AutoblogGreen

Years ago, one of the most dangerous types of motorsports was board track motorcycle racing. As the name suggests, a steeply raked oval track made up of wooden boards was created and cycles with nothing more than an engine, frame and skinny wheels (no brakes, even) circled the track at high speed. Unfortunately, both the riders and the spectators were in extreme danger and after a few deaths, the races were shut down. Still, the vintage board tracker style remains a popular one even today.

Just as scooters have been setting sales records in these days of high gasoline prices, some see the moped as yet another logical way to save on some fuel. One potential problem, though, is that the moped isn't really seen as the fashionable statement that the scooter is. Derringer Cycles looks to change all that with its line of board track-inspired mopeds. Traditional pedals get the machine moving, and the extremely fuel efficient little engine takes over from there. Powered by a small Honda engine, expect top speeds in the thirty mile per hour range and fuel mileage of around 180 miles per gallon.


[Source: Autofiends]

Chris Paine, maker of the famous (at least in these parts) documentary, "Who Killed the Electric Car," is planning a revival of the topic for his next film. Tentatively scheduled for a 2009 release and titled "Revenge of the Electric Car" (does the sequel look to get some inspiration from the Star Wars franchise?), it certainly wouldn't be a shocker if the electric car in question were none other than the Chevy Volt. While the first documentary focused on the destruction of the EV1 from General Motors - despite the fact that many past EV owners wanted to purchase them outright - the second film appears ready to welcome the electric car back from the dead.

We're not at all certain what the movie will focus on, but it is definitely true that electric cars are seeing a reincarnation of sorts. Tesla Motors, Fisker Automotive and General Motors all have plans to create new electric or hybrid vehicles in the coming years, along with many other major automakers. Even if it isn't the beloved little coupe, we join Mr. Paine and the throngs of ex-EV1 drivers in welcoming the electric car's return.

[Source: The Detroit Free Press]

2008 Honda Element

We get a lot of interesting emails in the AutoblogGreen inbox. Some of them provide good tips or lead us to stories of people doing amazing things. Some just make us laugh. And some just ask us a question we're just not able to help (no, I can't tell you how to order ethanol in Africa. Sorry). A message we got today is a blend - part good idea for a post, part need more info. Here's the note from reader Kelsey:

I have a 2006 Honda Element. I'm trying to find any information available about how bad my SUV is for the environment, according to how much I drive and how I use it, etc. I keep finding articles that deal with the "greenest" cars, even the ones that are the worst, but not a lot about specific cars like mine. Any suggestions on where to look? Thanks for the help!

It's not hard to find sites that take SUVs to task - and with good reason. For most people, these giant rides are just overkill and a more reasonable vehicle should certainly be on their radar. Still, while we're not interested in the anti-SUV sites right now; we should also shy away from the types of stories that say a Hummer is better than a Prius. That's just not true.

In Kelsey's case, the best place to start is the Element's miles per gallon. This is one of the areas where we have the numbers available. According to the EPA, a 2006 Element with 2WD, an automatic 4 speed transmission and the 4 cyl, 2.4 L gets 19/24mpg city/highway (the manual gets 19/23 and and the 4WD versions are similar). As Kelsey writes, how much the vehicle is driven and the driving style plays a huge role in the Element's impact on the environment. But for now, let's stick to the averages. Kelsey, feel free to chime in with a comment to let us know how accurate these numbers are. Read more after the jump.

The modern definition of a hybrid vehicle is any single machine with multiple sources of power. Usually, this means one internal combustion engine and one electric motor with batteries. This is again the case with the Biohazard Jet Bike, though its internal combustion engine happens to be a propane-fed turbine engine which spins at up to 112,000 revolutions per minute and produces forty-five pounds of thrust. The electric motor is powered by twenty-four volts of juice and is said to be good for eighteen miles per hour for up to twenty miles.

The bike also has pedals, though they are non-functional. From the looks of things, much of the cycle comes from the pedal-powered world, with a front fork and wheels cribbed from the bike world for sure. Still, this machine looks like lots of fun, and jet engines have been known to run on nearly any combustible fuel, including our personal favorite: biodiesel.

Related:

• Inventive minds attach a jet engine to a Honda Ruckus

[Source: eBay Motors]

At the big unveiling of the Chevy Volt, GM said the vehicle would be able to hold 12 gallons of liquid fuel and be able to go 640 miles on that energy and what was stored in the batteries. Well, that announcement was 18 months ago and things have changed since then. The latest that we've heard about is that the liquid fuel tank will be something smaller than the original estimate.

