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STUDY: Lots of local, green electricity possible for most of the U.S.

One of the reasons that a vehicle powered by something other than gasoline is such a popular idea in the U.S. is that it helps us become less reliant on other countries for our transportation needs. To this end, biofuels and electric vehicles offer great potential to use local sources of energy in our vehicles. To get a handle on how much green electricity – wind, geothermal, solar, etc. – is available in the U.S., the Insitute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) has conducted a study on renewable energy potential and came away with ... Read more →

Dell prepares for plug-ins with solar-powered parking lot Domenick Yoney

Dell has just completed construction of a Solar Grove from Envision Solar that not only produces carbon-free energy for their corporate headquarters in Round Rock, Texas but can also provide power ...

SunPods make solar electric vehicle charging quick and easy (to install) Sebastian Blanco

While solar panels are not yet efficient enough to plop down on an electric vehicle's roof and charge as you go, the idea of powering an EV with the sun is tremendously appealing. A new system ...

Solar electric BMW Lovos concept makes Chris Bangle look drab Jeremy Korzeniewski

It must be fun to be a car designer. Unless, of course, your name becomes synonymous with a specific styling trend that very few seem to appreciate... but we digress. It definitely seems that ...

SolarCity announces sun-powered electric vehicle charging network Sebastian Blanco

Electric vehicle drivers in sunny California can now look forward to getting some solar-powered juice for their rides. SolarCity and Rabobank are partnering up to install a series of EV quick-charging ...

STUDY: U.S. subsidises fossil fuels 2.5 times more than renewables 1 month ago on Autoblog Green

Listen to the messages coming out of Washington, D.C. and you'd think we're spending all our available money on clean and green technologies, things like algae biofuels, cleaner cars and advanced batteries. Turns out, this isn't remotely true. According to a new study that reviewed fossil fuel ...

Frankfurt Preview: Peugeot mixes car with scooter to create the BB1 Concept 1 month ago on Autoblog Green

If a scooter is too small, dangerous and uncovered for your tastes but you'd still like to have as minimal an impact on your surroundings as possible, Peugeot has just the concept car for you. Called the BB1, the French automaker says of its Frankfurt Motor Show-bound machine, "Its mother is a ...

Frankfurt 2009: Volkswagen calls E-Up! Concept "Beetle of the 21st Century" 1 month ago on Autoblog Green

Volkswagen promises to release the "Beetle of the 21st Century" by 2013. Those are some of the biggest shoes in the history of the automobile to fill, and VW plans to do just that with a new car based on the New Small Family architecture that was introduced on the original Up! concept that's ...

Frankfurt Preview: Toyota unleashes the goods on Auris HSD Concept 1 month ago on Autoblog Green

We've already received a sneak peek at some early images of the Toyota Auris HSD concept, but Toyota was woefully tight-lipped about disclosing on any actual details at that time. No longer, as the Japanese automaker has just dropped all the pertinents and a bunch of new images of its upcoming ...

Ford finds buyer for Wixom plant, will be used as renewable energy park 1 month ago on Autoblog Green

It's official. Negotiations are reportedly complete and Ford's abandoned plant in Wixom, Michigan, is getting a new lease on life. The factory originally opened way back in 1957 during the glory years of the American automotive industry and it encompasses a massive 320 acres (4.7 million ...

Frankfurt Preview: Toyota Auris HSD concept leaks ahead of debut 1 month ago on Autoblog Green

Toyota will be bringing a number of concept vehicles to the Frankfurt Motor Show next week, including a plug-in version of its Prius hybrid that uses a lithium ion battery pack in lieu of the standard model's nickel metal hydride unit. While that car is understandably generating the most press, ...

El(ectric) Camino takes to the road in Wisconsin 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

For the last month, Tom Leitschuh has been cruising around Racine, Wisconsin in a 1981 Chevrolet El Camino without a single worry about his emissions or the price of gas. The reason is that his El Camino has been converted to all electric power and he generates electricity using wind and solar ...

