If you read Inhabitat, you probably know that we’re big fans of green transportation, but we do think it’s important to see the bigger picture when it comes to electric cars. A new finding from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville shows that electric cars in China have a higher impact on pollution than gasoline vehicles due to the fact that they draw power from the grid (which in China is powered 90% by coal). We should point out that this study only examined EVs in one part of the world – China – but there is a bigger picture to look at which is the fact that in order for electric cars to eventually become truly sustainable, we need to move towards ultimately powering them with renewable resources.

Read the rest of New Study Finds That Electric Cars in China Using Fossil Fuels Have a Higher Carbon Footprint Than Gasoline Gars

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Post tags: air pollution, alternative energy, alternative transportation, carbon emissions, electric car, electric vehicle, ev, fossil fuels, green transportation, greenhouse gas emissions coal, Pollution, renewable energy

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

Read the rest of VIDEO: Inhabitat Interviews Henrik Fisker, Founder of Fisker Automotive and Designer of the Karma

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Post tags: eco car, eco vehicle, electric car, electric vehicle, extended range electric vehicle, Fisker Automotive, fisker car, fisker karma, fisker vehicle, green car, green transportation, green vehicle, henrik fisker, high gas mileage, karma, karma car, karma electric vehicle, Karma EV, low emissions car, low emissions transportation, sustainable car, sustainable vehicle

Toyota’s newest Prius model, the 2012 Prius c, is set to hit dealerships next month. The Prius c is now the smallest Prius model available and sits at the opposite end of the lineup from the “versatile” Prius v. The Prius c five-door hatchback is about the same size as the Toyota Yaris and is powered by Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive system, which in this case mates a 1.5L DOHC four-cylinder engine with a 60-hp electric motor and a 144-volt nickel-metal hydride battery. The total hybrid system has an output of 99 horsepower and gets 53 mpg in the city and 46 mpg on the highway meaning its city fuel economy is the highest of any vehicle currently on the market that doesn’t use a plug.

Read the rest of 2012 Toyota Prius c Has the Highest City MPG Rating of All Plugless Vehicles

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Post tags: 2012 Toyota Prius c Has the Highest City MPG Rating of any Vehicle Without a Plug, automotive, car, cars with high gas mileage, electric car, green car, green transportation, hybrid cars, news, prius, Prius C, Toyota, toyota hybrid, toyota prius

London designer Omer Sagiv created this solar-powered concept car that looks like it’s straight out of the latest sci-fi movie. The concept car is referred to as the SPV (Solar Power Vehicle) and Sagiv states that it’s made of aluminum with flexible thin modules fixed to it and that the shaft in the center of the SPV functions as an in-built cooling system. The aerodynamic shape of the concept allows it to collect energy in any sunny environment. Even better, the concept can also use the extra energy that it collects from its solar panels to power its owner’s house!

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Post tags: automotive, automotive design, electric car, electric vehicle, ev, green transportation, news, Omer Sagiv, solar car, solar panels, Solar Power, Solar Power Vehicle, toyota prius

While the vast majority of cyclists must adhere the same traffic laws as all other vehicles, and in some cases absurd bike-specific laws, bicycle activists in France have successfully campaigned for the right to run red lights. The new laws, presently in a trial phase at 15 intersections in Eastern Paris, will permit cyclists to continue straight through or turn right on red lights when the road is clear of pedestrians and oncoming traffic.

Read the rest of French Cyclists Win the Right to Run Red Traffic Lights

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Post tags: Bike Paths, bike sharing, cyclists, cyclists rights, france, french bike sharing, green planning, green transportation, Paris, running red lights, traffic laws, velib

Read the rest of Volkswagen’s Think Blue Beetle is Made From 2,805 Pieces of Recycled Trash!

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Post tags: Art, beetle, green materials, green transportation, Haribaabu Natesaan, Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, Mumbai, recycled art, recycled art materials, Recycled Materials, salvaged materials, scrap, Think Blue, Think Blue Campaign, Think Blue Clean Up, volkswagen, Volkswagen Beetle

Acura has officially introduced its latest model, the 2013 Acura ILX compact sedan. The ILX is based on the Honda Civic and is being positioned as a gateway into the Acura brand. The ILX will be available with three different powertrains, but the most noteworthy is the hybrid option, as it marks the introduction of Acura’s first ever hybrid model.

Read the rest of Acura Debuts Its First Hybrid, the 2013 Acura ILX

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Post tags: Acura, automotive, car, electric car, electric vehicle, green automotive design, green car, green honda, green transportation, hybrid, hybrid cars, new honda hybrid

It takes a lot of energy to launch a spacecraft into orbit – the Space Shuttle, for example, used over one million pounds of solid propellant to power its rocket boosters. As you can imagine, over the last 28 years of shuttle service it has been responsible for over 42,000 tonnes of pollutants in the atmosphere. However we still need rockets to get supplies and astronauts to and from the International Space Station. This, as well as the growth of the space tourism industry, has seen NASA lay down a challenge for US engineering firms to design and build ‘space taxis‘ able to take at least four people into space.

Read the rest of NASA Launches Call for Space Taxis to Fly to International Space Station

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Post tags: Commercial Crew Program, commercial crew program space taxis, green transportation, NASA commercial crew, NASA International Space Station, NASA space taxi proposal, NASA space taxis, sustainable design

Switzerland-based industrial machine behemoth ABB just announced plans to throw its weight behind a massive network of electric vehicle charging stations across Europe, the US, and Asia. The company plans to integrate chargers into smart grid systems and allow drivers to juice up their electric vehicles while they are out and about. The announcement is a big nod that the nascent electric car market is set to boom – sources project that over 5 million EVs will be sold each year by 2017, and the charger market is valued at $1 billion.

