Read the rest of The New Lexus ES300h: We Test Drive the First Ever Hybrid ES in Oregon Wine Country

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: 300h, eco design, eco-friendly car, electric car, electric lexus, electric vehicle, es 300h, es300h, ev, green car, green design, green transportation, hybrid car, lexus, lexus 300h, lexus electric car, lexus es 300h, lexus es300h test drive, lexus ev, lexus hybrid, lexus hybrid car, Lexus Hybrid Drive, sustainable design

Car designer and entrepreneur Henrik Fisker made his name in the car industry designing the highest of the high-end luxury cars for BMW and Aston Martin. After making waves in the auto industry with vehicles such as the Aston Martin DB9, Aston Martin V8 Vantage and BMW Z8, he decided to break away from this corner of the auto world imbued with tradition and start his own company, Fisker Automotive. Fisker’s first vehicle to hit the road has been the Karma, an impressively green, extended range electric vehicle with so many curves, your eyes are already driving it before you’ve even gotten behind the wheel. Coming in as loud and clear as the Karma’s sex appeal, Henrik Fisker is on a mission to make green cars cool. We recently had a chance to talk to him about how he’s risen to the top of the electric vehicle pack, and where he plans on taking his cars from there.

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

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
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

The all-new 2013 Ford Fusion midsize sedan is set to arrive in showrooms this fall, and it features some highly unusual recycled materials. While a great amount of time was spent on finding ways to make the Fusion’s powertrains fuel efficient, Ford’s engineers also found unique ways to make the Fusion more “green.” The Fusion’s interior is upholstered with REPREVE yarn, a fabric which is made from industrial waste such as old water bottles and denim.

Read the rest of The Interior of Ford’s All-New 2013 Fusion is Made of Recycled Bottles and Cotton

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: ford, ford fusion, ford fusion hybrid, ford hybrid, green car, green transportation, hybrid cars, Sustainable Materials

The future of fully automated driving just got a whole lot closer as Volvo successfully led a road train — consisting of a Volvo XC60, a Volvo V60, and a Volvo S60, and one truck — for 124 miles through Spain. The event was part of Volvo’s SARTRE road train project (Safe Road Trains for the Environment), in which cars were outfitted with cameras, radars, and laser sensors to monitor the lead vehicle and other vehicles in their immediate vicinity. The Volvos also used a Ricardo autonomous control to mimic the lead vehicle. The wireless communication system allowed the vehicles to accelerate, brake, and make turns the same way as the leader. Throughout the test the vehicles were about 20 feet apart.

Read the rest of Volvo’s SARTRE Fully Automated Road Train Travels 124 Miles Through Spain

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: automated driving, automatic cars, automotive, green transportation, volvo, Volvo S60, Volvo SARTRE Project, Volvo V60, Volvo XC60

Nissan has announced plans to release a new electric compact van called the the e-NV200, which will be produced in Barcelona starting in 2013. The new electric van will be Nissan’s second all-electric vehicle following the Nissan Leaf. The e-NV200 will be based on the current NV200 van and it stands to be an important and innovative addition to Nissan’s global range of light commercial vehicles (LCV’s).

Read the rest of Nissan Announce Plans to Begin Production of Their All-Electric e-NV200 Van in 2013

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: automotive, electric van, electric vehicle, green transportation, NISSAN, Nissan e-NV200, Nissan electric van, Nissan electric vehicle, Nissan Leaf, nissan nv200

Tesla Motors has announced that the first deliveries of its new Model S electric sedan will begin on June 22nd, ahead of the previously  predicted July delivery date. The first Model S buyers will receive their cars at an invitation-only event at the Tesla Factory in Fremont, California. Additionally, the automaker plans to kick off the first Model S test-drive events in July. “In 2006 our plan was to build an electric sports car followed by an affordable electric sedan, and reduce our dependence on oil,” said Elon Musk, Tesla Motors CEO and Chief Product Architect. “Delivering Model S is a key part of that plan and represents Tesla’s transition to a mass-production automaker and the most compelling car company of the 21st century.”

