December 13th, 2012 
Chris DeArmond 
It may come as a surprise, but automakers are actually the ones who produce the all-important fuel economy figures displayed on window stickers. The reason the numbers are “EPA-certified” is because they are calculated using standardized methodology developed by the Environmental Protection Agency. Essentially, vehicles are hooked up to a dynamometer and run through a standardized driving [...]
Posted in Clean Technology, Transportation 
Tags: Cars, Chris DeArmond, EPA, Ford, Hybrids 
No Comments » October 17th, 2012 Eric Wilson 
Despite an investment from a Chinese automaker a few months ago, the Michigan based battery maker A123 Systems has filed for bankruptcy. USA Today reported yesterday that “A123 Systems, a lithium-ion battery maker which received a $249.1 million grant from the U.S. government in 2009, filed for bankruptcy protection Tuesday in Delaware.” Included in the [...]
Posted in China, Eric Wilson, News Tags: Battery, Department of Energy, Electric Vehicles, Ford, michigan, Plug-in Hybrid, Stimulus Bill, Trade No Comments » April 25th, 2012 Eric Wilson It’s not often that we mention NASCAR. In fact, the term shows up twice, on back to back days three years ago. There’s good reason. The amount of resources (tires, fuel, motor oil, asphalt, etc) consumed by the association (NASCAR stands for National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing) boggles the mind and does not [...]
Posted in Eric Wilson, News, Transportation Tags: Cars, Electric Vehicles, Ford, Hybrids No Comments » September 28th, 2011 Guest Author The green movement was a nonstarter for me. The generation gap was never more evident than at my house. While my son studies green technologies at school, I prefer collared greens and the Green Bay Packers. I’m a practical man. Father and son relationships are a strange thing. On a perfect summer afternoon, we sat [...]
Posted in Behavior, Guest Authors, Transportation Tags: Alternative Energy, California, Electric Vehicles, Ford, Hybrids, Plug-in Hybrid, Tax Rebates No Comments » June 16th, 2011 Eric Wilson A press release from Ford indicates that the C-MAX Energi is the company’s first production plug-in hybrid. The C-MAX will have a range approaching 500 miles (800 km) combined between the electric capability and the internal combustion engine. This combination puts Ford’s plug-in in the same realm as the Chevy Volt, which has a range [...]
Posted in Eric Wilson, Featured Posts, News, Transportation Tags: Battery, Cars, Chevy Volt, Electric Vehicles, Ford, Plug-in Hybrid No Comments » May 23rd, 2011 Chris DeArmond With Ford’s iconic but gas guzzling Crown Victoria going out of production later this year, Police Interceptors and New York City taxi cabs will soon take on a greener look. Replacing the Crown Victoria (4.6-liter V8) – which produces 250 horsepower (hp) and returns only 14 miles per gallon (MPG) city, 21 highway – will [...]
Posted in Energy Efficiency, Featured Posts, News, Transportation Tags: Chris DeArmond, Ford, Los Angeles, New York City No Comments » December 22nd, 2010 Chris DeArmond While improving fuel efficiency is arguably the most important factor in reducing a vehicle’s impact on the environment, selecting eco-friendly resources used in manufacturing is also an important priority. That’s why it’s always nice to hear about the new ways automakers are utilizing post-consumer materials in upcoming cars. Here are two recent examples from Ford [...]
December 16th, 2010 Eric Wilson Look to the Scandinavian countries and you are likely to see a whole host of sustainable measures underway. The city of Malmo in Sweden has been promoting itself as the “Sustainable City,” with its goal of climate neutrality in 10 years and 100% renewable energy by 2030. Watch the video below for a brief piece [...]
December 8th, 2010 Eric Wilson Back in February Ford Motor Company unveiled an electric version of its Transit Connect van. Ford estimated that the top speed of the van would reach 75 mph and travel for 80 miles on a fully charged battery. Working with Azure Dynamics out of Oak Park, Michigan – near Ford’s headquarters – the auto manufacturer [...]
Posted in Clean Technology, Eric Wilson, Transportation Tags: Battery, Electric Vehicles, Ford, Natural Gas No Comments » October 9th, 2010 Justin Manger The U.S. leader in electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, Coulomb Technologies, procured $15 million in Series C funding this month to help accelerate the installment of 4,600 free home and public EV charging stations in nine regions across the U.S in a program called ChargePoint America. Cities in this initiative include Austin, Detroit, New York, Orlando, [...]
Posted in Business, Clean Technology, Green Economy, Justin Manger, Smart Grid, Transportation Tags: Cars, Ford, Los Angeles, New York City, Plug-in Hybrid, Washington DC No Comments »
