Gas 2.0

Save on Gas by Using Your iPhone
Chevrolet Volt Test Drive: Video of Driving GM’s Electric Car
Gas 2.0 Launches “EV War” Website: ElectricCarRace.org
Bi-Partisan Legislation Looks to Ignite the Natural Gas Engine
Kansas Teen Builds Own Electric Car from Old Ford Escort

Posted: 09 Jul 2009 02:28 PM PDT

Who doesn’t want to find a way to save on gas and also find an excuse to purchase an iPhone? Well now you have one. MaxQData, LLC announced today the availability of a new application called Bliss Trek, which the company is hailing as the first “eco-driving” application for the iPhone.

At first glance, you’d think that it would direct you the the gas station with the cheapest gas. But alas, you are wrong. It actually works by utilizing speed and acceleration information in real time to provide immediate feedback to drivers about the efficiency of their driving. Drivers earn points for efficient driving behavior such as driving the speed limit on the highway and for smooth acceleration and braking and lose points for less efficient behavior such as driving 100 mph or sitting idle. A friendly animated interface displays the current score along with speed and other information.

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Chevrolet Volt Test Drive: Video of Driving GM’s Electric Car

Posted: 09 Jul 2009 12:44 PM PDT

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“Remarkably Unremarkable” has been the phrase of choice when describing how the Chevy Volt prototype drives.

And that’s really a compliment, since the car was engineered for consumers who won’t accept compromise, even for a an electric car.

I got a chance to drive the Chevy Volt prototype on June 8th, and although the test model was still housed under a Chevrolet Cruze skin, it gave me a good feeling for what the final version will be like.

Chevy Volt Test Drive

The interior of the Cruze doesn’t do the car justice, at least in terms of space and aesthetics. The center divider seemed poorly fitted for the Volt’s T-shaped battery pack that runs the length of the car (which also precludes a 5th seat in the prototype and final versions). Frank Weber, who accompanied me on the the 45-minute drive, said that everything about the interior would change for production.

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Gas 2.0 Launches “EV War” Website: ElectricCarRace.org

Posted: 09 Jul 2009 11:40 AM PDT

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SAN FRANCISCO - Yesterday, Gas 2.0 (gas2.org) launched ElectricCarRace.org, a site challenging cities across the nation to be first to develop city-wide electric vehicle infrastructure. A two-minute video featuring the Mayors of Portland and San Francisco kicked off the competition, along with posts written by Mayor Newsom, Portland General Electric, and the CEO of Coulomb Technologies Richard Lowenthal.

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Bi-Partisan Legislation Looks to Ignite the Natural Gas Engine

Posted: 09 Jul 2009 08:01 AM PDT

Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) have sponsored the NAT GAS Act. This bill is aimed at giving natural gas the push it needs to become part of the cure for America’s oil addiction. Senator Reid (D-Nevada) is also an original co-sponsor.

"Each day, our nation consumes about 21 million barrels of oil- more than 25 percent of the world's oil supply," Reid said. And most of that oil comes from foreign soil. “With only 3 percent of the world's oil reserves, we cannot produce our way to a safe and secure energy future,” Reid continued.

The new legislation would promote the use of natural gas over traditional oil by using tax credits. This legislation would, in effect, be an extension of the CLEAR Act - encouraging the growth of natural-gas infrastructures to go along with the current boom in hybrid-electric vehicles.

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Kansas Teen Builds Own Electric Car from Old Ford Escort

Posted: 09 Jul 2009 04:18 AM PDT

17-year-old Andrew Loader from Lindsborg, Kansas has amazed his parents by building his very own electric car (Video) from nothing more than a clapped-out Ford Escort, some batteries and an old forklift motor.

Tired of paying last summer’s high gas prices, Andrew decided to take matters into his own hands and build the street-legal vehicle after researching the idea on the internet.

To begin with, Mom and Dad were less than impressed with the scheme. “Mom told me not to, and dad did too. I had to write a letter to Mom and her friend convinced her not to ground me or kill me,” said the industrious teenager.

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