Photo: Flickr, CC Solar Power is Hot (But that Phrase is Getting Old) It's good news when many studies say the same thing. At about this time last year, we reported on the Utility Solar Assessment Study, which concluded that 2015 is the year solar power would start to reach grid parity (meaning: it would cost about the same as electricity produced from other sources). Now, the founder of the Prometheus Institute said at the Intersolar conference in San Francisco that "two-thirds of the U.S. market...

Mercedes-Benz S 400 HYBRID- click above to enlarge

The marquee fact about Mercedes-Benz's upcoming new S-Class hybrid, the S 400, is that it will be the first series production hybrid to use a lithium-ion battery pack. Daimler, however, would like us all to know that there is more to the car than its battery. Take for example, the automatic stop/start system, the regenerative brakes, and plenty of reused and recycled materials used in the vehicle (including coconut and flax fibers). Daimler says that there are 45 components like wiring ducts and underbody panels that weigh a total of 21.2 kilograms that "are made from recycled, high-quality plastics."

Daimler even incorporated a recycling process for the li-ion battery into the design of the vehicle, so when the car reaches its end-of-life, that big and expensive pack won't die with it. All these features mean that Daimler calls the new S400 hybrid "the most economical luxury saloon with a petrol engine." The German TÜV Süd agency has recognized the "comprehensive environmental commitment" of the vehicle.

The S 400 hybrid gets 30 mpg (U.S.) on the European combined cycle and emits 186 grams of CO₂ per kilometer. Not great, but it certainly could be worse. Performance numbers aren't slouchy: a 0-62 mph time of 7.2 seconds and a top speed of about 155 mph. The S 400 should reach the U.S. later this summer.

[Source: Daimler]

Continue reading Mercedes-Benz S 400 hybrid: 30 mpg and 47 pounds of recycled goodness

Filed under: Hybrid, Mercedes Benz, Green Daily

Mercedes-Benz S 400 hybrid: 30 mpg and 47 pounds of recycled goodness originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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photo: Lee Nachtigal Long maligned by the green community for its environmental record and perceived lack of support for renewable energy, not to mention funding climate change deniers, ExxonMobil has announced that it will be placing its money on

Photo via NY Times Even though we've just wrapped up our focus on the worldwide water crisis, we must adress the fact that one of the most volatile regions in the world can add another problem to its miles-long laundry list of them: a dwindling water supply. The Euphrates River is drying up, and it's putting thousands of Iraqis at risk. ...

Photo via the Consumerist I hate to admit it, but it's true--it's getting harder and harder to hate Wal-Mart. Details are surfacing about the gigantic retailer's initiative to create a massive 'sustainability index'--one that would meticulously measure the environmental impact of every single item it stocks. Needless to say, the idea alone raises plenty of questions. But if it's successful, the index could literally change the face of retail forever....

We've heard a few snippets about Global Green Cars, a new electric and plug-in hybrid automaker down in Kentucky, earlier this year. Back in April, the company was giving out test rides in a converted Geo Metro right after announcing plans to build EVs in the Bluegrass State. The company has now put images of three new vehicles on its website that it plans to produce, should additional funding come through.

First up is the G-1 (pictured), which currently only exists in pictures (as far as we can tell) and will start at $18,000. Top speed is 100 mph and range is dependent on options. 100 miles is offered in the base model, 160 miles will cost $25,000 and 250 miles will run you $30,000. The other vehicles are not nearly as exciting. The G-2 is an SUV with a range of 100 miles and a top speed of 90 mph. Global Green Cars calls it "the most convertible Electric Vehicle ever built," but we can't quite figure out what that means. MSRP is $26,950. Lastly, the G-3 is a little plug-in hybrid pick-up truck-like vehicle with a range of 150 miles (depending on how you drive) and a top speed of 85 mph. The GGC tagline for this vehicle: "It is the most American-made small pickup in America."

