Neil Young’s eco-car album, Fork in the Road, now ready for pre-order
We still have a month to wait until Neil Young’s new “Fork in the Road” album (aka, his eco-car concept record ), but Reprise Records is ready to take your money now . Unlike some deals in the green car business, if you pre-order the record, you won’t need to wait all that long to get what you paid for. The record drops on April 7 and includes a paean to Johnathan Goodwin, Young’s LincVolt mechanic, called “Johnny Magic.” Other song titles, according to Pitchfork , are “Cough Up the Bucks,” “Hit the Road,” and “Get Around.” The pre-order price for the CD/DVD set is $21.98, plus an additional $6.49 or $16.49 shipping (those are the costs to Michigan, anyway). Young recorded the album with his touring band between shows last year . You can watch Neil Young’s earphones-stuck-in-an-apple video for “Fork in the Road” here . Reuters says that work on the LincVolt is now finished and that a documentary film about driving the car gasoline-free across America is planned. Gallery: Neil Young [Source: Reuters , Neil Young] Auto Blog: Etc. , EV/Plug-in , Green Daily Neil Young’s eco-car album, Fork in the Road , now ready for pre-order originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
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Neil Young’s eco-car album, Fork in the Road, now ready for pre-order
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood considering mileage tax
For years, the federal gas tax has funded the development, repair and improvement of our nation’s highways, but for the last few years, there has been an ongoing debate about whether it’s a better idea to tax drivers based on the number of miles traveled or to continue taxing the purchase of fuel. One problem with taxing fuel is that the government is mandating that our fleet of vehicles get better fuel mileage each year, so tax revenues naturally go down in the process. If each vehicle was taxed based on miles driven, the money brought in would theoretically equal the amount of damage being done to road surfaces. Problems with the mileage-based tax come up when discussing how best to track a driver’s habits. Plus, some believe that drivers of fuel efficient vehicles, which are likely to do less damage to their surroundings, should be rewarded by paying less in taxes than drivers of heavier, thirstier vehicles. Newly appointed Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood (R) says that there isn’t enough money being collected to keep up with the required maintenance on roadways, but increasing taxes in a recession is a non-starter. Instead, he’s considering instituting a mileage-based tax; a decision could be made as early as this week. [Source: Detroit Free Press ] Auto Blog: MPG , Legislation and Policy , Green Daily , USA Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood considering mileage tax originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 22 Feb 2009 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
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Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood considering mileage tax
International Motorcycling Federation shows off electric motorcycles at Conference
The International Motorcycling Federation (FIM), the world governing body of motorcycle racing, is holding its “Conference Meetings” and, as a way of introducing attendees to what it believes is the future, is hosting a display of electric motorcycles from several manufacturers. If you happen to be hanging out in Geneva, Switzerland with nothing to do (yeah, right), the bikes will be on display at the Crowne Plaza hotel until Sunday, Feb. 22. If not, here’s what you missed. The KTM Electro Enduro prototype was in da house looking rather sharp without all the mud . Quantya was on its hometurf and brought a Strada, a Track and their SuperMoto prototype. America was represented by the TTGXP -ready bike, the TTX01, by Brammo . Check out some of the bikes in the gallery below. Thanks to John for the tip. Gallery: FIM electric motorcycle display [Source: OtherMakes / FIM ] Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , On Two Wheels , Europe/EU International Motorcycling Federation shows off electric motorcycles at Conference originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 22 Feb 2009 18:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
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Leave a commentA little sunlight on the Nissan DOE loan: it’s for EVs
Automotive News has answered the question why Nissan applied for that DOE loan program: electric cars and advanced batteries, despite the lack of plans for development in the mid-term . Nissan hasn’t confirmed the amount of money it wants to borrow even though the application was sent in in December. It wasn’t unveiled until this week. Nissan said that this money would be used to upgrade its Smyrna, Tenn., assembly plant and build a new facility for battery production. Since the Tennessee plant was built in 1983, it is eligible for the DOE’s loans – which are meant to upgrade facilities more than 20 years old. [Source: Automotive News (subs. req'd)] Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Nissan , USA A little sunlight on the Nissan DOE loan: it’s for EVs originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 11 Feb 2009 17:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