Read the rest of Tesla to Deliver the First Model S Electric Sedans on June 22

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: electric car, electric range, electric sedan, elon musk, extended range vehicle, green car, green transportation, tesla, tesla electric sedan, tesla model-s, Tesla Sedan

Ford’s first dedicated hybrid, the 2013 Ford C-MAX compact utility vehicle, is slated to arrive in dealers this fall. Ford has announced that the compact five-passenger C-MAX hybrid will start at $25,995 — that’s approximately $500 cheaper than its closest competitor, the Toyota Prius v. Ford hasn’t released the official specs for the C-MAX hybrid just yet, but they do expect it to “blend fuel economy with performance, with projected best-in-class horsepower and torque.”

Read the rest of 2013 Ford C-MAX Hybrid, Ford’s First Dedicated Hybrid Starts at $25,995

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: ford, ford c-max energi plug-in hybrid, ford c-max hybrid, ford hybrid, Ford plug-in hybrid, green car, green transportation, hybrid car

Overhead electric lines that power buses and streetcars are a common sight in California cities and towns, and they could soon be expanding to highways. At the 26th annual Electric Vehicle Symposium in Los Angeles last week, Siemens unveiled the “eHighway of the Future,” a system of electric lines that would be used to power specially-designed hybrid trucks. The eHighway is currently being tested in Germany, and pilot projects are planed for Los Angeles and Long Beach.

Read the rest of Siemens to Test “eHighway” Overhead Electric Lines for Trucks in California

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: California, eco friendly shipping, ehighway, ehighway of the future, electric cars, germany, green transportation, green trucks, hybrid cars, hybrid trucks, shipping, siemens

Honda has announced the new UNI-CUB personal mobility device, an electric, self-balancing, weight-shift controlled vehicle which is set to compete with devices like the Segway. The major difference between the Segway and the UNI-CUB is the fact that it features a more comfortable design that allows the rider to sit down. Designed for “harmony with the people,” the UNI-CUB also offers the same freedom of movement in all directions that a person enjoys while walking.

Read the rest of Honda Unveils the UNI-CUB, a Self-Balancing Personal Mobility Device

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: green transportation, Honda, Honda U3-X, Honda UNI-CUB, personal electric vehicle, personal mobility device, personal transportation, segway

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

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: green car, green sports car, green transportation, hybrid sports car, porsche, Porsche 918 Spyder, porsche hybrid, Porsche plug-in hybrid

Ferrari makes some of the greatest supercars in the world, but unfortunately drivers looking for a green supercar have had to look elsewhere. Until the upcoming Ferrari hybrid debuts, Ferrari buyers now have a new option that has all the style of a Ferrari, but also the ultimate green powertrain. The Fahrradi Farfalla FFX was created by Austrian artist Hannes Langwelder and is a followup to the Ferdinand GT3 RS that he created. What makes the Fahrradi Farfalla FFX the ultimate green supercar? Its V-12 gas engine has been swapped out with a set of pedals, meaning that this supercar is only powered by humans.

Read the rest of The Fahrradi Farfalla FFX is a Pedal-Powered Ferrari!

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: automotive, Fahrradi Farfalla FFX, Ferrari, green car, green supercar, green transportation, Hannes Langwelder, pedal-powered car

The guys over at Autoblog were on hand when Ample International unveiled the Eo, a new small electric vehicle that Ample is calling the “world’s first e-quadricycle.” The Eo was on display at the Electric Vehicle Symposium (EVS26) last week in Los Angeles. The vehicle features highly unique styling, but can seat up to three passengers and has an impressive all-electric range of 124 miles. Ample’s Shida Zheng describes the Eo as a “four-wheeled motorcycle, completely powered by electricity.”

Read the rest of Ample Eo Debuts as the World’s First All Electric Quadricycle

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: Ample, Ample Eo, electric car, electric motorcycle, electric quadricycle, electric range, electric vehicle, Electric Vehicle Symposium, EVS26, green car, green transportation

Daimler’s Smart division, best known for small cars like the Smart ForTwo, has announced that it will bring an electric scooter to the market in 2014. Smart originally unveiled the escooter in 2010, alongside plans for a Smart ebike and electric versions of the ForTwo. The electric-powered ForTwo will launch this summer and delivery of the first Smart ebikes is just beginning.

