hybrid

3rd-Gen Prius: Toyota to Add Solar Panels

khallgeisler — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 09:00:00 -0400

The more we hear about the new Prius, which should show up in 2009, the more excited we get. The latest news is that Toyota will add solar panels on the roof to power the car's accessories.

The panels won't generate enough juice to power the car, but they will be enough to run the air conditioner and other electricity-sucking accessories. The panels will be available on the high-end versions of the Prius and possibly a Lexus hybrid model, giving drivers a new way to flaunt their green -- as a sign of their concern for the environment and their ability to lay out the cash to save it.

The next generation of Toyota's flagship hybrid is already slated to get a power boost and better fuel economy, so these panels are icing on the cake. With the current version of the Prius in short supply lately, and the premium being exacted by dealers for the privilege of buying one, you may be better off socking away that down payment and waiting until next year. Just drive your current car mindfully in the meantime.

Green Freebie: How about a Toyota Prius?

RiverWired.com — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Somebody somewhere is getting something green for free – why not you? Jet Blue Airways is making up for all those carbon emissions by giving you a chance to go green every day – with the Grand Prize of a Toyota Prius hybrid. Next prize-- $3000 gift card to Smith & Hawken, some of the most beautiful plants and gardening stuff around. And if you don’t get those biggies, you may still qualify for an Energy Star Sharp LCD TV, or an eco-culinary retreat for four – or a trip for two to an Arizona spa. I’m feeling greener already – how about you?

3rd-Gen Prius Expected to Get 90+ MPG

khallgeisler — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Mark your calendars: the next-generation Toyota Prius is expected to debut next January at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The Internet rumor mill has it that the car could debut in U.S. showrooms as early as April 2009 -- a mere three months after its official unveiling in Detroit. Toyota could even up the Prius's fuel economy to more than 90 mpg.

The engine is slated to grow from 1.5 liters to 1.8 liters, which means an extra 25 horsepower -- a noticeable increase. That might be enough to allow the size of the Prius to grow a bit and accomodate even a long-legged driver.

The increase in power doesn't sap the car's efficiency, though; rather, it should increase the mileage, too. U.S. News said recently the Prius 3G could get 94 mpg, while AutoBlogGreen reported a more reasonable -- and realistic -- 50-55 mpg. The EPA rates the 2008 Prius at 48 city, 45 highway.

If you can wait another year or two, Toyota has confirmed that plug-in Prius hybrids with cutting-edge lithium-ion batteries will be available to consumers in the U.S. in 2011. If you can't wait, hacking your Prius is the only way to go today, thanks to companies like Hymotion and Hybrids Plus.

A Convertible Prius -- For a Price

khallgeisler — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Newport Convertible Engineering, based in sunny California, will drop the top of just about anything, from a Hummer to a Maybach to ... a Prius? Yup. For $12,500, the company will chop your Toyota Prius's top for the ultimate in air conditioning.

With the top down, the car would likely lose a couple miles per gallon in fuel economy. These cars are, after all, aerodynamically engineered to take full advantage of the hybrid system and get the highest gas mileage. Cutting the top off is likely to mess with the engineers' intentions. But for some, a couple fewer mpgs is a worthwhile trade for fresh air and the wind in your hair.

The NCE web site also shows a cute-as-a-bug Scion xB chop-top, and it's apparently converted a few conventional Lexus cars, too. Maybe the GS Hybrid is next in line?

Honda's New Hybrid To Do Battle with Prius

khallgeisler — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Gas prices have risen so high -- thanks to oil prices being over $130 a barrell -- that Honda decided to rethink its hybrid program, which to date has exactly one model: the Civic. Why bother to put a hybrid in a small, inexpensive car that already gets 34 mpg on the highway? Because people will buy it, that's why.

After last month's sales numbers, car makers seem to have gotten the message. Buyers want smaller, more fuel-efficient cars. And if there's a hybrid on board, all the better. Honda heard the message loud and clear, then rolled out its plans to have a four-car hybrid lineup by 2015: the Civic; the Fit; the sporty CRZ; and, as early as next year, a hybrid-only model Honda hopes will knock the Prius from its high and mighty (and million-selling) perch.

