Gas Engines Get Upgrade in Challenge to Hybrids

Gas Engines Get Upgrade in Challenge to Hybrids from the WSJ. Exciting! This means regular cars can easily get more mileage for only a slight increase in cost! Amazing what happens when fuel efficiency becomes a higher design concern.

High Energy Thursday: With oil down, is our green future at risk?

High Energy Thursday: With oil down, is our green future at risk? from the NY Times. If oil falls to far, Green Energy will take a hit. The good thing is every time going through this cycle (3 times so far), green energy gets cheaper and cheaper and closer to be competitive with oil.

Denver Airport Car Rental

May be I am just from California, but it was a bit strange for me to see all these trucks just waiting to be rented. We wanted something with a trunk to hide our luggage since we were going directly to the tradeshow, and we had reserved a full size car because we had four people. We get there and most of the vehicles are trucks. We finally end up with a PT Cruiser that is somehow considered a full size car.

$4.50 per Gallon the Tipping Point

Or is it only $4? I just saw gas near my house for $4.03. I am curious if SUV's will all of a sudden come back with the lower price. I have noticed the lines at Coscto for gas are smalle with the decrease.

SUV 24 MPG W/O Hybrid!

Ford begins production of the Flex that gets 24 MPG by using 6 speed transmission. If they can get that type of mileage from an SUV with that type of transmission, what's possible on smaller car? And even better mileage is promised in the future when a turbocharged direct injection is added.

Thanks Instapundit for the link!

Next Generation Car Batteries

This is hopeful - Nissan, NEC to Set Electric-Car Batteries for 09 per the WSJ. The goal being to develop batteries that allow a economical electric car. The Prius currently uses Nickel Hydride, which does not have the same energy capacity of Lithium Ion. The problem with Lithium Ion is they run hot, so they have caught fire - Dell, Sony, etc... Supposedly the new design from the NEC Nissan joint venture does not have this issue.

Many Green Cars coming

Start-Ups Race to Produce 'Green' Cars from the Wall Street Journal. With the outsourcing of key components by traditional auto manufacturers, it allows other firms to assemble their own cars. And with a premium for Green Cars, there is a business model for the moment for premium Green Cars. The prices start at $80,000. The $100,000 Tesla that's first year production is sold out is a great example.