Freeman Thomas won his first drawing competition in the first grade—it was a fire truck. Today, Thomas is credited with delivering some of the hottest designs in the automotive industry. A pioneer in his field, he has designed everything from the New Beetle to the Audi TT, and he’s been steering Ford’s Strategic Design department as Director since 2005. In anticipation of our ‘Design with a Conscience’ webcast—a thought-provoking event, which brought together visionary California architects and automotive designers eager to talk about the intersection of car and building design—we asked Mr. Thomas to answer few questions for us about the future of car design, as well as some of the things that inspire his work. Read on to hear what he had to say, and then find out what was discussed in the webcast here.

Read the rest of INTERVIEW: Freeman Thomas, Director of Strategic Design at Ford Motor Company

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Post tags: aia conferences, aia discussions, aia panels, AIA san francisco, American Institute for Architects (AIA) San Francisco, architecture conference, architecture panel, architecture webcast, automotive panel, design conference, design panel, design webcast, design with a conscience, eco design, ford, ford motor company, Ford Strategic Concept Group, Freeman Thomas, Green Design Events, live webcast, strategic design ford, strategic design ford motors, sustainable design, webcast

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Post tags: alternative transportation, chevy volt, electric car, electric vehicle, ev, ford, ford EV, ford fusion, ford fusion energi, ford fusion energi plug in hybrid, ford fusion energi test drive, ford fusion hybrid, ford hybrid car, fusion energi, fusion energi test drive, fusion hybrid, green cars, green transportation, hybird electric vehicle, hybrid car, Inhabitat test drive, plug-in hybrid, plugin electric vehicle, plugin EV, plugin prius

Charging time and cost are two of the biggest obstacles facing electric vehicle battery technology today. Fortunately, researchers at the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden just developed an integrated motor drive and battery charger that can shorten charging time from eight hours to two while reducing overall cost by $2,000.

Read the rest of Cheaper EV Charging System Can Charge Electric Cars 4 Times Faster

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Post tags: chalmers university of technology, cost, electric vehicle, ev, fossil fuel, integrated charger, saeid haghbin, Sweden, time, volvo ab

There are few cyclists who don’t have at least a small addiction to speed – whether it’s cruising down a steep hill or whizzing past traffic. If you really have the itch to fly down the road, you may want to check out the Specialized Turbo, an electric-assisted bike that can cruise at speeds of up to 27 mph. This is the first plug-in from the California-based company — the bike has already been rolling around Europe for a year, but US federal laws have deemed the bike too fast to be sold without calling it a motorcycle until now. The solution? A top-speed limiting gear that won’t let you break 27mph.

Read the rest of The Specialized Turbo is an Electric Bike that Can Hit a Blistering 27 MPH

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Post tags: California, charger, electric bicycle, lithium ion battery, motor, plug-in, specialized turbo, SRAM, traffic

Many of us would love to own a shiny new car, especially if that vehicle were at the forefront of cutting-edge technology. Electric vehicles seem like an enlightened way to get around without having to resort to a gas-guzzling jalopy or sacrifice personal freedom. Unfortunately, if you are considering buying an EV, you will almost certainly come away from the dealership with a much lighter pocketbook. In an effort to lessen the sting of going green, California Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi has proposed a bill that would use the post-purchase value of the car to reduce taxes and fees for plug-ins.

Read the rest of California Bill Introduced to Lower Sales Tax on Plug-in Electric Vehicles

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Post tags: ab-1077, assemblyman al muratsuchi, California, credit, electric vehicle, ev, ford, hermosa beach, legislation, plug-in, revenue and tax committee, sales tax, Toyota

Read the rest of TEST DRIVE: Plain-Jane Honda Accord with Econ Assist Gets Solid Fuel Efficiency without Hybrid Tech

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Post tags: Accord, green car, green transportation, Honda, Honda Accord, Laura K. Cowan, test drive

Read the rest of TEST DRIVE: The Ford Fusion Hybrid Joins the 40+ MPG Club

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Post tags: ford, ford fusion, ford fusion hybrid, green car, green transportation, hybrid car, Laura Cowan, Laura K. Cowan, test drive

Volkswagen has unveiled its newest concept, the CrossBlue Coupe Hybrid, which will debut this week at the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show. According to Volkswagen, the CrossBlue Coupe Hybrid concept offers a glimpse at the automaker’s future with its sleek dynamic exterior and a plug-in hybrid powertrain.