The unnamed hybrid will debut in 2009 to do head-to-head battle with the Prius. Like Toyota's best-selling hybrid, this car would be a five-door sedan available only with a hybrid powerplant, but Honda head honcho Takeo Fukui wouldn't say how much it would cost. No name, no price ... sounds vague, though it will likely be based, looks-wise, on the company's Clarity hydrogen-fuel-cell vehicle.

Knight Rider Recycled -- Reborn With Green Twist!

adevito — Fri, 16 May 2008 01:00:00 -0400

Recycling is everywhere these days, especially in Hollywood, where old ideas get re-used every day. Case in point: the new remake of the 1980’s show Knight Rider.

Sure, the show gave us David Hasselhoff, who will be around longer than the plastic bottles in your local landfill. But the new version of his talking car is a lot more eco-friendly; it’s a solar/hybrid Ford Mustang, which replaces the old series’ Trans Am and its liquid hydrogen turbo engine.

We’re hoping the new Knight Rider will be on the air long enough for us to recycle an old Members Only jacket and grow a curly mullet worthy of The Hoff himself.

Want to find out more about recycling?

Recycling Tips: Did You Know You Cannot Recycle Messy Pizza Boxes?

The Benefits of Recycling: Let’s Talk Trash

Recycling the Looking Glass: When Garbage and Art Collide

Top 10 Recycling Resources

Recycled Record Snack Tray

The Benefits of Recycling Cardboard

The Art of Garbage

Reduce, Reuse… FREECYCLE

Recycle Those Electronics!

Back to Basics—RRR

Picking Up Garbage TVs and Recycling as Art

Students Recycle and Reduce Garbage: Take It Or Leave It

Recycling Your Garbage: Where Does it All Go?

100 MPG in a Prius: Hacking a Hybrid

khallgeisler — Mon, 05 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Brothers Chris and Andrew Ewert of Wheaton, Illinois, converted their standard-issue Prius to a plug-in hybrid that gets more than 100 miles per gallon by installing a battery array and charger in the rear cargo space. Cars with plugs and gas tanks, called Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs), are on the bleeding edge of auto technology, but the Ewerts aren't alone in their low-emissions mission.

In a recent interview with Chicago's CBS 2 News, Chris Ewert challenged auto makers: "My brother and I built this, and car companies should be able to do it, too." Fear not, Chris. Toyota brought a plug-in hybrid Prius to the Detroit auto show in January, and the boys at Cars.com even got to test drive one of the rare beasts. Of the few PHEV Priuses in the U.S., four are in the hands of UC Berkeley and Irvine's Clean Mobility Partnership.

If you have a hybrid but not the Ewert brothers' engineering know-how, fear not. Hymotion has developed a PHEV conversion kit for second-generation (2004-2008) Priuses that sells for $9,995 with a 3-year warranty. The company promises 100 mpg for 30-40 miles, and will help you locate an installer in your area.

Hybrids Plus will convert a Toyota Prius or a Ford Escape hybrid to PHEV today, with the Toyota Highlander hybrid coming online soon. (The Escape conversion works on the Mercury Mariner and Mazda Tribute hybrids, too.) Prices for the conversion, which are all done at company HQ in Boulder, Colorado, range from about $21,000 to $36,000.

Image courtesy of Hybrids Plus. Note that this is not how your converted PHEV will look.

Want to learn more about the Toyota Prius?

15 Tips for Better Mileage—Want to Get 70 MPG in Your Toyota Prius?

Top 10 Most Fuel-Efficient Cars: Save Gas, Save Money

Mary J Blige Gets Her Hybrid On

kbutler — Fri, 02 May 2008 01:00:00 -0400

GM wants you to know that Mary J. Blige is gas friendly and, dare we say, gas free. MediaPost is reporting that Ms. Blige is promoting GM’s new “Gas Friendly to Gas Free” campaign. Rumor has it that the gorgeous diva will be featured in the new Chevy Malibu hybrid commercial.

