Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Gas 2.0

Gas 2.0

Chevy Volt Achieves Less Than 30 MPG After Battery Depleted?

Posted: 24 Aug 2010 12:37 PM PDT

There are many things that General Motors has been incredibly forthcoming about as they’ve developed the Volt for all the world to see. Certainly no other vehicle has been the subject of so many videos and webchats detailing its trips through 2 feet of water or its visits to the arctic or some other form of vehicle torture.

But when it comes to the Volt’s real-world fuel efficiency, GM has methodically avoided comment. Now, thanks to the keen eyes of some web denizens, it appears that one video shot by a Volt test driver shows that the Volt achieves less than 30 mpg after the battery has been depleted—in what’s called charge-sustaining mode. Given that the Prius is capable of obtaining 50 mpg on average, the revelation is rather shocking.

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Peugeot Unveils 3008 HYbrid4, World’s First Production Diesel Hybrid

Posted: 24 Aug 2010 12:14 PM PDT

Although Peugeot’s frequent collaborator, Mini, has chosen to forgo the hybrid-diesel system in favor of improving engine fuel economy in more mundane manners, Peugeot is full steam ahead with their rather interesting take on hybrid technology.

The 3008 HYbrid4 won’t be making its official market debut until next spring, but as the world’s first mass-market diesel hybrid—and Peugeot’s first delve into the world of hybrids—the details that Peugeot unveiled yesterday reveal a company bent on staking a claim in the rapidly expanding hybrid market.

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10 Day, 60 Mile Long Traffic Jam In China

Posted: 24 Aug 2010 09:14 AM PDT


I’ve been in some pretty terrible traffic jams. It took me four hours to go just 60 miles during L.A.’s infamous rush hour, and back home in Connecticut, I-84 seems to be perpetually backed up, even on weekends. For all my bellyaching though, I usually just stick it out and try to relax while the traffic unwinds itself.

That isn’t an option for travelers southeast of China’s capital city, Beijing. For the past ten days, traffic has been piling up along the National Expressway 100 as road construction has slowed speeds to a crawl.

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Efficient Three-Wheeled Motor Home Crams Civilization Into Tiny Footprint

Posted: 24 Aug 2010 09:04 AM PDT

As some of you may already know, I spent about half the summer driving around the country in an old Ford Mustang. It was an amazing experience fraught with mistakes and poorly laid plans. Next time, I will do things differently. For one, I’ll probably try to find a van or station wagon big enough to sleep in, should circumstances call for it.

Then again, maybe I’ll just buy a Buffalino. This clever little three wheeler packs an entire RV in a very small area. Designed for one person, it looks like the perfect mobile office. Just don’t expect to get anywhere in a rush.

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Too Much Power by 2020? Maybe!

Posted: 24 Aug 2010 08:05 AM PDT

According to some venture capitalists in Silicon Valley, America’s quick-paced advances towards more efficient energy production and conservation may mean that, by 2020, the US will be faced with a huge energy SURPLUS.

Is there any reason to believe they might be right? More, after the jump.

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Video: Fisker Karma Brings Its Sexy Back

Posted: 24 Aug 2010 08:02 AM PDT


For the past few years, we’ve gotten a lot of promises from major car manufacturers and electric vehicle startups alike. Tesla Motors and Fisker are perhaps the best known new car startups, and while the former has been delivering electric roadsters for two years now, the latter has yet to put a journalist behind the wheel of its much ballyhooed Karma plug-in hybrid sedan.

While we haven’t seen anything of substance from Fisker yet, they have just released a sexy new commercial that definitely has the production qualities of a major manufacturer. Read on to see the video and watch as Fisker brings sexy back to electric vehicles.

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EPA Approves Mahindra Diesel Pickup For U.S.

Posted: 24 Aug 2010 07:58 AM PDT


I absolutely love trucks. I used to sit in the back seat of my mom’s Ford Escort and marvel up at all the trucks like the ones my dad drove. Hell, my pop drove the same ‘88 F-150 for almost 20 years. I am older and wiser now, and I know all the drawbacks to driving a big pickup, but I still love them. I just wish someone would come out with a small, affordable diesel pickup…

Oh wait, somebody has. It is an Indian company called Mahindra, and they have been working on bringing their aptly-named Pickup to the U.S. for some time now. The vehicle has finally won EPA approval for sale in the U.S., bringing it one step closer to actually making it to dealerships.

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Bringing Back The BMW Isetta For The 21st Century

Posted: 24 Aug 2010 07:51 AM PDT


Remember Steve Urkel? How could you forget Mr. “Did I do that?” from the show Family Matters. He was the ultimate nerd, wearing suspenders, thick glasses, and full of useless knowledge. He was also the proud owner of a BMW Isetta, a popular mircocar that had just one door, on the front of the vehicle. It was an awkward car for an awkward individual, but I never did forget about the Isetta (or Urkel for that matter).

The Isetta has been out of production for decades (though there is a cult following of kit cars). These days though, the Isetta might make a big comeback in a small way, what with the focus on fuel efficiency. A Dutch designer has drawn an Isetta for the 21st century… and it looks a lot better than the original.

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