I spent Earth Day 30,000 feet up and I must admit that there was a tiny part of me that felt guilty. So to make myself feel better, I read “World On The Edge,” by Lester Brown. The book focuses on how to prevent environmental and economic collapse and operates on the assumption that it’s not “if” global warming will …
Twin Cities Clean City Coalition Top Gas Use Reducer
The U.S. Department of Energy has released a national ranking of Clean Cities programs that have had the most impact in the reduction of gasoline use. At the top of the list is the Saint-Paul-based Twin Cities Clean Cities Coalition. The group has been instrumental in a reduction of 135,175,133 cumulative gallons of gas displaced between 2005-2009. The release was …
EV Drivers Can Now Shop & Charge
Electric vehicle (EV) drivers can now charge their EV’s while they are shopping. Simon Property Group, a developer of retail real estate, has become one of the first retail developers to offer EV charging stations at its properties. Shoppers at Simon’s Florida Mall in Orlando are the first recipients of the EV chargers – the installation was recently completed and …
Volvo’s C30 Electric Generates Heat With Bio-Ethanol
Volvo is preparing to launch its C30 Electric vehicle but it has a unique twist. This car uses bio-ethanol to generate heat in the winter to keep passengers toasty warm. It is unusual in that the heater doesn’t draw power from the battery and thus doesn’t affect the driving range of the electric car (EV). The announcement came in conjunction …
Google Offers EV Charging Stations Locations on Maps
Figuring out where you can charge up your electric vehicle might just be a little easier, thanks to the folks at Google. According to this article from Environment News Service, the search engine giant has added charging station locations to the Google Maps platform: In the United States, there are over 600 charging stations. To locate the ones near you …
Solar EV’s Go Off The Grid
With gas prices inching upward, those who have low daily distance needs can save some cash with a solar electric vehicle. Those driving the All American solar electric low speed vehicle (LSV), manufactured by Cruise Car (in other words solar golf carts) are reporting they can travel up to 10 miles per day without having to recharge their vehicles using …
“Oz Goes Electric” Tour Kicks Off
The Victorian government is participating in an Electric Vehicle Trial and as part of creating awareness about electric vehicles (EVs) in Australia the “Oz Goes Electric” tour is kicking off on March 16. The featured EV is the Tesla Roadster, an electric sports car, that will travel 3,000 kilometers along the Eastern coast of the country to demonstrate that electric …
Ford Michigan Assembly Plant Goes Solar
Ford Motor Company is now manufacturing American made-cars with solar power. The Ford Michigan Assembly Plant’s solar installation currently provides 500 kilowatts (kW) of power for the plant and the solar facility will be integrated with a 705 kW energy storage facility that can store 2 million-watt hours of energy using batteries. This is enough to power 100 average Michigan …
350Green To Build EV Charging Network in PA
350Green, a national developer of electric vehicle (EV) charging station networks, has announced a partnership today with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to design, build and operate a network of 22 EV fast charging and 44 Level 2 charging stations across the state. This announcement comes on the heels of an announcement during the 2011 Chicago Auto Show where Illinois Governor …
Sen. Klobuchar Introduces Ethanol Legislation
A bill introduced yesterday by Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tim Johnson (D-SD) called the Securing America’s Future with Energy and Sustainable Technologies (SAFEST) Act establishes strong renewable energy and energy-efficiency standards, incentives for developing biofuels and biofuel infrastructure, and targets for the availability of advanced vehicle technologies. More specifically, the legislation would establish new incentives for biofuels infrastructure and …