Read the rest of Smart Announces Plan to Launch Electric Scooter in 2014

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: daimler, daimler electric, electric bicycle, electric bicycles, electric car, electric scooters, green transportation, Smart, smart car, Smart ebike, Smart escooter, Smart ForTwo

Next week Audi will debut their prototype Wörthersee e-bike, which promises to be a highly advanced, versatile electric bike from the German automakers. The Audi e-bike will be unveiled at Wörthersee in Carinthia, Austria where trial biker Julien Dupont and downhill specialist Petra Bernhard will demonstrate their stunts and streetbike skills. “As a high-performance e-bike for sports and trick cycling, it features the Audi core competences of design, ultra, e-tron and connect,” stated Audi’s Head of Design Wolfgang Egger.

Read the rest of Audi Unveils High Performance Wörthersee E-Bike!

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: AUDI, Audi e-bike, Audi e-bike Worthersee, carbon fiber bike, electric bike, green transportation, lithium ion battery

Who hasn’t been stuck in traffic and wished that they could simply just hit a button and their car would fly over it? Flying cars have been a fantasy for decades and now they’re finally becoming a reality. Case in point: the PAL-V One is a two-seat hybrid car and gyroplane in one. The “Personal Air and Land Vehicle” gives its owner the ultimate freedom to travel by road or take to the skies.

Read the rest of PAL-V One Flying Car Gives You the Freedom to Soar Over Traffic

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: airplane, flying car, green transportation, PAL-V, PAL-V One, personal transportation

Read the rest of 1970s Double-Decker Bus in Berlin Transformed Into Mobile Kiosk

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: Architecture, Art, automotive, berlin, double-decker bus, green renovation, green transportation, Kjosk, mobile cafe, Mobile Kiosk, recycled bus, Rosmarie Köckenberger

The “mileage experts” John and Helen Taylor have done it again! The couple recently completed a 1,626-mile drive in a 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI without stopping once for fuel. The couple was determined to break the record for the furthest distance traveled on a single tank of fuel, and they did it in a “clean diesel” vehicle equipped with a six-speed manual transmission.

Read the rest of Couple Travels Record-Breaking 1,626 Miles on a Single Tank of Gas in a 2012 VW Passat

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: Clean Diesel, diesel, diesel cars, fuel economy, green transportation, John and Helen Taylor, volkswagen, Volkswagen Passat

Toyota has officially unveiled the second-generation 2012 RAV4 EV at the Electric Vehicle Symposium in Los Angeles. Unlike the first RAV4 EV, the second-generation is noteworthy because it gets its powertrain from Tesla Motors. The RAV4 EV represents the first model to come from the recent partnership between Toyota and Tesla and will officially go on sale this summer with a starting price set at $49,800 before any available state or federal tax incentives.

Read the rest of Toyota Unveils New RAV4 EV Featuring Tesla Batteries and Motor

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: electric SUV, electric vehicle, green car, green transportation, tesla, Toyota, toyota electric vehicle, Toyota RAV4 EV

German rivals BMW and Daimler have joined forces with scientists at the Technical University Munich (TUM) to create an electric car that solves many of the problems with today’s electric cars. The joint research project “Visio.M” seeks to produce an electric car that moves past current electric cars, which are too heavy, too expensive and have raised mass-market safety concerns.

Read the rest of BMW and Daimler Combine Forces to Create an Inexpensive and Light Electric Car

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: BMW, daimler, electric cars, German Federal Ministry for Education and Research, green car, green transportation, Technical University Munich, Visio.M

“Range anxiety” is an emotion that’s common to people who own electric cars. It’s a term that describes the fear that EVs won’t have a strong enough charge to get you to your destination or back home before the battery runs out. But if running out of juice on the road freaks you out, try getting in the cockpit of an electric airplane! Range anxiety has been a major hangup for electric airplane makers, but Volta Volaré, a Portland, Oregon-based company, has overcome those fears by producing a hybrid electric airplane that, similar to the Chevy Volt, runs on a hybrid powertrain with batteries and a backup gasoline engine.

Read the rest of Volta Volaré Is an Electric Plane with a Backup Gas Engine

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: aviation, chevy volt, electric airplane, electric plane, green transportation, GT4, hybrid electric airplane, hybrid plane, Paul Peterson, range anxiety, Volta Volare