Big Industries Joust Over Energy Prices

EN-V can be paged with a smartphone, but it's at least 10 years away

(NEWSER) - Move over, Volt: GM’s got an even more futuristic concept car on the way, and Fast Company has the latest. The Electric Network-Vehicle (EN-V) is an electric car that steers itself via GPS. A prototype was unveiled last year, and rumors have been swirling that a production date had been set. But according to a GM rep, the EN-V won't enter production for 10 to 15 years, and may end up looking very different from what you see here. It will stay small and keep its vehicle-to-vehicle communication abilities, but the final version will be “designed to be more practical for real-world use," says the rep—for instance, the prototype can't operate in rain. More»

Move would catch US up to Europe, China and Japan

(NEWSER) - The Obama administration is trying to convince automakers to accept a significant hike in fuel efficiency standards that would put US vehicles on par with those sold in Europe, Japan and China. The administration would like to raise the standard to 56.2 miles per gallon, or roughly double the current level, by 2025, the New York Times reports. Automakers have the tech to do that, but aren’t thrilled with the cars it would produce. More»

Cattle byproducts power America's first biodiesel train

(NEWSER) - America's first biodiesel train runs through the heart of Texas cattle country using fuel made from beef byproducts. The daily Heartland Flyer between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth will use the fuel for a one-year trial run, after which the rail operator will analyze data on emissions and on the fuel's impact on the locomotive engine's parts, the Guardian reports. More»

Vessel nabbed en route from Bahrain to race in Dubai

(AP) - Iran is holding five British sailors after stopping their racing yacht in the Persian Gulf, the British government said today. The yacht, owned by Sail Bahrain, was stopped on its way from the tiny island country to Dubai on Wednesday when it "may have strayed inadvertently into Iranian waters," according to the Foreign Office. The seizure may be related to recent international pressure on Iran to drop its nuclear program, the AP reports. More»

(NEWSER) - Once considered a win-win for the environment and energy independence, America’s biofuel industry is sputtering to a halt, the Wall Street Journal reports. Thanks to the recession, lower oil prices, and government delays, two-thirds of American biodiesel refineries—dozens of plants—are idle, and companies across the country are shutting down. The crisis could scare investors away from newer technologies more promising than much-maligned corn-based ethanol. More»