These are ambitious specs for a company that hasn't been on the radar long. Green Car Advisor says that the company has already received $15 million from the state to build the vehicles and is asking for another $24 million from the feds. Thanks to Elwood for the tip!

[Source: Global Green Cars, Green Car Advisor]

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Green Daily

Global Green Cars unveils plans for three new models: two all-electrics and a PHEV originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Images via DesignBoom Another amazing creation to add to our love affair with wooden computers. DesignBoom shows off this awesome desk, the final project for designer Marlies Romberg of Utrecht School of Arts. It's a diary, actually, and the old fashioned feel to modern tech doesn't stop with just the keyboard......

Let's remember that the people who will be worst affected by climate change are likely to be the ones who have the lowest levels of per capita emissions, and the ones least adapt to changing conditions, such as rivers becoming seasonally dry. Photo: Hideyuki Kamon via flickr. The divide between what the world's wealthy nations are willing to commit to in regards to combatting climate change and what the poorer nations (read: those who will be worst affected) say must be done seems to on...

Photo via TheBusyBrain Experts have told us that an effect of warming temperatures is heftier hurricanes and flooding. But exactly how to predict the extent of the impact so people can brace themselves is a point of concern. It could just be that cell phone towers will lend a helping hand, not only to give people a warning system, but also to predict how much water to expect. ...

Toyota is reportedly preparing to produce a hybrid version of its Auris for the European market at its plant in the UK. If it happens, production is intended in to start in about 2012. The Auris is a compact hatchback that is related to the Corolla. The new Lexus HS250h shares some under-structure and suspension componentry with the Auris. It's not known which hybrid powertrain would be used for the Auris, but for the European market it is likely to be a variant of the new 1.8-liter engine and hybrid synergy drive used in the new Prius.

Over the last several years, Toyota officials have repeatedly said that by the end of the next decade they expect almost every vehicle line they build to be available with a hybrid system. If the Auris hybrid is produced in the UK, it would be the first Toyota hybrid produced in Europe.

[Source: Reuters]

Filed under: Hybrid, Toyota, UK

Report: Toyota may build Auris hybrid in UK from 2012 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Photo via SMH Golly. Mrs. Palin has a couple problems with the cap and trade plans, dontcha know. Seems it'll be awful expensive, and a little risky--and why bother when there's a big natural gas pipeline we can build, and this Arctic National Wilderness Refuge that's got a whole lot of oil we can use? Plus, coal's getting a whole lot cleaner these days, so we should just burn more of that, too--otherwise, everybody's going to lose their jobs. See, we just need to drill more, get more gas and oil from the US of A, and keep on keep...

Photos: Fiat. After a three-year developing phase, the Brazilian subsidiary of Fiat is producing an electric version of the Fiat Palio Weekend. The car manufacturers claim it has about 75 miles of autonomy (120 kilometers), 60 MPH speed, and an estimated price of 70 thousand USD. Nothing compared to models like the Tesla Model S in terms of speed, looks and price, we know. But interesting in terms of an electric car being produced...

Need further proof that interest in hybrid and diesel vehicles is directly linked to the average price for a gallon of gasoline? According to CarMax, the largest retailer of used cars in the States, searches for hybrid vehicles on its website are up four percent in June over May while diesel are even hotter with a seven-percent increase. Further, the used car retailer reports that visits to its Fuel Economy section are up by 17 percent.

Not coincidentally, fuel prices - while still down considerably from their plateau last summer of over $4 per gallon - rose rapidly in the lead-up to the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Click here for a week-by-week chart of average fuel prices in America. Ann Yauger, director of Carmax.com, said in a statement:

Online searches for hybrids and diesels indicate that customers are searching the CarMax inventory for the vehicles that have historically offered the best gas mileage.

Not surprising, but good to see nonetheless. Popular vehicles from CarMax's inventories include the Toyota Prius, Lexus RX400h, Honda Civic Hybrid and Volkswagen Jetta TDI. Hit the jump for the press release.

