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

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

China’s record-breaking air pollution levels have forced the nation’s government to impose tougher fuel economy standards on the auto industry. The most recent measure in the country’s battle for clean air will limit fuel consumption of passenger cars to 6.9 liters per 100 kilometers by 2015 and 5 liters by 2020. This will also affect foreign car makers, as they will be forced to adjust to the new regulations if they plan to launch models in the world’s largest car market.

Read the rest of Chinese Government Raises Fuel Efficiency Standards to Fight Air Pollution

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Post tags: air pollution, car industry, car market regulations, car toxic emissions, carbon emissions, carbon emissions china, China air pollution, china smog, chinese fuel-efficiency standard, environmental destruction, fuel efficient automobiles, fuel efficient cars, Hybrid Technologies

HOK Architects were just selected from 14 entrants in an international design competition to design the new Ri.MED Biomedical Research and Biotechnology Center (BRBC) in Southern Italy.  The $269 million facility will be at the forefront of modern medicine and will focus on moving the research from the lab to the marketplace in order to prevent or cure diseases.

Read the rest of HOK Architects Win Competition to Design One of World’s Most Eco-Friendly Biomedical Research Centers

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Post tags: architecture competitions, biomedical research centers, eco-friendly research centers, educational architecture, HOK architects, LEED certified buildings, Ri.MED Biomedical Research and Biotechnology Center (BRBC)

Bad news, luxury car fans – Wired just confirmed Audi has scrapped its plans to sell the all-electric R8 e-tron coupe. Sources at the company cited shortcomings in battery technology and differing priorities from Audi’s new head of research and development.

Read the rest of Audi Scraps Plans to Sell its R8 E-tron Electric Car

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Post tags: AUDI, bentley, coupe, electric car, Frankfurt Motor Show, germany, Le Mans, Nürburgring, porsche, r8 e-tron, research and development, Wired, Wolfgang Dürheimer

Porsche just gave the world a glimpse of the sports car of tomorrow as it unveiled its new Panamera Sport Turismo Plug-in Hybrid concept at the 2012 Paris Motor Show. The next-gen vehicle is powered by a new plug-in hybrid system that packs 416 horsepower, and the electric motor can drive in full electric mode at up to 80 mph for 19 miles. Thanks to the lithium-ion battery and electric motor, the Panamera Sport Turismo concept consumes less than 3.5 liters of fuel per 100 km (67.2 mpg US).

Read the rest of Porsche Unveils Panamera Sport Turismo Plug-in Hybrid Concept at the 2012 Paris Motor Show

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Post tags: 2012 Paris Motor Show, green car, green concept car, green sports car, green transportation, paris motor show, porsche, porsche hybrid, Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo Plug-In Hybrid Concept, Porsche plug-in hybrid

Porsche has just released more official information about its upcoming 918 Spyder hybrid sports car, which is set to go into production at the end of 2013. Porsche is currently testing prototypes of the 918 Spyder, but has provided a glimpse of the prototypes, which hark back to the historical Porsche 917 racing cars. With more than 770 horsepower on tap and an estimated to 78 mpg fuel economy rating, this will be one hybrid that can’t be ignored.

Read the rest of Porsche’s Upcoming 918 Spyder Hybrid Packs More Than 770 Horsepower, While Getting 78 MPG

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Post tags: green car, green sports car, green transportation, hybrid sports car, porsche, Porsche 918 Spyder, porsche hybrid, Porsche plug-in hybrid

Next week global automakers from the United States and Germany will demonstrate new fast-charging technology that will give electric vehicle owners the ability to recharge their EVs in as little as 15-20 minutes. Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Daimler, Ford, General Motors, Porsche and Volkswagen have agreed to support a harmonized single-port fast charging approach – called DC-fast charging – for use on electric vehicles in Europe and the United States.

Read the rest of Global Automakers to Debut New Technology That Recharges EVs in 20 Minutes

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Post tags: AUDI, BMW, chrysler, daimler, electric vehicles, ford, general motors, porsche, volkswagen

Read the rest of eBay Launches New Green Driving Site for Finding and Buying Eco Vehicles

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Post tags: buy electric vehicle, buy fuel efficient vehicle, buy used car, buy used car parts, e bay, ebay, ebay green driving, eco cars, eco vehicle, green cars, green driving, green driving website, green transportation, hybrid car, hybrid vehicle, sustainable car, used car website, used cars

General Motors former head of Research and Development, Larry Burns, has been looking to the future, and he sees driverless cars hitting the road as soon as 2020. The notion of removing human interaction from the equation may be unsettling, but developers have long maintained that driverless technologies would reduce the risks associated with distracted or impaired driving and improve fuel efficiency by preventing the unnecessary stop-starting of vehicles.

