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Chevy Volt Owner Says He’ll Soon Be Driving For ‘Free’

Is the Chevy Volt way too expensive – a car for well-meaning but well-heeled greenies to make themselves feel good? Or, is it so frugal to own and drive that you cannot afford not to get one? Those are two extreme views aren’t they? We’ve heard from critics – who in cases have never even driven a Volt – and who’ve tried to paint negative views, and more recently we heard from Jason King, who says his Volt fits the latter scenario, and is paying him back fast. King is a writer and photographer living in Maui who figures his driving will soon be effectively “free” due to low-cost solar panels he had installed to keep his car charged.

Data Shows Significant Jump in Average Fuel Economy Since CAFE Increases

New data from University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) indicates that the average new vehicle purchased in the United States has become nearly 20 percent more efficient since fall of 2007.

There are Twice as Many 500-HP Models Sold In America As Hybrid Models

We could take this story in a number of different directions, but the fact that 70 cars sold today are available to U.S. consumers with over 500 horsepower is being viewed as at least ironic. The HybridCars.com dashboard currently lists 34 hybrids sold in America, and while this number is increasing, another list has grown from just two 500-plus horsepower cars available a decade ago when the Prius had scant competition, to double the number of today’s hybrids.

Higher Gas Prices Mean Used Hybrids Are Again a Hot Commodity

According to Kelley Blue Book, the average value of a used hybrid at auction jumped 6 percent during the month of February alone.

The Father Of The Infiniti EMERG-E Talks About The Hot New Range-Extended EV

“This is Infiniti’s design language for the next 10 years to come,” says Francois Bancon, and points at a laptop that shows pictures and strategy of the INFINITI EMEERG-E, a concept car that debuts today in Geneva. We are in Yokohama, on the fifth floor of Nissan’s corporate world headquarters, while Infiniti’s first range extended mid-ship concept sports car is unveiled in Switzerland. It is there, I am told “to provide a glimpse into Infiniti’s future.” The future is undecided. This car may, or may not come. The design of the car oozes seductive sex. That, thankfully, will rub off on the whole Infiniti line, I hear. Will the Emerge lead Nissan to a range extended future? “Not necessarily,” says Bancon, with the best sybillinic smile he can muster.

Mercedes Hydrogen F-Cell Uses LEDs To Blend In

How do you create great visibility for your new fuel cell demonstration vehicle? If you’re Mercedes-Benz, you coat your F-Cell with LEDs and make it next to invisible – then take lots of pictures and videos of it. Oh also, circumnavigate the globe with it and make sure that gets good publicity too. These feats Mercedes has accomplished, and the video shows its virtual invisibility cloak intended to make everyone look. The F-Cell’s estimated EPA driving range from its 10,150 psi hydrogen tank that stores 3.7 kg of hydrogen is presently listed by M-B at 190 miles (240 miles on Euro cycle), with fuel economy (city/highway per kg Hydrogen) rated at 52/53.

Chevy Volt February Sales Rank It 10th Out of 55 Clean Energy Vehicles

February sales of 1,023 Chevrolet Volts placed the extended-range electric car as the tenth best selling alternative-energy vehicle in North America out of a field of at least 55 “green” vehicles offered by all major manufacturers. Since the Volt’s introduction, many have compared it to vehicles in the established internal combustion market, or against another perceived rival, the Nissan Leaf, which was launched around the same time. But perhaps people ought to evaluate the Volt’s market acceptance against the entire alternative-energy category to which it arguably belongs.

Detroit Automakers To Offer CNG-Capable Pickup Trucks

This week Chrysler Group and General Motors are announcing fleet-oriented pickup trucks that can run on natural gas, with Ford appearing like it may also follow. Ford is still on the sidelines from offering a ready-built CNG truck, but has CNG-options already, and says it can when market demand indicates it needs to. As for GM, it actually made the announcement today, and Chrysler – which is managed by CNG powerhouse Fiat SpA – is expected tomorrow to announce its first limited production bi-fuel Ram 2500.

Could Natural Gas Solve Our Oil Addiction? T. Boone Pickens Thinks So

T. Boone Pickens, a former geologist turned billionaire energy investor, believes that one way America can reduce its dependence on foreign oil is to make use of the country’s abundant, cheap natural gas reserves. As such, he has set an example by driving a Honda Civic that runs on natural gas supplied from pipes that are used to fuel his home. Given that the price of natural gas in America is at almost record low levels, it costs Pickens less than $1 per gallon in the car he uses to drive from his home to his office. Meanwhile, gasoline is approaching the $4 per gallon national average we witnessed back in 2008.

US Pacific Command Launches Fuel Cell Test Fleet

Last week in Honolulu, the four major branches of the U.S. military unveiled the “world’s first military fleet of fuel cell vehicles,” comprised of 16 General Motors vehicles. Hawaii’s ideal climate was chosen as a first step for vehicle evaluation and utilization of associated infrastructure prior to introduction of similar technology in other states, and in other types of vehicles, including potentially those for tactical purposes. "Once the key hydrogen infrastructure elements are proven in Hawaii, other states can adopt a similar approach," said Charles Freese, executive director of global fuel cell activities for General Motors, a founding partner of the Hawaii Hydrogen Initiative. "The military is paving the way, demonstrating the practicality and applicability of this technology."

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