zero emissions
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Airbus is building a hydrogen fuel-cell engine for aircraft
As part of its goal to have zero-emission aircraft enter service by 2035, Airbus has announced the development of a hydrogen fuel-cell engine designed to for airplanes.
GM's US factories will switch to renewable energy five years ahead of schedule
GM has announced that it will be five years ahead of schedule on plans to use 100 percent renewable energy.
Ford vows to go all-electric in Europe by 2030
Ford is taking an aggressive approach to its electrification strategy in Europe, announcing that all its passenger vehicles will be all-electric or hybrid by mid-2026.
Uber's EV ride service comes to 1,400 more North American cities
Uber is greatly expanding Uber Green to 1,400 new North American cities and towns, including Calgary, New York City, Miami and Houston.
House Democrats’ climate plan calls for 100 percent EV sales by 2035
House Democrats want to eliminate the US economy’s greenhouse gas emissions, in part by pushing for 100 percent electric passenger vehicles.
Fiat may automatically switch hybrids to electric-only mode in city centers
Fiat may allow its hybrid plug-in cars to automatically switch to electric-only mode when they enter congested city centers.
Oil giant BP plans to be carbon neutral by 2050
BP is probably the last company you'd expect to go carbon neutral given the nature of its main business, but it's trying regardless. The oil and gas producer has unveiled plans for the company to reach "net zero" CO2 levels (both in emissions and in the products themselves) across its operations no later than 2050. It hoped to reach that target in part by reducing the carbon levels in its fossil fuel business, such as by cutting carbon and methane "intensity" levels in half and advocating for net zero policies like carbon pricing and encouraging the world to "decarbonize." However, it also acknowledged that it would have to increase its investment into "non-oil and gas businesses" -- effectively, to back away from its primary source of income.
Nissan's zero-emission ice cream truck uses recycled EV batteries
For some, chasing the neighborhood ice cream truck is a favorite summer tradition. But many ice cream trucks have diesel engines, and older models keep those engines running to power the freezers. That means you get a hefty side of CO2 emissions with your cone. Nissan thinks it can change that. To celebrate the UK's Clean Air Day, Nissan unveiled a zero-emission ice cream van concept, called "Sky to Scoop."
BMW considers electric-only mode for hybrids in zero-emissions areas
BMW has a problem: with cities planning to either create zero-emissions zones or even ban gas-powered cars entirely, how does it keep its vehicles on the road? By turning them into ad hoc electric cars, apparently. In a conversation at the LA Auto Show, board member Klaus Froehlich told Reuters that BMW could make its hybrid cars run in an electric-only mode in polluted city centers where EVs might become the only option. The machines would use their connected technology and navigation to "automatically" disable conventional engines in these areas, Froehlich said.
Solar Ship takes to the skies powered by good deeds and sunshine (video)
The Solar Ship is a little bit airplane, a little bit blimp and all good intentions. The hybrid dirigible combines the cockpit and landing gear of a plane with the top of a blimp, the latter of which is lined with solar panels. The green vehicle can take off from and land on short runways, an ideal feature in a craft designed to deliver supplies to areas hit by natural disasters or with otherwise rough terrains. The ship will come in three sizes, and the company will be offering up more public demonstrations next year. If you can't wait that long, however, you can check out a test run after the jump.
Tesla Model S to get faster Sport edition, leave sedan in the dust
Tesla looks set to offer another slightly more aggressive, slightly faster model alongside its Model S sedan [pictured]. The high-performance, zero-emission (and tentatively-named) Model S Sport packs a larger battery, extending its single-charge range to 300 miles. Green Car Reports adds that it'll even get optional aerodynamic wheels adding another 20 miles to the car's range. Acceleration has also been boosted, with 0 to 60MPH cut to under 4.6 seconds in the sporty upgrade. This should be the perfect vehicle for evading capture in the gasoline-poor robopocalyptic future. The Sport is reportedly set to launch alongside the standard Model S next year.
