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June 2008
- McCain Offers $300M Prize in Assault on Car Batteries
  
  The Hill | Jun 23, 08 3:24 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - John McCain today offered a $300 million reward to the American who builds “a battery package that has the size, capacity, cost and power to leapfrog the commercially available plug-in hybrids or electric cars.” He said government had wasted energy money on special interests and failed to punish manufacturers who ignore or abuse fuel efficiency standards, the Hill reports. More »
- Green Cars Drive Into LA Spotlight
  
  Los Angeles Times | Jun 14, 08 3:00 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Hydrogen cars are the latest Hollywood must-have, and automakers are more than happy to see stars behind the wheel, the LA Times reports. The vehicles—which emit nothing but water—instantly speed celebrities to first place in the game of green one-upmanship. They are still years away from going on sale to the public. More »
- GM Gambles All on the Volt
  
  The Atlantic | Jun 11, 08 12:38 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The Chevy Volt will either revolutionize cars forever and rocket GM back to the top of the automotive world, or it’ll be an embarrassing disaster that will further cripple the giant. And right now, lots of industry types are betting on the latter. GM is so desperate to get the car out by 2010 that it’s developing car and battery simultaneously—a stunning gamble that could easily backfire, the Atlantic reports, in a detailed look at GM's equivalent of the space race. More »
- Neil Young Steering His '59 Lincoln Green
  
  Associated Press | Jun 3, 08 12:12 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Neil Young has shifted gear in his quest to make the world a better place, reports the AP. The Canadian rock legend known for his protest songs is working with a Wichita mechanic to convert his 1959 Lincoln Continental to run on an electric battery. Young hopes the prototype could be a model for the world's first affordable, mass-market electric car. More »
May 2008
- Sales of Hybrid SUVs Stuck in Neutral
  
  New York Times | May 31, 08 11:15 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - As sales drop for traditional SUVs, GM and Chrysler have high hopes for hybrid versions of their popular truck-based vehicles—but sales thus far haven’t been impressive, the New York Times reports. GM has sold 1,100 of its Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon hybrids—pacing far behind the company’s goal of 12,000 a year. More »
- Used Hybrid Market Soars
  
  Newsweek | May 28, 08 10:22 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The rising price of gasoline has heated up the used hybrid market, leading Newsweek writer Keith Naughton to wonder about the staying-power of the pricey battery the part-electric cars run on. Initial fears that Prius batteries would die well before the expected life of the car have proven unfounded, and the cost has come down dramatically, but when they do go, replacements are still in the $3,000 to $4,000 range. More »
- Hybrid Owners Put the Pedal to Fuel Efficiency
  
  Washington Post | May 26, 08 8:29 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Leaving the bad old days of drag-racing in the dust, greenies are now engaging in their own race for fuel efficiency, reports the Washington Post. With hybrid vehicles such as the Toyota Prius giving up-to-the-second feedback on just how much gas passing that little old lady in the right lane is guzzling, many drivers are adjusting their habits to max out their MPGs. More »
- Honda Looks to Muscle in on Prius Market
  
  Forbes | May 21, 08 4:40 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Honda is rolling out three new hybrids, looking to muscle in on rival Toyota in a world ever more receptive of fuel-efficient vehicles. The current Civic hybrid will be joined by a five-door compact, another compact already sold in Europe as the Jazz, and a new hybrid sports car, Forbes reports. The five-door models are to be sold beginning early 2009. More »
- Prius: 1M and Counting
  
  Associated Press | May 15, 08 3:51 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The Toyota Prius is a now 1 million units strong, and the landmark gas-electric hybrid, introduced in 1997, is poised to keep growing, the AP reports. Toyota said today it expects to be selling a million a year by sometime after 2010; what’s more, the company claims 4.5 million tons of harmful gases have been taken out of the air since its debut. More »
- 'Greenwashed' Products Mostly Hype
  
  Boston Globe | May 15, 08 11:44 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - "Green" is in, and many new products being marketed as Earth-friendly are in reality only marginally less unfriendly. The Boston Globe points to hybrid SUVs that get barely better mileage than their standard brethren, water bottles that use less plastic but still require large amounts of energy to make and deliver, and "non-toxic" cleaners that have merely reduced amounts of the same toxins. "It's a marketing exercise rather than reality," says a consumer expert. More »
- Mayor Vows to Fill SF With Electric Cars
  