Read the rest of Former General Motors R and D Head Predicts Driverless Cars by 2020

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Post tags: advanced cruise control, autonomous cars, Chevy Tahoe, chevy volt, DARPA driverless car race, general motors, Google Audi, google prius, gps navigation, Larry Burns, University of Michigan Robotics

Porsche will be releasing a plug-in hybrid version of its Panamera starting in 2014, according to Automotive News. The German company currently offers a hybrid Panamera that packs 380 horsepower and at the same time gets up to 30 mpg on the highway, but a plug-in option will open the car line up to even more green transportation connoisseurs.

Read the rest of Porsche Announces It Will Release Plug-In Hybrid Panamera in 2014

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Post tags: AUDI, Audi A3, Audi Q7, green car, green transportation, panamera, plug-in hybrid, porsche, porsche Panamera, Porsche Panamera Hybrid, Porsche plug-in hybrid

Read the rest of Top 6 Sensational Pedal-Powered Designs

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Post tags: eco transportation, gas free transportation, google schweeb, green transportation, pedal designs, pedal power, pedal powered designs, pedal powered helicopter, pedal powered porsche, pedal powered transportation, scubster, zero carbon transportation, Zero Emission Transportation

When Clayton Tugonon set about creating his classy Una Cebu Car from locally sourced natural and recycled materials, he wanted to demonstrate to other Filipino designers the potential beauty and utility of their local resources. Modeled after a 1959 Porsche 356, Una Cebu Car’s dashboard is fashioned from a blend of sea shells, while the spiraling exterior is crafted from the stalks of coconut flowers — an abundant material in a country that produces 19,500,000 tonnes of coconuts each year. The car took roughly nine months to complete, and was debuted at least year’s Fame Exhibit in Manila.

Read the rest of The Una Cebu Car’s Swirling Exterior is Crafted from Coconut Flower Stalks and Other Local Materials

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Post tags: "natural materials", car exterior, clayton tugonon, coconut flower stalks, eco design, filipino furniture, green transportation, movement-8 design, porsche 356, Recycled Materials, Termite Mounds

The auto world is buzzing today about Tesla‘s highly-anticipated Model X family-sized vehicle, which was unveiled just last night. Built for parents with a need for speed, this car breaks the mold for crossover vehicles with “falcon wing” doors, a completely web connected digital interface, an ultra-performance dual motor all-wheel drive, and room for seven passengers. All of this comes at a price though since the car starts at around $50,000, but from the looks of this sexy all-electric crossover, it will be money well-spent.

Read the rest of Tesla Unveils the Model X: The World’s First All-Electric Crossover Luxury car

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Post tags: Crossover, electric car, electric vehicle, electric vehicles, elon musk, ev, Falcon doors, green automotive, green car, green transportation, hybrid vehicles, Mini Van, Model x, modelx, Performance vehicle, Sustainable, SUV, tesla, Tesla Model X, Tesla Motors

Drayson Racing and Lola just unveiled their brand new electric racecar at the 6^th MIA International Low Carbon Racing Conference. The Lola-Drayson B12/69EV was created through a collaboration between the two companies and packs 850-horsepower (640 kW) from an electric charge. The mean machine can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in a phenomenal 3 seconds, from 0 to 100 in 5.1 seconds, and can boost past 200 mph as its top speed.


Read the rest of Drayson Racing and Lola Unveil 850 HP Electric Racecar That Goes From 0 to 60 in 3 Seconds Flat

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Post tags: 2013 FIA Formula E series, B12/69EV, drayson racing, eco design, electric car, electric racecar, green design, green transportation, Lola Cars, lola drayson, Lola-Drayosn b12/69EV, MIA International Low Carbon Racing Conference, sustainable design

The U.S. Green Building Council recently announced that it has selected HOK as an official design partner for Project Haiti – a building designed to LEED Platinum principles that will replace a Port-au-Prince orphanage and children’s center devastated by the 2010 earthquake. The new structure will provide a safe, healthy home for the kids of the Fondation Enfant Jesus orphanage and children’s center. The design, which was just revealed yesterday, will take full advantage of passive heating and cooling, require minimal maintenance, and be independent from the city’s unreliable power grid.

