It looks like the debate on fuel economy for plug-in hybrids rages on unabated. General Motors just announced that its Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid car will carry a better efficiency rating that the Toyota Prius (long been recognized as the industry leader in the category). The fact that this is like comparing apples with trombones doesn’t seem to be of any major concern to GM, the (more…)

São Paulo, one of the world’s largest cities, is to become the first city in Brazil to have an ethanol-fueled bus fleet as part of the country’s carbon-reduction goal.

The bigger plan is to convert the whole country’s fleet to renewable energy by 2018. The agreement signed today anticipates that by May 2010 50 ethanol vehicles will be circulating in the city. (more…)

The 53rd annual San Francisco auto show rolled into the city by the bay this week featuring a spectacular array of vehicles designed to thrill the imagination of young and old. A special feature of this year’s show is the debut of several all-electric, hybrid and alternative fuel autos that have already begun to roll off the assembly line. As a green journalist, I had looked forward (more…)

Carbon emissions at sea have received more attention over the last decade. Ports, especially, can have a negative impact on air quality in the populated areas that surround them. The many emissions sources at ports include ships, trucks, trains, and cargo-handling equipment. Harbor-crafts also contribute a significant portion of total port emissions. These include (more…)

Once again, Los Angeles is playing host to their very own annual LA Auto Show that has been held at the end of every year since 1907 (barring the few years it was canceled due to the outbreak of World War II). Most years, new designs and breathtaking concepts are rolled out for the world and 2010 has been no exception. This time around, there have even been several (more…)

The electric bike trend has apparently exploded all across the world. If you had gone to an alternative energy or electric bicycle convention 10 years ago you would have barely seen more than a dozen electric bicycle models on display. Of course, there were many reasons for this; mostly because electric power assisted bicycles were not advanced enough and (more…)

A U.S. utility is planning to build a network of electric vehicle charging stations in Houston that would be available to subscribers for a flat fee, the first such network of its kind in the nation. NRG Energy Inc., a New Jersey-based power company, plans to install private and public charging stations across the city, at a cost of $10 million. For $49 per month, customers would receive their own (more…)

While there is not usually a shortage of electric vehicle news to go around, it isn’t often that there is a truly remarkable story to share. A story that shows what humanity can do with an electric vehicle and pushes it to the very limit to show us just how far a little hard work and ingenuity can bring us. One such story is the one that follows Racing Green Endurance and their electric (more…)

We can thank the arrival of the Toyota Prius, Al Gore, and a few summers of flirting with $4 gas prices for the current rise in consumer interest in vehicle efficiency and reducing emissions. While every year the vehicles – hybrids and ICEs alike – gets more efficient, the 2010 crop of plug-in vehicles will be accompanied by new tools that help drivers to further shrink their (more…)

High-speed rail has been in the news a lot recently, in the US, in Europe, and in China. Some great news, and some not-so-great news. Here are 8 big stories from the past couple months.

1. The U.S. government awarded $2.4 billion to 54 rail projects in 23 states a couple weeks ago. This is in addition to the $8 billion awarded by the Obama (more…)