  Wired | May 15, 08 10:39 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The streets of San Francisco might not be paved in gold, but they'll soon be clogged with electric cars if Mayor Gavin Newsom has anything to say about it. Newsom is in talks with Project Better Place to fill the city with electric car charging stations, a move that could push the technology into the mainstream. “It would be terrific if this happened,” said a Plug-In America co-founder. More »
April 2008
- Hybrid Sales Soar in 2007
  
  Associated Press | Apr 22, 08 5:17 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Sales of hybrid cars rose 38% in the US last year, with Toyota's Prius grabbing more than half the market. As fuel prices climb, hybrid sales are expected to continue to rise this year. Five states lead the rest in buying hybrids, calculated by percentage of sales: California (26.1%) Florida (5.5%) New York (5.0%) Texas (4.9%) Washington (3.7%) More »
- Live It Up While Going Green
  
  Forbes | Apr 21, 08 2:30 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - You don't have to give up the high life to be green. Forbes finds 10 luxurious ways to reduce your carbon footprint: Wear cashmere at home so you can turn down the thermostat. Buy carbon offsets for your private jet. Drive a hybrid Cadillac Escalade SUV. Use occasional perfumed candles instead of lights. More »
- Electric Car Maker Sues Rival for Stealing Trade Secrets
  
  New York Times | Apr 15, 08 3:06 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The maker of an electric sports car is suing a rival company, alleging stolen trade secrets, the New York Times reports. Tesla Motors hired Henrik Fisker to design a new sedan; after a subpar effort, Tesla says, he founded his own company and built a better vehicle with Tesla tricks. Fisker’s new Karma uses the same serial hybrid process as Tesla's White Star. More »
- Roadblocks Zap Electric Carmakers' Momentum
  
  Los Angeles Times | Apr 6, 08 3:12 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The more than two dozen startups racing to produce viable electric cars face a bumpy road, the Los Angeles Times reports, as they navigate infighting, skyrocketing costs, and lack of mass-production know-how. Meanwhile, a successful car would face serious competition from several major automakers working on innovations of their own. "There are things that (little players) just can't do," says one analyst. More »
- A Plane That Runs on Hydrogen
  
  BBC | Apr 4, 08 3:28 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Boeing has successfully tested the world’s first manned, hydrogen-powered plane, the BBC reports, with one executive calling the three flights in Spain “a historical technological success.” The propeller-driven two-seater runs on a hydrogen fuel cell that emits only heat and water. Boeing engineers say they doubt the cells alone could power full-scale passenger planes. More »
March 2008
- Late-Night Charges Keep Hybrids Greener
  
  Treehugger | Mar 19, 08 11:29 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Nighttime is the right time to plug in a hybrid, Michael Graham Richard writes in TreeHugger. If recharged after 10pm, the green cars exert less drain on power grids and may not require new power plants—meaning gas-guzzlers could be replaced without any extra pollution. But researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory say that if all hybrid drivers plug in at 5pm, up to 160 new plants could be needed. More »
February 2008
- City Dweller: Drive These Top 10
  
  Forbes | Feb 28, 08 1:07 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - City streets are tight, and the stop-and-go driving eats up over-priced gas. Then there’s the parking … if you can find it. Forbes says urbanites should consider one of these city-friendly rides: Audi A3: Handles well, loaded with safety features, tiny turning radius Mazda3: Great at dodging potholes, safe MINI Cooper: Easy to park, fuel-efficient, airbags galore More »
- Air Cars Motor Toward US
  
  Popular Mechanics | Feb 26, 08 4:20 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - A car powered by compressed air and a supplemental fuel source will be available in the US as early as 2010, Popular Mechanics reports. Manufacturer Zero Pollution Motors wants to introduce a $17,800 six-seater, which the company estimates will get 800 to 1,000 miles out of a tank of air and 8 gallons of either conventional gas, ethanol or another kind of biofuel. More »
- London Punishes Gas Guzzlers
  
  Times (UK) | Feb 12, 08 5:10 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - London will charge the biggest gas guzzlers on the road $50 a day to enter the city, the Times of London reports. The greenest cars, meanwhile, will pay nothing. Mayor Ken Livingstone revised his car-congestion charge to punish SUVs and sports cars by tripling the cost for them, beginning in the fall. Most cars will continue to pay $16 a day, but hybrids and others that meet strict emissions guidelines get in free. More »