services

"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

Mini E Won’t See Commercial Production, Field Trial Results Destined For 2010 Electric BMW

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.

World’s Fastest Electric Superbike: 125 MPH & No Carbon Emissions

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.

4,000 Electric Vehicles To Be Leased by US Army

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.

"Japan Car" Exhibit at London Science Museum Explores Futuristic Design

(Image from Japan Car: Designs for a Crowded Globe at Flickr)

London's Science Museum, Design Platform Japan and a host of others are presenting a rather different take on the cultural aspects of state-of-the-art automobiles, including kei cars, in a clever exhibition that started on November 29, 2008.

German Solar Company Offers GM €1 Billion

Image source: Chevy Volt, pre-production image with Solar World logo

Will Bail-out Prevent Development of Greener Cars?
The German company SolarWorld, offered approx.

Is This What Life With the World's Highest Gas Prices Looks Like?


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

Brad Pitt Lends His Voice to e2 Transport

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.

Election Day A Boon For Mass-Transit

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.

45 Days in Jail for Driver who Rode Around with Cyclist on the Hood of his Car

Road Rage Against Cyclist
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/odd_stuff/45_Days_in_Jail_for_Driver_who_Rode_with_Cyclist_on_Hood'; digg_skin = '';Last summer, the Oregonian reported an incident between a cyclist and a deranged driver in Portland: Jason Scott Rehnberg, 37, yelled at the car

2009 Fuel Economy Guide: Toyota Prius First, Lamborghini Murciélago Last

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.

N55's Walking House Actually Walks!

When we previously presented Danish designer N55's walking house it was just a model, and we asked miniHome designer Andy Thomson what he thought of it; he suggested "You should tell them wheels will be cheaper!" I never thought it would get past the model stage. But if you watch the video you will see that, remarkabl...

Electric Porsche 911 by RUF: "Emotions without emissions"

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.

Photos of New 2010 Prius Hybrid Leaked, Confirmed by Toyota

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....

Why You Get Worse Gas Mileage in Winter and What to do about it

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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Fiat Ecodrive New Tool for Low-Stress Hypermiling

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.

A Four-Cylinder Cadillac Sedan: Fuel Efficiency Meets Luxury Muscle

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.

Is that Extra Gas Money in My Pocket, or are We Just Happy to see Residuals from Winter Gas Blends?

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.

Alternative "How to Get Here" Directions

Most businesses have a page on their website with basic directions on how to get to their location. This is obviously beneficial for any business that wants to ensure customers can find their business easily. Of course people can just use Google maps or Mapquest or the like to find the location, but often times they are not detailed enough. So the extra bit of local knowledge on the businesses' website can help ensure customers don't get lost, give up, get frustrated and/or go somewhere else.

Will We See These Around Charleston Soon?

Cool 8-seat solar powered bike/car. This Flinstone-like car would be perfect for tours around town.

Supply Chain Footprint

Patagonia has a new, refreshingly honest feature on their site. It details the supply chain for several of their products. It maps the progression of the products from raw material to finished good. What makes me say "refreshingly honest" is that it's not just a highlight of what they do well. The do point out for example that the Synchilla vest, though it's made from recycled materials, travels a great distance throughout North America and much of that by truck.