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A little sunlight on the Nissan DOE loan: it’s for EVs
Chicago 2009: Kia Forte, a "loud" compact sedan for 2010 with 36 highway mpg
Click above for a gallery of the Kia Forte To the uplifting sounds of blues music, Kia took the wraps off the new Forte (get it? It’s musical and it means “strong.” Someone give the naming department a cookie) at the Chicago Auto Show today. The Forte will be available in three trim levels: LX, EX and SX. You can Car Blog Greendetails about the sporty SX over on Autoblog ; here we’ll focus on the EX and more luxurious LX versions, as they get the best mileage ratings. Both the LX and EX use a 2.0-liter DOHC four-cylinder engine that produces 156 horsepower and 144 pound-feet of torque. These trims come with Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT) and multi-port electronic fuel injection and use either an optional electronically-controlled four-speed automatic transmission or a standard five-speed manual transmission. The EX and LX are also available with an optional Fuel Economy Package, which adds a five-speed automatic transmission to some low-rolling resistance tires to get, and I quote from the press release, “class-leading combined fuel economy of 36 mpg (highway).” That’s less than clear, but a quick call to Kia PR and a look at the spec sheet provides these numbers: The LX and EX get 25 city / 34 highway with the 4-speed automatic and 26 city / 36 highway with the Fuel Economy Package. Kia’s Alex Fedorak told AutoblogGreen that using the EPA formula, the Fuel Economy Package Forte gets a combined rating of 31 mpg. That 39 mpg diesel Forte that Korea gets? No such luck for the U.S. Look for the 2010 Forte at dealerships later this spring or in early summer, and expect more from news, including pricing, on the Forte brand later in the year. Gallery: Chicago 2009: Kia Forte Gallery: Kia Forte Live Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sebastian Blanco / Weblogs, Inc. Continue reading Chicago 2009: Kia Forte, a “loud” compact sedan for 2010 with 36 highway mpg Auto Blog: Kia , AutoblogGreen Exclusive , Chicago Auto Show Chicago 2009: Kia Forte, a “loud” compact sedan for 2010 with 36 highway mpg originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 11 Feb 2009 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
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Chicago 2009: Kia Forte, a "loud" compact sedan for 2010 with 36 highway mpg
Posted in Auto Green | a-friend-via, amount, fuel, kia forte, kiaforte, money, package, press, spring, tennessee | Leave a commentObama Wants Action on Energy
Stimulus plan calls for more fuel-efficient federal vehicles, but critics call it pork. President Obama today signed a presidential memorandum requesting the Department Of Energy to set higher efficiency standards for everyday household appliances. He spoke at the Energy Department to an audience of about 220 staffers. Mr. Obama also spent several minutes speaking about the importance of producing more fuel-efficient vehicles, including plug-in hybrids . “Through investments in our mass transit system to boost capacity, in our roads to reduce congestion, and in technologies that will accelerate the development of innovations like plug-in hybrid vehicles, we’ll be making a significant down payment on a cleaner and more energy independent future. “Now, I read the other day that critics of this plan ridiculed our notion that we should use part of the money to modernize the entire fleet of federal vehicles to take advantage of state of the art fuel efficiency. This is what they call pork. You know the truth. It will not only save the government significant money over time, it will not only create manufacturing jobs for folks who are making these cars, it will set a standard for private industry to match. And so when you hear these attacks deriding something of such obvious importance as this, you have to ask yourself: are these folks serious? Is it any wonder that we haven’t had a real energy policy in this country? “For the last few years, I’ve talked about these issues with Americans from one end of this country to another. And Washington may not be ready to get serious about energy independence, but I am. And so are you. And so are the American people.” read more
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Posted in Hybrids | a-also-spent, a-standard-for, bring-the-first, department, efficiency, energy, Hybrids, importance, money, news, obama-wants, president obama, ratings, read-the-other | Leave a commentCadillac Escalade Hybrid
Let’s be clear: the 2009 Cadillac Escalade 4WD Hybrid is 17 feet long, weighs almost 3 tons, costs $73,000, and gets about 20 miles per gallon. That’s not what most people think of when they hear “hybrid.” But this is the hybrid for you if you need a vehicle that can tow 5,800 pounds, seat 7 people, and still maximize your mileage. It boasts fuel economy of 20 city / 21 highway; those aren’t Toyota Prius numbers, for sure, but the city mileage is 50 percent better than a non-hybrid Escalade. You also get far more luxury than in the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid (and its twin the GMC Yukon Hybrid ); all three are essentially the same vehicle, underneath various levels of fancy dress. After an afternoon of fairly aggressive driving, the Cadillac Escalade Hybrid’s dashboard mpg display told the story: 16.3 mpg. (Photos: John Voelcker. All rights reserved.) Positioning Launched in August 2008, the Escalade Hybrid is unquestionably the world’s blingiest hybrid. GM’s characteristic hybrid-logo-with-green-leaf is rendered in large, garish chrome letters in a fender vent the size of your fist—which sits at chest level to a standard-issue human being. And some of its customers bask in the bling. One is Santonio Holmes, the 2009 Super Bowl’s Most Valuable Player, who was awarded an Escalade Hybrid 2WD Platinum Edition . GM didn’t publicize the award —bad form during the bailouts—but he got the top-of-the-line model. The Platinum Edition denotes unique front styling, LED headlights, four DVD screens, and more, and runs you $85,000. read more