You might recall – probably when you shut your eyes at night and the dark closes in – GM’s Superbowl campaign for the new Yukon hybrid: “Why push? Why change? Why grow? Why dream?” To which we answer here at River Wired…..what?

Want to see more Celebrity Dirt videos on your favorite clean, green stars? Click here

Racing Green -- Corvettes Lead the Way with Ethanol

khallgeisler — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Saturday afternoon, April 5, 2008, Corvette Racing sent two bright yellow cars through the streets of St. Petersberg, Florida. The twin Vettes used the American Le Mans Series Acura Sports Car Challenge as the proving ground for a high-octane version of the 85% cellulosic ethanol fuel.

The source of the E85R fuel is waste wood, such as undergrowth and dead trees, collected from the Black Hills National Forest as part of a wildfire prevention program. The Corvette team is the first in its GT1 class to use the fuel. St. Pete is a short race, clocking in at just under two hours, which makes it a good place to test the new, greener go-juice.

Other ALMS teams filling up with E85R include the GT2-class Aston Martin from Drayson Barwell Motorsport and Intersport Racing's Lola B06/10. Catch all the E85R teams, along with everybody else running on E10 and diesel fuels, live on ABC at 1:30 EDT. Granted, you already have to like watching cars go fast to get in on this green action, but if you do, this is the series to watch this year.

In other racing news, the rumor mill has it that Toyota is working on a hybrid racer and Peugeot is possibly building a hybrid diesel. Both cars may or may not debut at the grueling 24 Hours of Le Mans in France next year.

Photo by Richard Prince.

My First Date With Green Architect Dave

salbert — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 00:00:55 -0500

I am so excited about my hot date with "Green Architect Dave" who I met in Yoga class. First things first, I figure I need some new threads; "green" threads that is.

I had no clue that the perennial denim fave, Levi’s, makes Eco friendly jeans! They’re distinguishable by a lowercase "e" stitched in green and are priced comparably with traditional Levi's. I try the women's basic 565 Boot Cut for a mere $59.Straight 539. For a casual but sassy top I went to ‘Under the Canopy's’ website, www.underthecanopy.com for stylish tops made of 100 percent organic cotton or soy for $34-$56. They have words on them like, "Faith," "Awaken" and "Devotion". I go with "Faith" because that’s what I need for my ‘Dave’ date. (That and an organic bottle of wine.)

AsI pull up to his house I am so not surprised to see an LS Hybrid. This is the new hot hybrid by Lexus. It’s sexy and green, just like Dave. (Insert nervous sigh here.)

His small but lovely house is surrounded by, guess what? Greenery! I suppose he has a green thumb too. If I have a plant for more than three days, it’s a miracle. This includes cacti.

He answers the door and the first thing I notice is how good his place smells.

"Incense," he says. "Plus my java log". I take a look around and I think to myself that I could totally live here. OK, maybe I’m getting ahead of myself, but I can live like this. Just call me the ‘green goddess’!

Instead I thankfully keep that thought to myself and say, "What’s a java log?"

Dave tells me it’s this funky new fireplace item that is chemical free and burns clean using coffee grinds and has no chemical smell. It also has 25% more energy than wood. Even I know that also saves some trees.

As Dave cracks open the organic wine I brought over he asks me what I do for a living. I tell him I’m a tree farmer. Just kidding! I confess to him I’m a hungry writer.

He leads me to a table where he’s prepared a vegetarian feast. I spy chickpeas out of the corner of my eye. Where’s that organic wine?

"We have organic spanikopita, a pear pecan salad, Mediterranean pasta and my personal favorite, root vegetable gratin with chickpeas." It actually all looked delicious, except for the chickpeas.

He told me that all this amazingly fresh food comes from www.diamondorganics.com. It’s a nationwide delivery service that specializes in organic gourmet raw and prepared foods.

It tastes so good I might not even miss the meat!

Maybe.

Hey--did you miss the beginning of RiverWired's new Green Reality Series: Girls Gone Green? Come on, catch up. Check out Shari’s previous posts here.