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August 2008
- US Slow to Hop On Global Biking Boom
  
  Washington Post | Aug 31, 08 3:34 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The US remains uninspired by nations that have prodded people to save money by biking to work, the Washington Post reports. Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands installed infrastructure years ago to benefit bikers and discourage cars, but America—along with Canada, Australia, and Britain—have not. "It is very clear how to do this," one expert said. "It is not rocket science." More »
- Utah Drivers Fill Up With Cheap Natural Gas
  
  New York Times | Aug 30, 08 7:43 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Utah drivers are lining up to fill their cars and trucks with natural gas, at the equivalent of just 87 cents a gallon, the New York Times reports. State regulations keeping natural gas cheap have fueled a surge of interest in natural gas vehicles among drivers in the state, who are having their vehicles converted or are buying used cars that run on compressed gas. More »
- Cross-Country Hydro-Car Tour Wraps Up In LA
  
  Reuters | Aug 25, 08 5:12 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A fleet of hydrogen-powered cars wrapped up a 31-city cross-country US tour in Los Angeles this weekend, Reuters reports. The first such trip by zero-emission vehicles aimed to promote the cars, supplied by nine automakers, and the need for more accessible zero-emission fuel. The US has 60 hydrogen stations so far but drivers have easy access to only two. More »
- Cute EV Coming to Cali
  
  Wired | Aug 8, 08 4:43 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Mitsubishi is sending some of its new i MiEV electric cars for testing in California, Wired reports. The Japanese company has signed deals with two Golden State power companies to add a few of the nimble jellybean-shaped vehicles to their fleets for a three-year demonstration. More »
- The 15 Most Fuel Efficient Cars
  
  BusinessWeek | Aug 7, 08 9:43 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Toyota’s Prius may hold the crown for fuel-efficiency, but that doesn’t mean it’s lonely at the top. BusinessWeek takes a look at the 15 cars with the best mileage—30 mpg combined city and highway or better. Mercury’s 2009 Mariner Hybrid offers mileage better than the average SUV at 32 mpg combined, starting at $29,445. More »
- Used Prius Prices Soar on Surging Demand
  
  Advertising Age | Aug 4, 08 2:10 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Demand for Toyota's fuel-efficient hybrid Prius is so high that used models are fetching more on the open market than dealerships charge for a new one, reports Advertising Age. Buyers are in a frenzy to get their hands on a Prius immediately, but new cars are often on back order because Toyota can't keep pace with demand. Some dealers are offering to buy used cars back at their original prices to resell them at a profit. More »
July 2008
- Cash Tolls Race Toward Extinction
  
  USA Today | Jul 28, 08 7:00 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Cash toll booths are going the way of the Model T as "open-road tolling"—which lets drivers pay electronically without having to slow for booths or gates—gains traction, reports USA Today . Supporters say killing the cash-based system cuts down on everything from congestion to pollution to the amount of land required to build toll plazas. More »
- US Driving Continues to Brake
  
  Washington Post | Jul 28, 08 2:57 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Driving in the United States continued to drop, the Washington Post reports, with May marking the steepest dip in vehicle-miles traveled for that month in the 66 years statistics have been tallied. Americans drove 9.6 billion fewer miles in May 2008 than May ’07; in the first five months of 2008, they drove 29.8 billion fewer miles than the same period in 2007. More »
- Honda Profits Jump 8% on Fuel-Efficient Lineup
  
  Wall Street Journal | Jul 25, 08 7:33 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Honda announced an 8.1% gain in net profit yesterday for the quarter ending June 30, riding demand for its fuel-efficient models and beating analysts’ estimates, the Wall Street Journal reports. Honda has been hurt less by falling demand than rivals Toyota and Nissan because it's the least invested in truck and SUV lines. "Honda is better positioned than anyone else in the industry," one analyst tells the Journal. More »
- GM, Utilities Join to Speed Plug-Ins
  
  Wall Street Journal | Jul 22, 08 11:49 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - General Motors and three dozen electric utilities in nearly 40 states have agreed to work together on the transition to plug-in electric vehicles that are expected to begin rolling out within 2 years, the Wall Street Journal reports. With GM’s Chevy Volt and Saturn Vue expected to hit the market first, cooperation is needed to make sure recharging cars don't overwhelm the power grid. More »
- Smart Car Scores Big on Cute
  