Read the rest of Volkswagen CrossBlue Coupe Hybrid Concept Previews VW’s Future in Shanghai

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Post tags: 2013 Shanghai Auto Show, green car, green transporation, hhybrid suv, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, volkswagen, Volkswagen CrossBlue Coupe concept, Volkswagen hybrid, Volkswagen plug-in hybrid

The past few weeks have seen a rapid unraveling of Fisker Automotive’s stability, as CEO Henrik Fisker announced his resignation, bankruptcy rumors swirled and the company laid off 75 percent of its work force. And now, as GigaOM reports, lawsuits against Fisker are starting to pile up, lending further credence to suggestions that the company will soon file for bankruptcy. Both Fisker’s landlords and the automaker’s web designer have filed claims totaling $700,000 in allegedly unpaid bills.

Read the rest of Fisker Debts Pile Up as Landlord and Web Designer Claim $700,000 in Unpaid Bills

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Post tags: fisker, Fisker Automotive, Fisker bankruptcy, fisker debt, fisker karma, fisker lawsuit, fisker layoff, henrik fisker, hybrid car, plug-in hybrid

Hey Inhabitat readers! In case you missed it, we just wrapped up our broadcast of the Design with a Conscience conference in San Francisco, CA! We teamed up with Ford Motor Company and the American Institute for Architects (AIA) San Francisco to deliver you a peek at a thought-provoking event, which brought together visionary California architects and automotive designers eager to talk about the intersection of car and building design and how conscious design can spur innovation in both industries. This year’s star panel included: Allison Williams, principal architect at AW ink; Anne Fougeron, Founder of Fougeron Architecture; Ann Hand, CEO of Project Frog; and Freeman Thomas, Director of Strategic Design at Ford Motor Company. Though the event is over, you can read a few highlights from the panel after the break. We’ll also be posting a video recording of the conference very soon, so check back for it if you missed the live event.

Read the rest of Hear What Leading Automotive Designers and Architects Had to Say at Our ‘Design with a Conscience’ Webcast!

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Post tags: aia conferences, aia discussions, aia panels, AIA san francisco, Allison Williams, American Institute for Architects (AIA) San Francisco, Ann Hand, Anne Fougeron, architecture conference, architecture panel, architecture webcast, automotive panel, design conference, design panel, design webcast, design with a conscience, eco design, ford, ford motor company, Ford Strategic Concept Group, Fougeron Architecture, Freeman Thomas, Green Design Events, live webcast, perkins + will, Project Frog, sustainable design, webcast

As rumors of bankruptcy swirl around Fisker Automotive, today the sports car manufacturer laid off 160 employees in its Anaheim, California office. The luxury eco automaker apparently failed to find a funding partner, which forced it to lay off as much as 75 percent of its staff. Only 53 higher level employees remain, and the company hopes to find an investor soon in order to escape total bankruptcy.

Read the rest of Fisker Lays Off 160 Employees as Bankruptcy Rumors Circle

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Post tags: eco design, electric cars, Fisker Automotive, Fisker bankruptcy, Fisker lay offs, green design, henrik fisker, plug-in cars, sustainable design

Porsche just unveiled its first ever plug-in vehicle – the 2014 Panamera S E-Hybrid! The new hybrid vehicle builds upon the Panamera S hybrid, but adds a more powerful electric motor with a higher-performance battery. Best of all, it has the ability to be recharged from home or public vehicle charging stations.

Read the rest of 2014 Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid Debuts as Porsche’s First Plug-In Hybrid

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Post tags: green car, green transportation, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, porsche, porsche hybrid, porsche Panamera, Porsche plug-in hybrid

If you’ve always dreamed of getting around like Marty McFly, you’ll definitely want to head to the Big Apple next month. The city just approved the roll-out of a new fleet of super-futuristic DeLorean taxis that will carry passengers around the city. Unfortunately, the plug-in hybrid cars won’t be able to take anyone back to the future, but they will be able to take you back to Queens if you like.