Former Ford factory in Wixom could be used by alternative energy companies 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

A former Ford plant in Wixom, Michigan may get another lease on life now that a Senate committee has paved the way forward with a series of tax credits to two alternative energy companies interested in utilizing the factory space. The plant has been closed since 2007. Clairvoyant Energy of Santa ...

Future tense: How a solar-hydrogen economy could provide us with all the energy we need 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

What one energy source has the ability to – in the long term – supply the people of the world with all of the energy they need in an reliable and renewable manner? According to Derek Abbott, professor of electrical engineering at the University of Adelaide in Australia, there is ...

Nissan and Showa Shell partner to test solar quick charge system 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

Nissan is preparing to make a major push, starting next year, with its new LEAF EV and the ability to quick charge it is one of the primary selling points. However, doing 480V charging on a wide scale is problematic. First of all, there are almost no such charging stations in existence today. ...

Toyota: Prius solar sunroof much more popular than expected 2 months ago on Autoblog Green

The undeniable success of the 2010 Prius surely has Toyota breathing a sigh of relief. Still, even good news sometimes comes with a caveat, and that's reportedly true of the Japanese automaker's latest fuel sipper. According to Wards Auto, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. President Jim Lentz ...

NASCAR to build huge solar plant at Pocono raceway 3 months ago on Autoblog Green

The only green typically associated with NASCAR is the cubic dollars spent every year by fans on tickets and merchandise and what the automakers spend to support their teams. On the technology side, this is a series that still uses carburetors and only recently switched to unleaded gas. However, ...

Toyota uses 18-foot solar flowers to market 2010 Prius, offers free electricity, wifi 3 months ago on Autoblog Green

As part of Toyota's strange but seemingly effective marketing campaign for the new 2010 Prius hybrid, the Japanese automaker has rolled out a bunch of 18-foot tall solar flowers to various urban centers all around the United States, starting with Boston's Prudential Plaza. Next up: New York, ...

Priuses get solar assist on boat into Long Beach harbor [w/VIDEO] 3 months ago on Autoblog Green

Considering that a single container ship may emit as much as 50 million cars, even small reductions of fossil fuel energy needed to import vehicles to the U.S. are a good thing. While soome ship ideas use giant kites, Toyota has partnered up with the NYK Line for a new ship called the Auriga ...

Toyota to build new Prius in Eco-Factory in Japan 4 months ago on Autoblog Green

While the argument about whether a Hummer H2 is actually more environmentally friendly than a Toyota Prius has long since been debunked (even if it keeps popping up its ugly head), it does raise a valid point. A major part of the environmental impact of transportation devices like cars and trucks ...

Why don't we use solar to power our electric cars? 4 months ago on Autoblog Green

For years, we've been watching as solar-powered race cars travel at relatively high rates of speed for hours on end – as long as the sun happens to be shining, of course. In fact, the World Solar Challenge has been taking place in Australia every few years since 1987, and the actual ...

REPORT: Koenigsegg's purchase of Saab may bring electric Quant concept to production 4 months ago on Autoblog Green

- Now that Koenigsegg's purchase of ailing fellow Swedish automaker Saab is all but officially official, our attention naturally turns to the the current product lines and possible future vehicles from the two automakers. At least a few people are wondering out loud if there's a possibility ...

Meet the HST (Highly Sophisticated Transporter), a large, green semi truck 4 months ago on Autoblog Green

As companies like Ford know, eliminating semi truck miles from the supply chain has a noticeable greening effect. But what if those trucks were electric powered with a diesel range extender and solar panels built in? Oh, and what if they were much larger than current trucks and able to carry 65 ...

Police in Ohio go solar [w/VIDEO] 5 months ago on Autoblog Green

The Ohio State Highway Patrol says it was able to save roughly $1 million in fuel costs in 2008 (reportedly a 16.4-percent savings) by increasing stationary patrol time. Sitting stationary does save fuel if the other option is to drive around on patrol. Still, it's a well-known fact that police ...