Read the rest of Industrial Giant ABB Announces Plans for Worldwide Electric Vehicle Charging Network

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Post tags: ABB car charger, ABB EV, ABB EV network, car charger network, electric car charger, ev, ev charger, green car, green transportation, smart grid

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) just released its 14th annual comprehensive environmental rankings, and this year’s list shows some surprising results. The council has compiled a list of what it feels are the “greenest” vehicles, and for the first time in eight years an electric vehicle has grabbed the top spot – the Mitsubishi i-MIEV.

Read the rest of Mitsubishi’s i-MIEV Electric Car Grabs the “Greenest” Vehicle Title From the Honda Civic

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Post tags: 2012 Mitsubishi i-MIEV, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, electric car, electric vehicle, ev, green automotive design, green transportation, greenest vehicle, Honda Civic Natural Gas, hybrid vehicle, i-MIEV, mitsubishi

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Post tags: british car, british sports car, car news, eco design, electric auto, electric automobile, green auto, green car news, green cars, green design, green transportation, gt, gt supercar, lightning, lightning car company, lightning cars, lightning gt, lightning gt ev, lightning gt prototype, lightning gt supercar, news, prototype, supercar, sustainable design

San Francisco’s new electric bicycle sharing experiment will soon offer an affordable green transit alternative for those navigating the city’s inclines. The e-bike program will offer riders the option to rent bikes by the hour through the website City CarShare. And for those hauling heavier duty cargo such as groceries, e-bicycle trailers will also be available to rent.

Read the rest of San Francisco Set to Launch Electric Bike Sharing Program

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Post tags: alternative transportation, bike sharing, e-bike, electric bike, electric vehicle, green transportation, San Francisco, san francisco bike sharing, Transportation Sustainability Research Center, uc berkeley, UC Berkeley Research, urban bike sharing

Inhabitat’s Jill Fehrenbacher recently hit the scene of the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, where she toured the laser-filled show to bring you an exclusive look at the world’s hottest new electric vehicles and hybrid cars! She got the lowdown on the sexiest new hybrid vehicle from Lexus as well as a sneak peek at Volkswagen’s upcoming Jetta Hybrid and the E-Bugster electric Beetle concept. She also took an inside look at the quirky styling of Smart’s For-US electric pickup truck and the brand new Ford Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid, which is sure to be a consumer favorite when it hits the streets this year. Check out our exclusive video above for the most exciting green cars at from the 2012 Detroit Auto Show!

Read the rest of VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: Inhabitat Gets Electric Vehicle Fever at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show

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Post tags: detroit auto show, detroit auto show 2012, E-bugster, electric car, electric vehicle, Ford electric vehicle, ford fusion, ford fusion electric, ford fusion energi, ford fusion hybrid, green car, green transportation, hybrid jetta, lexus hybrid, lexus lf-lc, north american international auto show, Smart, smart electric vehicle, Smart EV, Smart For-US, smart pickup truck, Video, volkswagen

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Post tags: barcelona bicing, barcelona bicycling, bicycles, bike share, bike shares, boston, copenhagen, cycling, eco bike shares, green transportation, New York., top 6, wuhan china

Read the rest of Aaron Durand’s Amazing Long-Exposure Photos Make Speeding Trains Look Like Friggin’ Lasers

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Post tags: aaron durand, bay area, caltrains, digital photography, eco design, eco-art, everyday dude, green art, green design, green transportation, lasers, long exposure photography, Photography, public transit, San Francisco, train photography, trains

Scotland just began construction has just commenced on the world’s first roll-on roll-off diesel-electric hybrid ferries at the Ferguson shipyard in Port Glasgow. The new environmentally-friendly ships will weigh in at 900 tons each and will able to ship around up to 150 passengers and 23 cars. It is anticipated that the ferries will be used around the Scottish isles, on popular routes such as the link between Skye and Raasay.

Read the rest of Scotland Building the World’s First Sea-Going Hybrid Ferries

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Post tags: glasgow port, green ferries, green transportation, hybrid ferries, hybrid ships, hybrid technology, scotland ferries, scotland hybrid ferries, the ferguson shipyard

Read the rest of Georgetown Station is a Model for Low-Impact Mass Transit Outside Austin, Texas

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", "wind power", "wind turbine", austin, CARTS, eco design, electric vehicle charging station, Georgetown Station, green architecture, Green Building, green design, green transportation, Jackson Mcelhaney, photovoltaics, public transportation, rainwater collection, renewable energy, Solar Power, Sustainable Building, sustainable design, texas, transit stop, whisper

Read the rest of TEST DRIVE: The Lexus CT200h Compact Hatchback Hybrid Ushers In A New Era for Luxury Hybrids

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Post tags: alternative transportation, CT200h, green automotive design, green car, green transportation, green vehicle, hybrid car, hybrid vehicle, Laura Cowan, Laura K. Cowan, lexus, Lexus CT200h, test drive

Two Toronto teens have taken the LEGO man to new heights by launching the iconic yellow figure into space using a homemade weather balloon. High school students Mathew Ho and Asad Muhammad lifted the little guy an incredible 15 miles above sea level, and the entire journey was documented by cameras.


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Post tags: Asad Muhammad, DIY, eco design, green design, green transportation, homemade design, homemade weather balloon, lego, lego man, lego man goes to space, Mathew Ho, sustainable design, teens send lego man to space, toronto