Kicking Tires quotes "a source" that says that the exact size of the smaller tank is not yet set but that, "We're working on that." The new goal is to give the Volt a range of 360 miles without any help from the initial charge, so that would imply a tank of maybe eight or so gallons - still plenty for most drivers most days in a PHEV like this. While the aerodynamics of the Volt have proven to be much more important than weight when it comes to increasing the miles per gallon number, every bit counts. We're waiting on a reply from GM to see if the smaller fuel tank move is official.

UPDATE: GM's response was that they will share "the detailed technical information on the production vehicle at the appropriate time."

[Source: Kicking Tires]

Although the first two generations of BMW's revival of the Mini brand have been sales sensations and are nothing if not fun to drive, the Bavarian company's true engineering merit has always been with rear-wheel drive vehicles. So, it isn't at all surprising that the huge sporting automaker from Germany is looking to co-develop its next front-wheel drive Mini platform with Fiat. Though it could be argued that the Fiat 500 is a direct shot across the bow of the retro-style Mini Cooper, the money savings from platform sharing was apparently just too much to resist for the two automakers.

Fiat certainly has a long history of producing fine small cars, and its current Punto and Panda-based 500 have received rather good reviews from the European motoring press. What's more, BMW has always used engines developed in cooperation with other manufacturers for the Mini. Still, it seems odd that the two marque's would go at each other with vehicles built off the same underpinnings. We'll just need to wait and see how well the two vehicles are differentiated from one another.

[Source: Reuters]

Travel options in Paris just got a happy new addition. A scooter taxi service (yes really!) that goes by the name of City Bird has just added a pair of Vectrix electric maxi-scooters to its fleet. Now, instead of riding to your favorite cafe or tourist attraction on the back of a Suzuki Burgman or Honda Goldwing, you can now travel carbon and noise pollution free on a stylishly painted (n'est-ce pas?) Vectrix.

If this whole two-wheel taxi thing seems a little strange to you and your French literacy is adequate (or you have Google translate) you can check out the company blog and learn everything there is to know about the concept. From what we understand, the prices are decent and you don't have to worry about getting stuck in traffic jams like you might in a four-wheeled taxi. You can order up your ride via the Internet or telephone. If you happen to have an excellent knowledge of Paris and its environs and are a licensed and experienced driver looking for a unique employment opportunity you might want to get in contact with them for that too. Thanks to Mike W. for the tip!

[Source: City Bird via Bikes in the Fastlane]

The General Motors factory in Zaragoza, Spain is set to get a roof tiled in solar panels as part of a larger initiative throughout GM's European operations. 183,000 square meters of photovoltaic cells will be capable of providing up to a quarter of the factory's peak demand. Zaragoza is GM's biggest European factory, and the project will cost €50m, though its benefit will be significant reduction in energy bills for the automaker. GM has 19 other plants in Europe, and the Saint Petersburg factory is next on the list for the solar treatment. Other locations may follow, though some are likely better suited than others due to a variety of environmental and business factors.

[Source: Automotive News – Sub Req]

Click above on the Ego concept for more images of VW's 2028 concepts

Apparently, Volkswagen thinks its time for another weird and wacky look into the future. This time, the German automaker is gazing just twenty years ahead. The results of its future look are three virtual concept cars. Yes, all three are capable of driving themselves, as you would likely imagine. As would be expected of any self-respecting gaze into the future, petroleum is not part of the picture. In its place are biofuels for those who simply must have liquid fuels and, of course, electricity. We feel pretty confident that these projections are possible, but that's right about where any semblance to reality ends.

After taking a leisurely stroll through the über clean park, a father and his son are reminded that it is time to leave by a hologram. What car to have delivered? The VW One wouldn't do, as it only seats a single occupant. The VW Room is overkill, as it is intended for an entire family. So, the son chooses to summon an Ego, a two-seater sportscar concept complete with user-defined green flames.

[Source: Volkswagen 2028]

The first installment of Transformers pushed some serious gas guzzling on movie audiences by way of the upcoming Chevy Camaro (with V8 power, naturally) and a Hummer. Our esteemed Mr. Blanco was less than impressed by the movie's lack of green credentials. After all, being nothing more than a movie, a perfect opportunity presented itself to introduce the movie-going world to clean transportation. It now sounds as if Mr. Bay and General Motors have seen the green-tinted light, as rumors now suggest that GM's upcoming green poster-child will indeed make an appearance in the highly-anticipated Transformers sequel. We anxiously look forward to seeing the Chevy Volt in production form in the next Transformers movie, and it would be some serious icing on the cake if we witnessed it transform into some kind of awesome gas-guzzling-robot butt-kicker along the way.

Remember too that GM will be showcasing another gas-saving vehicle in the upcoming flick in the form of the Chevy Beat. For our two-wheeled fans in the reading audience, Mr. Bay will also be featuring a female robot in the form of a Pepto-pink Buell.

[Source: Reuters]