If you had any doubts about an upcoming era of electric cars, put them aside. BMW announced it is testing electric powertrains in the Mini Cooper. Over the next year and a half, BMW will …

If you had any doubts about an upcoming era of electric cars, put them aside. BMW announced it is testing electric powertrains in the Mini Cooper. Over the next year and a half, BMW will …

Filed under: Diesel, Ford, Legislation and Policy, USA

Ford and Navistar have had a long and arduous relationship with each other, with the latter supplying diesel V8 engines for use in Ford's largest consumer-grade trucks. Early 7.3-liter units performed fine, but the updated 6.0-liter V8 engine was notoriously problematic. That cost Ford dearly and has tainted its tenuous contract with Navistar. While the engine issues seem to have been resolved with the latest 6.4-liter twin-turbocharged units, those older mills are still giving Ford fits. A panel of judges recently ruled in favor of Kenneth E. Corder of Louisville, KY, who purchased a new diesel-powered Ford truck in 2004. Corder's truck, however, had an engine that manufactured in 2003. This isn't at all uncommon, as automakers will use the parts they have on hand whenever possible. Unfortunately, the '03 model-year engines had a rather bad reputation, and despite the fact that Corder has never had a problem with his, he brought a suit against the Blue Oval in 2005 for not disclosing the engine's date of manufacture. The most recent set of judges agreed with Corder in a two-to-one split, so it looks as if Ford will be going to court.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

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• Putting the big in Big Solar - Green Wombat - Fortune Magazine
  An excellent update, citing some serious challenges, on Stirling Energy Systems and its quest to build acres and acres of reflective dishes in the California desert.
• A Better Solar Collector - Technology Review
  This is exciting technology because

…

• Putting the big in Big Solar - Green Wombat - Fortune
  An excellent update, citing some serious challenges, on Stirling Energy Systems and its quest to build acres and acres of reflective dishes in the California desert.
• A Better Solar Collector - Technology Review
  This is exciting technology because it

…

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Green Culture

Click above for more shots of the Lotus Eco Elise concept

Toyota's Prius has always been a love-it or hate-it design, and as it was restyled in 2002, the machine took its now iconic shape to even further extremes. To many a car designer's surprise, its polarizing styling has found plenty of buyers. In fact, many now contribute a large portion of the Prius' success to its unique and easily identifiable 'green' look. With that in mind, auto stylists have become more interested than ever in eco design, with green aesthetics and building materials now seen as being just as important as the green powerplant underhood.

Alec Moran, a student at the Créapôle design school in Paris, has gone so far as to design an electric car with a chassis made of bamboo that's reinforced with spiders' silk and plant resin. A bit closer to reality are composite bioplastics and eco-friendly fabrics, as seen on the recent Lotus Eco Elise concept which will be shown later this month in London. Another example of innovative green thinking is Ford's soy-based seat foam.


[Source: NY Times]

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The PLX Kiwi dashboard computer plugs into your car and provides real-time info on how your driving habits affect gas usage — and how to correct them for maximum fuel efficiency.

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Filed under: Etc., Transportation Alternatives, On Two Wheels, Green Daily, USA

Click on the image above to enlarge

Trek Bicycle Corporation, makers of machines under their own name along with the Gary Fischer and Klein brands, has just put up its first "Trek Stop", a vending machine for basic bike parts. The outpost includes everything necessary to fix a flat tire with patch kits, spare tubes and an air pump. Also included are items for the rider, such as water bottles and energy bars. The kiosk sits outside a local bike shop called Machinery Row Bicycles deep in Badger territory -- Madison, Wisconsin. This location makes sense, considering it's one of the larger major cities located near Trek's headquarters in Waterloo and is a major college town where bicycle commuting is sure to be hot.

We think that bike-part vending machines such as this would prove very popular near major bike routes and trail heads. Hopefully, the nearest local bike shop is involved and gets to share in some of the sales and service.

[Source: Bicycle Design via Treehugger]

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Manufacturing/Plants

Even though the British Tanfield Group that manufactures Smith electric trucks has a product that should be seeing growing demand in a time of record oil prices, the overall economic malaise is hitting the bottom line. Battery powered Smith trucks are used primarily by commercial customers and since those customers are getting hit hard they are cutting back on capital expenditures. That means that although Tanfield's business is still growing, the ramp rate has declined. In addition Smith is having issues with suppliers for a number of critical components and the build rate of the electric trucks is slower than planned. As a result, the company has decided to shelve plans to build a new dedicated factory for the electric trucks. At current projected build rates they expect to have enough capacity for at least the next year and a half. Tanfield has also decided to scuttle plans for an expansion into the US market and is instead looking for a company already operating here to partner with. As things develop Tanfield plans to review these decisions and if the supply issues are resolved and demand picks up they may revive the factory plans.

[Source: Tanfield Group]

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With summer in full gear displays of sunscreen appear in every drug, discount and grocery store and many other retail outlets as well.

 

But what are we really putting on our skin? A recent study raises some concerns.

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