Popular Mechanics gets behind the wheel of the pre-production Chevy Volt and first experiences the car in pure-electric and sustained-charge modes. This post is an excerpt of an article from Popular Mechanics. You can read the full post (with video) on their website. Written by Barry Winfield. LOS ANGELES—We’ve been following the Chevy Volt as [...]
Diesel-Electric Supercar Has 80 Mile Battery Range, Gets 44 MPG After That
November 30, 2009 By 15 Comments
Capstone Turbine Corporation—a company normally known for making microturbines that provide back-up power for industrial and commercial operations—has built a prototype extended-range, diesel-electric supercar that has a 0-60 mph time of 3.9 seconds, a top speed of 150 mph and can go 80 miles on battery power alone before a diesel-powered microturbine kicks on and [...]
MINI Diesels Spied, Could be on Sale in U.S. Next Year
November 30, 2009 By 2 Comments
America needs more diesels. They get great fuel mileage and tend to require less work than traditional petrol engines… plus they sound freakin’ sweet when coupled with turbochargers. And they make gobs and gobs of torque. I love torque. I also love the MINI. These spy photos show a MINI mule being tested with a [...]
Electric Car Batteries May Cost Too Much For Energy Grid Storage
November 30, 2009 By 10 Comments
The idea of using electric cars to store energy for the power grid is a good one, I think. Unfortunately, it may be too expensive at this time to make any sense, according to one recent cost analyst. The same high cost problems that have hindered electric cars in the past mean it may not [...]
Ancient Protein May be Key to Unlocking Potential of Algae Biofuels
November 30, 2009 By 2 Comments
In a discovery that should help sustainable algae biofuels make the leap from an exotic curiosity to a mainstream fuel, researchers from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have identified an ancient protein that helps keep green algae from imbibing too much sunlight during photosynthesis. The protein, called LHCSR, is a molecular self-regulator that protects algae [...]
Obama Induces Chinese to Cut GHG 40% and Share Electric Car Tech
November 29, 2009 By 21 Comments
What a humiliating failure the President’s Asian trip was. Not only did the President make the humiliating faux pas of bowing deeply to one tiny Asian leader, but no sooner had he returned than two more made counter-offers of deep cuts in carbon emissions at Copenhagen. India offered reductions of 20% and China offered 40%.
German Biofuel Industry Collapsing Under New Taxes
November 27, 2009 By 14 Comments
Not everyone wants to save the planet. This is a sad, but true fact. Yet everyone who lives and works within a capitalist economy loves saving money. So it’s good for the planet that, in many cases, saving money and green initiatives go hand in hand by providing an increased economic benefit while lessening environmental [...]
EV Batteries Could Be Used To Boost Nation's Energy Grid
November 27, 2009 By 12 Comments
Most of us have been in this situation before; you’re up late cranking away at some work project or homework assignment as thunder and lightning dance outside your window, shaking the whole house. Then the power goes out. All your work is gone, as is your time, and you’re left with frustration and darkness until [...]