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Cadillac Escalade Hybrid
Posted in Hybrids | a-also-spent, chevrolet-tahoe, city, dvd, escalade, Hybrids, importance, money, obama-wants, president obama, santonio-holmes, super-bowl, valuable-player | Leave a commentLotus praises UK government’s new boost for green technology
Auto Blog: Lotus , UK Lotus Engineering has been working on a wide variety of alternative drive technologies over the past decade, helping many client automakers develop electric and hybrid vehicles as well as more efficient internal combustion engines. This week, the UK government offered up £2.3 billion in loan guarantees to automakers, and tied the money to carbon-reducing initiatives. With that in mind, Lotus CEO Michael Kimberly issued a statement praising the government’s initiative. Any moves to encourage automakers to adopt greener technologies have the potential to benefit Lotus and its engineering consultancy business. The statement is after the jump. [Source: Lotus] Continue reading Lotus praises UK government’s new boost for green technology Lotus praises UK government’s new boost for green technology originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 30 Jan 2009 11:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green
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Lotus praises UK government’s new boost for green technology
UK government wants £2.5 billion auto loans used for green projects
Auto Blog: Legislation and Policy , UK The UK government has promised a series of loans to automakers and suppliers in Britain that’s supposed to help them navigate the tough economic conditions that the industry now finds itself in. According to Lord Mandelson, Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, “The actions we and the automotive industry will now be taking together will help the industry build the bridge to a greener future for the auto sector.” How so? That’s a good question, and one that doesn’t yet seem to have a conclusive answer quite yet. Loans could be used by automakers to add eco-friendly updates to aging plants or for research and development costs into new technologies. Suppliers could use the money to create new parts that automakers would use to increase efficiency. According to the Financial Times , though, it’s not likely that any companies that are looking for a piece of the loans will have a hard time finding green programs to justify the government’s investment. [Source: Financial Times ] UK government wants £2.5 billion auto loans used for green projects originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 16:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green
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UK government wants £2.5 billion auto loans used for green projects
Posted in Auto Green | a-selling-point, auto, auto bailout, britain, british auto bailout, britishbailout, business, enterprise, green, money, u.k.bailout | Leave a commentTesla gives up on San Jose move
Auto Blog: EV/Plug-in , Manufacturing/Plants , Tesla Motors , Green Daily Click on the Tesla Roadsters Hot Wheels for a high res gallery Tesla warned in early December that without a $350 million loan from the federal government, the Model S sedan will be delayed and the company’s planned move to San Jose, California to open a new HQ and manufacturing plant wouldn’t move forward. Guess what? It’s looking like it won’t happen . The problem, as you might expect, is money, and the fact that Tesla couldn’t raise enough money to finance the deal. Tesla spokesperson Rachel Konrad said that, “We abandoned that because the VC financing environment became so tight and difficult.” One problem with the previously-selected location is that it’s a greenfield site, where Tesla would build a totally new plant. With the low-interest loans that Tesla is applying for (about $400 million total, $250 million for the Model S plant and $150 million for a battery/powertrain facility), the government wants to see brownfield sites get developed. Konrad said that Tesla is looking to keep its headquarters in Silicon Valley and to search for a brownfield site where they can build the Model S. Plug-in aren’t dead in San Jose though. Recently, Coulomb Technologies installed EV charging stations in the city . Gallery: First Drive: Tesla Roadster [Source: KLIV , New Mexico Business Weekly ] Tesla gives up on San Jose move originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green
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Tesla gives up on San Jose move
Posted in Auto Green | a-selling-point, auto bailout, britishbailout, government, green, money, san jose, tesla, tesla san jose, tesla-motors, teslamodels, u.k.bailout | Leave a commentGet Approved!
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