Hybrid rocket / seaweed jet ready to fly in 2050, keep emissions above ozone (video)
What's cooler than jetting from Paris to Tokyo in under three hours? Getting there in a biofuel burning hybrid rocketplane. The recently announced superjet, the Zehst (short for "Zero Emission Hypersonic Transportation"), loopholes around the whole pollution angle by only using its rocket engines in the stratosphere. Below the ozone however, seaweed-biofuel powered jet engines will kick in for some keen, green landings. Don't get too excited though, the EADS won't even have a prototype ready until 2020, and commercial flights aren't expected to follow until the hump of the century. Look on the bright side though, you've still got that airline-approved Galaxy Tab to keep you occupied for the next four decades of long, dark, redeyes. That's almost as cool, right?
Nissan New Mobility Concept EV seats two, looks to a more sustainable future (video)
Nissan's Leaf may be the company's one-size-fits-all EV play for the mainstream market, but the company is apparently not content with just the one horse in its electric stable. Unveiled today at its Yokohama HQ, the Nissan New Mobility Concept is a teeny tiny two-person transporter that aims to solve the problems of commuting in high-density urban and tourist environments. You'll notice there's only one seat in the image above and videos after the break, but we're still talking about a proposed design here rather than the finished article. Range is set at 100km (62 miles) and maximum speed is 75kph (47mph), both of which should betray the little doorless vehicle's humble ambitions. Skip past the break to see it gliding around soundlessly inside Nissan's vast halls.
Nissan Leaf launches in Europe, takes us for a drive
26,000 people can't be wrong, right? That's the current tally of Leaf pre-orders that Nissan has collected from US and Japanese drivers excited by its all-electric hatchback. Yesterday, the car that's built to plug into the same wall outlet as your toaster held its official pan-European launch party -- with the UK, Ireland, Netherlands, and Portugal getting the first deliveries in early 2011 -- and we were on site to grab a few closeup pictures and some precious time in the driver's seat. American drivers should look out for a new set of keys in their mailbox this December, so there's probably no better time than now to give them a preview of what they're getting themselves into. Jump past the break for more on the Nissan Leaf.%Gallery-105887%%Gallery-105918%
Inhabitat's Week in Green: nanotech tea, pollution-sucking stones and the world's most efficient car
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. This week we saw the shattering of a new record as NYC's high-tech One Bryant Park skyscraper achieved LEED Platinum certification, making it the world's greenest office tower. We also turned over a new high-tech paving stone that can absorb airborne pollution and visited a hyper-efficient solar city in Germany that is able to produce four times the amount of energy that it consumes. The world of efficient transportation is also heating up as four electric vehicles blazed a trail through Europe in a race to circle the globe in 80 days. We also watched a team of DeLaSalle students unveil the world's most efficient zero-emissions car and took a look at an incredible electrified Porsche. Finally, sun-powered transportation reached for the stars as NASA unveiled plans to launch its solar NanoSail into space this fall. Nanotechnology is also changing lives here on earth as researchers revealed a nanotech tea bag that can purify a liter of drinking water for less than a penny. And speaking of liquid refreshment, this week we took a plunge in Manhattan's new recycled dumpster swimming pools -- and brought back tons of photos! But summer won't last forever, so if you're gearing up to head back to school next month be sure to check out our top picks for the best solar-powered book bags.
PU_PA EV concept is cute, light, and deadly
Of all the wacky EV concepts we've seen lately, this is certainly one of them! PU_PA EV is a car developed by Teijin Ltd, a Japanese textile manufacturer that among other things recently teamed up with Mazda to produce Biofront bio-plastic. Meant to highlight the firm's materials and technologies, the vehicle weighs less than half a ton (437kg, to be exact) and will shuttle you around at speeds of roughly 40 MPH for up to 60 miles on a single charge. Sadly, this bad boy isn't street legal, for a number of good reasons: the windows (made from a heat-absorbing polycarbonate resin) have half the density of glass and are, in the words of one technician, "especially shatter-y" (OK, we made that word up). Additionally, the lights aren't too terribly bright, and the thing isn't equipped with airbags. Hopefully, the company will soon be called upon to supply materials for other, much less deadly vehicles at some point in the near future.