Meet a MINI E that will only use solar power 5 months ago on Autoblog Green

The all-electric MINI Es are starting to be delivered, and AutoblogGreen reader David VM. will do something a little extra with his new ride: power it completely by solar power. David has started up a new blog called MINI E 19 (his car is #19) and the first entry talks about the initial week ...

8th graders build solar human hybrid vehicle 5 months ago on Autoblog Green

A group of 8th grade students at Novato Charter School in Marin County in California have produced an interesting new project. They've created a solar human hybrid vehicle that combines the power of the sun with pedal power. The students started off with a four-wheeled, four-passenger pedal powered ...

Omaha man builds electric motorcycle in spare time (w/VIDEO) 5 months ago on Autoblog Green

A man from Omaha, Nebraska named Tony Parker (no, not that Tony Parker) recently found himself with a bunch of extra time on his hands after being laid off from his job, so he decided to try and put it to good use by creating a home-built electric motorcycle he's calling Electra Green. Using a ...

Kyocera offers details on solar cells used by 2010 Prius 5 months ago on Autoblog Green

Want to know more about the solar moonroof option that's available on the latest third-generation Toyota Prius for 2010? Read on. According to Tech-On from Nikkei newspaper in Japan, the actual polycrystalline Si cells used by the automaker are supplied by Kyocera and are arranged in six columns ...

NREL hosts Colorado middle school teams to race solar, hydrogen models 5 months ago on Autoblog Green

The DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory is hosting a Junior Solar Sprint and Hydrogen Fuel Cell car competition today out in Colorado. Even though grown-ups won't get any more Federal money for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, students from 29 Colorado middle schools will get to play with compete ...

Seat Brisa and Duna concepts point the way to solar power 6 months ago on Autoblog Green

At this point, vehicles covered in solar panels aren't yet able to offer a viable alternative to the fossil fuel-powered cars and trucks that we currently rely on. There's hope that this fact will someday change, but that date's still a way off in the future. Regardless, we can still have some ...

Phoenix man taps into the sun with his DIY solar motorcycle 6 months ago on Autoblog Green

Anyone living near Phoenix, Arizona would be able to tell you that there's a reason the area is nicknamed "The Valley of the Sun." It may be mildly oppressive from time to time (or just about all summer, depending on your point of view), but the sun is also a valuable natural resource that ...

Xof1 solar car team victims of theft in New Orleans 6 months ago on Autoblog Green

Marcelo da Luz and his team, world record holders for the furthest distance traveled in a solar-powered car, have had their share of ups and downs on their journey across North America in the Xof1 (Power of One) solar car. At one point, the car was even mistaken for a flying saucer with little ...

Shanghai 2009: Geely IG concept would make a great EV 6 months ago on Autoblog Green

One of the most interesting concepts at the 2009 Shanghai Motor Show is the Geely IG Fantastic. We're happy to report that the car's styling is unique and doesn't appear derivative of any other designs. The seating position is also rather interesting, with the driver sitting right in the center ...

AAA picks 10 best new vehicle technologies, thinks green 6 months ago on Autoblog Green

It's no secret that automobiles get more technologically advanced every passing year. A good deal of these vehicular innovations have a lot to do with saving gas, reducing emissions, and, more recently, teaching the driver to pilot the vehicle in a more efficient manner. If you feel like you ...

Biodiesel, Solar power come out ahead in Lexus Eco Challenge 6 months ago on Autoblog Green

The 2008-09 edition of the Lexus Eco Challenge is over and high school teams from Illinois and Florida have captured the top $50,000 prizes. The competition is open to teams of middle and high school students nationwide and is intended to encourage them to get involved in projects that help the ...

Solar car from Cambridge University unveiled 7 months ago on Autoblog Green

Competition for the 2009 edition of the World Solar Challenge is shaping up to be somewhat formidable as the Cambridge University Eco Racing (CUER) team reveals the craft they're bringing to the party in Australia this October. Although its "Bethany" nickname may lack the cache that the MIT ...

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