  Washington Post | Jul 18, 08 9:45 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Mercedes’ Smart cars are selling brilliantly—the US waiting list is 30,000 long—and the tiny two-seater's performance at the gas pump isn't the whole story. Yes, they’re the most fuel-efficient non-hybrids around, but only barely—some Hondas and Toyotas almost match their 33mpg. There's also the cute factor, the Washington Post reports. “The Jeep was stylish,” says one SUV convert, “but I never got the attention before that I get with this.” More »
- Gas Crunch Steers Soaring Hybrid Sales
  
  Wired | Jul 17, 08 10:45 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Sales of hybrid cars could soar to 2 million a year by 2013 as higher gas prices and concerns about global warming spark surging interest in fuel efficient vehicles, Wired reports. Well over half—62%—of new car buyers are already considering a hybrid, according to a recent survey. Consumers who aren't satisfied with the current hybrid options will have as many as 88 models to choose from in the next few years. More »
- BMW to Zap Calif. With 500 Electric Minis
  
  Automotive News | Jul 9, 08 4:26 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - BMW will roll out an electric model of its iconic Mini in California, which has mandated that automakers in the state must offer no-emission alternatives, reports Automotive News. The cars will be mostly assembled in BMW's England plant, but sent to Munich for electric powertrains. The initial 500 electric Minis will be leased and are the brain child of BMW's new division, Project i, which is developing low-emission city cars. More »
- Toyota to Add Solar Panels to Prius
  
  Reuters | Jul 7, 08 9:46 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Toyota plans to go even more “green” with its hybrid Prius, offering solar panels as a high-end option beginning with the 2009 model year, reports Reuters. And, although the panels will do little more than help power the air conditioning system, Toyota’s move shows just how far automakers are willing to go to engineer greener vehicles. More »
- Sticker Shock: Calif. Puts Emissions Rating on '09 Cars
  
  San Jose Mercury News | Jul 2, 08 7:45 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A state-mandated sticker showing vehicles' global-warming rating is starting to show up in California showrooms, the San Jose Mercury News reports. "We are forced by the nature of our economy to drive vehicles to work and play. This gives people a tool to lessen their carbon footprint," a state spokesman said of the label showing autos' 1-10 rating on greenhouse gas emissions. More »
- Prius Shortage Hurts Toyota
  
  Reuters | Jul 2, 08 4:53 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Popularity is proving quite the pickle for Toyota: Dwindling supplies of hot sellers like its hybrid Prius fueled the 11.5% drop in US sales last month, Reuters reports. With a waiting list 6 months long, Prius sales fell 26%—even as rival Honda bumped its sales 13.8% thanks to record demand for its fuel-efficient Fit and Civic vehicles. More »
- Smart Car: Revolution Parked in a Tiny Package
  
  Machinist | Jul 2, 08 12:30 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Despite an underpowered engine and lousy transmission, the tiny Smart Fortwo can be a good buy—particularly for city-dwellers, Farhad Manjoo writes in the Machinist. The mini-ride makes parking, merging, and tight turns entirely new experiences. "It's the sense that you're unstoppable in this thing, that no corner of the city is off-limits, that this is the future of driving," Manjoo gushes. More »
- Volt Could Spark GM Bailout
  
  Wall Street Journal | Jul 2, 08 8:32 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - GM is about as likely to turn a profit with the Chevy Volt as the Edsel is to make a comeback, Holman W. Jenkins Jr. writes in the Wall Street Journal. But the ailing automaker may be aiming to improve its image rather than sell cars. With the automaker's image suitably greened, a federal bailout may become more politically acceptable, Jenkins suggests. More »
- Uno: Cooler Than Segway
  
  Chicago Tribune | Jul 1, 08 3:12 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Looking like a tricked out motorbike, the Uno is electric personal transportation with style, the Chicago Tribune reports. Designed by 19-year-old inventor Ben Gulak, the device employs no throttle or brake, relying on its rider's leanings to guide it, and is so intuitive an 8-year-old picked it up instantly at a recent vehicle expo. More »
June 2008
- Fuel Crisis a Boon for Rickshaw Business
  
  Washington Post | Jun 28, 08 5:32 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - New Delhi had fallen out of love with rickshaws. Here, as in many modernizing Asian capitals, the bicycle-drawn cabs are seen as embarrassing, street-clogging third-world throwbacks. They’ve even been banned from the city’s older, walled section—but with gas at $7 a gallon, rickshaw peddlers are touting their services once again. “We don’t even pollute," one cyclist said. "We should be allowed to survive.” More »