GM's two-seater EN-V concept makes 'urban mobility' hip again
We'll confess -- the Segway did a lot of damage to urban mobility as a whole, but General Motors (of all companies) might have just mended a wound we thought un-mendable. Unveiling today in Shanghai, the two-seater EN-V concept is a play on last year's altogether riveting (albeit forgotten) P.U.M.A., and yes, it seems as if some of those design cues have worked their way into this one as well. The Electric Networked-Vehicle was engineered to "alleviate concerns surrounding traffic congestion, parking availability, air quality and affordability for tomorrow's cities," and they're also fully capable of transforming this place we call Earth into a next-generation Epcot. A trio of designs made their debut -- Jiao (Pride), Miao (Magic) and Xiao (Laugh) -- and we're told that twin electric motors and "dynamic stabilization technology" allow 'em to turn on a dime and operate autonomously (!) using integrated GPS. The Li-ion batteries can be juiced from a conventional wall outlet, and the expected range is around 40 kilometers on a single charge. Best of all? There's built in wireless of some sort, enabling your fellow EN-V owner-friends to keep track of your late-night escapades if you so allow. We know -- you'd buy one of each if these were available today, but mum's the word on when (or if) they'll ever hit the production line; meanwhile, expect something called a "Malibu" to remain in the product pipeline for the better part of next decade. %Gallery-88921%
Mavizen's electric bike hits 130 MPH, ships with Linux and WiFi
Mavizen, the manufacturing arm of the TTXGP (the Time Trials Xtreme Grand Prix -- a race for zero-emissions motorcycles) has just announced the TTX02 at this year's SEMA. A shining example of "EVs as consumer electronics" (the buzz-concept going 'round the electric vehicle scene) this guy is being billed not as a bike, but as a development platform -- shipping not only with a chassis and drivetrain, but with an open source Linux OS, web server, USB-based system bus, and WiFi connectivity. If you're looking to give the gang from Mission Motors a run for their money at the next TTXGP, hit the read link -- about $41,000 will get you in the game. Videos after the break.
Nissan's Land Glider concept car leans like a motorcycle, looks like a squashed GT-R (video)
Motorcycles are about the most efficient (and fun) way to get around, but people in this country don't seem to care too much -- maybe worried about getting smeared all over the SUV of an eager commuter talking on his cellphone while eating breakfast and shaving. Nissan's Land Glider could offer that fun and that efficiency in what looks to be a slightly safer package. The zero-emissions electric car seats two in-line and is just 3.6-feet wide, utilizing motorcycle tires that dip on one side when turning to enable leans of up to 17 degrees. The Tokyo Motor Show is just a few weeks away, where this interesting concept will be on display -- and surely many others that are even more out there. Check out a video of this one tipping precariously just after the break.
Steenstra Styletto all-electric vehicle gives Tesla a run for its money
Looks like the kids at Tesla have a little competition in the battery-powered sports car stakes. The brainchild of an auto industry consultant and designer named Cornelis Steenstra, the Styletto is apparently the first 200-mph-plus super sports car to be built in California. Sure, sure it is... perhaps a certain Steenstra GCM would like to lend us one so we can see for ourselves? No? In that case, it looks like we'll be waiting until its formal introduction at the 2010 Pebble Beach Concourse d' Elegance. (That's OK -- we were planning on being there anyways.) The company hopes to have 'em available for purchase in 2013, but in the meantime, do yourself a favor and hit the read link, where AutoBlog has all the PR and gallery action your heart craves.