Read the rest of HOK Teams Up With USGBC to Unveil Sustainable Orphanage and Children’s Center for Haiti

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Post tags: architecture disaster relief, bio-digester, biomimicry, Fondation Enfant Jesus orphanage and children’s center, haiti 2010 earthquake, HOK, HOK architects, humanitarian design, humanitarian efforts, LEED platinum, net zero water and waste building, passive design principles, Port-au-Prince orphanage and children’s center, Project Haiti, U.S. Green Building Council, usgbc

Last year I had the good fortune to attend the North American International Auto Show (or NAIAS) in Detroit – for the first time – and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect! I had never attended an auto show before, but I’ve heard that most SUV-focused auto shows of years past have not been very interesting to people who care about green cars, like me. However, 2011 was the year of the electric car! From super-sexy hybrid race cars (from Porsche), to a retina-searing electric yellow sports cars (from Mercedes), to practical electric commuter cars (like the Ford Focus EV and Ford C-MAX Hybrid), nearly every major car manufacturer at the Detroit Auto Show unveiled a new electric car or a new hybrid. For those of you who couldn’t make it to the show, happily we shot a video of my favorite new electric cars – check it out above, and stay tuned as we bring you a video of the hottest green vehicles from the 2012 Detroit Auto Show in the next few days!

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO >

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Post tags: an international auto show, auto show, auto show video, detroit auto show, electric car, electric cars, electric vehicle, ev, ford focus electric, Ford Focus EV, green car, green cars, green design, green transportation, green vehicle, green vehicles, green video, hybrid car, hybrid vehicle, inhabitat, inhabitat at detroit auto show, inhabitat car show, Inhabitat LLC, inhabitat video, mercedes SLS, NAIAS, naias 2011, north american international auto show, north americPorsche, Porsche 918 RSR, Porsche eco, Porsche Electric Vehicle, Porsche EV, Porsche Green Car, Porsche Hybrid Race car, Porsche Hybrid Sports Car, Porsche Spyder unveiling, Porsche unveil

Porsche just announced plans to develop a third generation version of its hot flywheel-propelled Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid. The company says that the third generation of the über fast auto will further refine its hybrid drivetrain, with the eventual goal of integrating the new-found technology into Porsche’s commercial vehicles. Although the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid 2.0 was pretty impressive, it is expected that the Porsche team will attempt to lower the weight of the car and tweak the flywheel technology to try to get even more power out of the hybrid system.

Read the rest of Porsche Announces Plans to Develop a Third Generation 911 GT3 R Hybrid

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Post tags: automobile, electric vehicle, fast hybrid car, flywheel system, Green Automobiles, green cars, green transportation, green vehicles, high end hybrid car, hybrid drivetrain, hybrid race car, hybrid technology, kinetic energy, luxury hybrid car, new hybrid technology, porsche, porsche automobile, porsche drivetrain, Porsche Electric Vehicle, porsche flywheel, porsche hybrid, what is a flywheel system

Read the rest of The 6 Sexiest Green Cars at the 2011 L.A. Auto Show

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Post tags: 2012 Panamera S hybrid, alternative-energy cars, AUDI, BMW Active E, BMW ActiveE, BMW i3 concept, cayenne s hybrid, DOK-ING, e-Tron Spyder, green cars, green transportation, honda fit ev, hybrid, iMiEV Sport Air, jaguar C-X16, LA Auto Show, Los Angeles Auto Show, mitsubishi, porsche

HOK Architects were recently chosen to design Atlanta’s new Porsche North America headquarters, which will feature a sweeping kinetic facade and an immense green roof. The movement-filled building reflects the Porsche brand while incorporating innovative green landscape architecture, and it is designed to achieve LEED Silver Certification.

Read the rest of HOK Architects Unveil Porsche’s Green-Roofed North American Headquarters

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Post tags: Atlanta, Atlanta Airport, eco design, green design, green roof, HOK architects, interior courtyard, LEED silver certification, Porsche North American Headquarters, rainwater filter, sustainable design