READ MORE >

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Post tags: "april fools", Back to the Future 1985, back to the future taxi, delorean, Delorean NYC Taxi, delorean taxi, Mike Lubrano, movie gadgets, Nooka Advertisement, NYC yellow cabs, science fiction vehicles

Read the rest of BMW Unveils Plug-In Hybrid Active Tourer Concept at the 2013 New York Auto Show

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Post tags: 2013 New York Auto Show, BMW, BMW 3 Series, BMW 328d, BMW Concept Active Tourer, BMW diesel, bmw hybrid, electric car, green car, green transportation, lithium ion battery, new york auto show, ny auto show, plug-in hybrid

This week, the all-electric Tesla Model S was named the 2013 World Green Car of the Year at the New York International Auto Show! With a sleek design and a battery range of up to 285 miles on a single charge, the Model S beat out the all-electric Renault Zoe and the Volvo V60 plug-in hybrid to win the prestigious award. Despite a highly-publicized debate between Tesla founder Elon Musk and the New York Times over the car’s range, the Model S is one of the hottest electric cars on the market today, and this award will further solidify its status as one of the top green cars currently in production.

Read the rest of Tesla Model S Named 2013 World Green Car of the Year!

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Post tags: 2013 New York Auto Show, 2013 World Green Car of the Year, automotive, eco friendly cars, electric car, electric cars, electric sedan, green cars, green transportation, hybrids, model s, new york auto show, ny auto show, tesla model-s, Tesla Motors, World Green Car of the Year

The 2013 World Green Car of the Year will be announced later this week at the New York International Motor Show, and the three finalists have been named. Vying for the prized title are two all-electric cars—the luxury Tesla Model S and the more modest Renault Zoe—alongside the Volvo V60 plug-in diesel hybrid. For US drivers, the question may be somewhat academic; the Renault Zoe is presently only available in Europe, while the Volvo V60 hybrid was available in Europe, until it sold out for this production year. But each of the impressive vehicles bring their own unique offerings to the green car market – read on to learn more about these finalists, and vote for your favorite!

Read the rest of Which of These 3 Vehicles Should Win the 2013 World Green Car of the Year Award?

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Post tags: all-electric vehicle, car of the year, car of the year 2013, diesel hybrid, electric cars, electric vehicles, emissions-free, ev, EVs, green car of the year, green car of the year 2013, green cars, green transportation, new york auto show, New York International Auto Show, phev, plug-in hybrid, renault zoe, tesla model-s, Volvo V60

Read the rest of TEST DRIVE: Over the River and Through the Woods with the Ford CMAX Energi Plug-in Hybrid

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Post tags: CMAX Energi, ford, Ford CMAX Energi, green car, green transportation, hybrid car, hybrid vehicle, Laura Cowan, Laura K. Cowan, plugin hybrid, test drive

A new report by the National Research Council has some good news for the future of US transportation. By taking advantage of biofuels, new vehicle technology, and policy reform, America has the potential to reduce petroleum consumption and greenhouse gas emissions up to 80% by 2050. The numbers apply to cars and small trucks, both of which are expected to become more efficient in both fuel economy and design in the coming years.

Read the rest of Report Says US Petroleum Consumption and Greenhouse Gases From Cars Could Plummet by 2050

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Post tags: alternative vehicles, biofuel, CO2, cost effective, douglas m. chapin, emissions, fossil fuel, greenhouse gas, hybrid, hydrogen fuel cell, infrastructure, lignocellulosic biofuel, mpr associates, national research council, natural gas, petroleum, Policy

Here’s a bit of surprising news: Fisker Automotive‘s founding partner and executive chairman Henrik Fisker has resigned. Fisker Automotive has confirmed his resignation, but with very little details as to why. According to an email from Henrik Fisker announcing his resignation, he left the company that he helped create because of “several major disagreements . . . with the Fisker Automotive executive management on the business strategy.”

Read the rest of Fisker Automotive Founder Henrik Fisker Resigns Over ‘Major Disagreements’ with Business Strategy

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Post tags: electric car, fisker, Fisker Atlantic, fisker karma, fisker plug in hybrid, green car, green transportation, henrik fisker, hybrid car

Subaru is giving the world a glimpse at its future with the debut of the Subaru Viziv hybrid crossover concept. The Viziv is set to debut this week at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show with a sporty two door exterior, room for four passengers, and a new diesel hybrid powertrain.

Read the rest of Subaru Viziv Hybrid Crossover Concept Takes the Stage at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show

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Post tags: 2013 Geneva Motor Show, diesel hybrid, electric motor, green car, green SUV, hybrid crossover, plug-in hybrid, Subaru, Subaru hybrid, Subaru Viziv hybrid concept