Friday, September 3, 2010

Gas 2.0

Gas 2.0

Volt Can Use California’s HOV Lanes… In 2012

Posted: 03 Sep 2010 09:30 AM PDT

I have survived Southern California’s horrendous traffic jams, though just barely. How anybody could stand to sit in traffic for hours on end, day in and day out, is beyond me. People do it though, and it seems to have bred a special kind of patience in the residents of Southern California. California also is a bastion of green living, and there are many advantages to owning a hybrid car in the state, like use of their HOV lanes.

While California recently announced that the Nissan LEAF would have access to HOV lanes immediately, the Chevy Volt was shunned. That has changed though, as Governor Schwarzenegger signed a bill allowing the Volt to use HOV lanes… starting in mid-2012.

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Cult Classic Peel P50 Microcar Returns

Posted: 03 Sep 2010 09:24 AM PDT

The Peel P50 was built on the Isle of Man in the 1960’s and powered by a 49cc gas engine that pushed the car to a 40 mph top speed and delivered more than 80 mpg. It was the smallest production automobile ever built, and—despite only 70 examples being produced —has become wildly popular in microcar circles, especially since appearing in a 2007 segment of the BBC’s hit show TopGear.

This new-found popularity and BBC visibility has breathed new life into the Peel concept, and new investment dollars mean that Peel is back in business!

More, including the hilarious TopGear sketch, after the jump.

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Green is the New Fast, Part 2: Maybach Lives!

Posted: 03 Sep 2010 09:21 AM PDT

When it was introduced several years ago, Mercedes’ ultra-luxury Maybach line was originally intended to compete with offerings from BMW’s Rolls-Royce and Volkswagen’s Bentley. To put it mildly: Maybach flopped, selling only a fraction of the cars Rolls and Bentley did year after year. Maybach was such a spectacular failure that many industry analysts predicted Mercedes would discontinue the brand altogether.

They were wrong, and Mercedes has confirmed that green is the new fast, committing to a series of new Maybachs that tick all the right green boxes.

Read more about the whys and hows of Mercedes’ greenwashing of Maybach, after the jump.

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SKY-powered Mazda3 Gets Over 40 MPG

Posted: 03 Sep 2010 09:14 AM PDT

It is all about fuel economy right now, and the automakers are pulling out all the stops to ensure they might weather the stiffening CAFE standards in the coming years. Electric cars, hybrids, plug-in hybrids, diesels… all are about to become a lot more commonplace. Yet, still, there remains a seat at the table for fuel-efficient combustion engines, and there is plenty of room for improvement in the old standby.

Forgoing much of the hybrid craze, Mazda is focusing on clean petrol and diesel engines. And their work has not gone unrewarded. Comments from spokesmen suggest that the compact Mazda3 with a SKY-G engine got around 40 mpg on the highway. Not too shabby!

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Thursday, September 2, 2010

Gas 2.0

Gas 2.0

Diesels Cleaner Than Electrics Over Lifetime Says One Study

Posted: 02 Sep 2010 12:30 PM PDT

I’m going to go out on a limb and assume most of our dear readers are fans of fuel efficient cars. I too, like my gas-sipping 4-cylinder Mustang, mostly because it saves me a lot of money compared with the rest of my gas-guzzling fleet. Other people are just trying to lessen their carbon footprint, and common sense suggests that an electric car would have a smaller footprint than any fossil fuel-powered car, right?

Not according to one Swiss study. Compared to diesel-powered cars that get over 60 mpg, electric vehicles may have a larger environmental impact… especially if the electricity comes from non-renewable sources.

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Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Gas 2.0

Gas 2.0

Fast-Charging Electric Buses Come To SoCal

Posted: 01 Sep 2010 01:27 PM PDT


I know we have a lot of readers from Southern California. Sure the weather is great, and the people are generally friendly, but for me it is just too crowded and congested to ever call home. Plus, for such a progressive place, there is a surprising lack of good public transportation. Then again, California has been making big strides towards electric and hybrid vehicles, whether en masse or one municipality at a time. Give credit where credit is due, I always say.

Much credit is due the Foothill Transit authority, which serves Pomona and San Gabriel. They have, at great expense, purchased two all-electric buses and charging stations from Proterra, an electric vehicle startup.

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Portland’s Popular Streetcars Spark Interest In Other Cities

Posted: 01 Sep 2010 10:24 AM PDT


This summer I was lucky enough to be able to drive across the county and visit 29 states and dozens of different cities. One city that really stuck out to me though was Portland. It was young, hip, and, although cool in its own right, was not at all my scene (I’m a country boy through and through). What really stuck out to me about Portland though was the traffic, or lack thereof. See, Portland has a rather complete public transportation system, which includes a lot of streetcars.

The streetcars have been a success for Portland, and other cities are taking notice. Combine that with changes to the Department of Transportation’s new guidelines for building public transit, and we could see a real streetcar renaissance.

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