[Source: CarMax]

Continue reading CarMax: interest in hybrids and diesels on the rise

Filed under: Diesel, Hybrid, Green Daily, USA

CarMax: interest in hybrids and diesels on the rise originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Image credit: Geodesic Greenhouse Kits Geodesic Greenhouse Growing at 6000ft Given the importance of local food to us all, it's amazing we haven't seen more innovative designs for greenhouses and other season extension methods here on TreeHugger. Sure, I've posted on a recycled bottle greenhouse , and we are not short of posts about high-tech vertical farming greenhouses. But there's always room for more. That's why I was ex...

From an Andy Singer cartoon; see it all here at NPR Everyone is familiar with the term greenwashing (the practice of companies disingenuously spinning their products and policies as environmentally friendly) now, and TreeHugger has been using the term greenwrapping (the practice of sticking solar panels and wind turbines on noxious uses) for a while; Now Shari Shapiro o

Summer kitchens were very common a hundred years ago; a stove took a long time to heat up and cool down, and if you used it in the summer it would make the whole house unbearable. Then gas and electric ranges came into use, heating up much more quickly, and we got air conditioning, so we could use fuel to make the heat and use more fuel to take it away. But it still makes some sense to move the heat outside in the summer. It is also very social; you might get away with a smaller kitchen and dining area inside if you are like most of us in northern climates who hide inside ten months of the year and party all summer. Estonia...

Audi R15 TDI - click above for high-res gallery

Given the current economic difficulties, automakers are finding it increasingly difficult to justify participation in motorsports. Series such as NASCAR and Formula 1, in particular, are finding their relevance questioned. One area that seems to be doing OK, for now, is sports car racing such as the American Le Mans Series. Scott Atherton, CEO of the ALMS, recently sat down with Green Fuels Forecast to discuss the current status of the sport.

Recently, Corsa Motorsports had its first run with its new hybrid prototype and will resume running this week at Lime Rock. Currently, hybrid drive is only allowed in the prototype classes, but Atherton expects that upcoming rules changes for 2010 and 2011 will open the door for hybrid and KERS systems to be adopted in the GT ranks. Multiple manufacturers have expressed interest in running hybrid GT2 cars the first could debut in 2010. Atherton believes the openness of the Le Mans rules makes it a great platform for developing alternative powertrain and fuel technologies, and he intends to keep it that way.

Gallery: Audi R15 TDI

Gallery: Geneva 2009: Peugeot 908 hy

[Source: Green Fuels Forecast]

Filed under: Diesel, Ethanol, Hybrid, Racing

ALMS CEO Scott Atherton discusses the relevance of sports car racing originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 07:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Photo credit: Getty Images / Ryan McVay We talk a lot about eating local, seasonal food, but that can be tricky to visualize in different places around the world, depending on the season, region, even the micro-climate. To help showcase eating what's coming out of the ground, all year-round, we'll run a series of slideshows -- sort of like a calendar for green eating -- to see what a year of green eating looks like. First up: Oregon's Willa...

Image of Alabama Moon Tree With a name like TreeHugger, how can we not write about moon trees? Don't run for the plant dictionary yet because they won't be in it. Moon trees is the name given to the trees grown from seeds that were taken to the moon on the Apollo 14 mission in 1971. Astronaut Stuart Roosa had worked for the U.S. Forest Service and was passionately interested in trees. Each astronaut was allowed to take something personal, so he took 500 tree seeds. If Alan Shepard could play golf on the moon, what's a few hundred seeds by comparison? Roosa wanted to see what would happen to them in a zero-...

Photo of the MiEV designed in Cypress, CA in 2006 from Intellichoice.com If you thought Japanese people always suck their teeth and hide their real feelings, do listen to Yuuki Sakurai, chief executive of Tokyo-based Fukoku Capital Management Inc., a fund that oversees about $10 billion in Tokyo: He thinks car makers Suzuki and Mitsubishi should cut their losses and "withdraw from the U.S.," reports Bloomberg:

“It’s time for them to decide whether they pay a high pric...