US Electric Vehicles Sales Rise 20% in One Year
Although it may not sound like a huge percentage, sales of plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) in the US were reported 20% higher than they were in September 2013. This is the highest percentage ever tallied of total vehicles sold in the United States and it’s news for optimism. For an…
How Bike Share Programs Make Living, Working, and Playing in Our Cities More Sustainable
Alta Bicycle Share manages bike-sharing systems in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington, Boston, Toronto, Melbourne, and other cities. The company’s owner explains that “Transportation, Recreation, and Innovation” is the company’s tagline and that in five years, their bikes have been ridden more than 35 million miles on more than 25…
GM Expands Website to Help Recalled Vehicle Owners
GM has had a hard year, with many recalls. General Motors Co.’s website for owners of its vehicles recalled for faulty ignition switches has been expanded to include all 20 models involved, the automaker said. The site, www.gmignitionupdate.com, launched in April. It initially informed owners of the 2.59 million mostly…
Nissan Cube Finally Fades Away
Nissan tried something new with their Cube, it was a good attempt to change the way we view cars but sadly it just wasn’t good enough. A famous U.S. general, once said, “Old soldiers don’t die; they just fade away.” The same can be said of cars. Old, failed cars…
From Compost to Car Parts
Known for their creative use of food products, Ford has found another unexpected material that it can use to make car parts. It’s a byproduct in the production of ketchup. Yes, ketchup. Ford says it has a deal with H.J. Heinz to use study whether the stuff left over from…
A More Mainstream Leaf is on the Horizon
Nissan Motor Corp. wants its next-generation Leaf electric vehicle to get more mainstream styling and a new battery that more than doubles its range. Most important will be range. Nissan wants to double it from the current Environmental Protection Agency rating of 84 miles per charge, the News says. That…
The Bentley Hybrid Has Arrived
Bentley is the first luxury manufacturer to unveil a plug-in hybrid car. Debuting at the 2014 Beijing auto show, the Bentley Hybrid Concept demonstrates the fuel-saving powertrain that will feature in the company’s first-ever SUV by 2017. The forthcoming Bentley SUV, which was first teased in 2012 as the EXP 9…
What Will Happen When All the Fish are Gone?
The world’s fishing industry is quickly running out of new ocean fishing grounds to exploit as it depletes existing areas through unsustainable harvesting practices, according to a study published recently. Expansion into unexploited fishing grounds allowed global catches to increase for decades, and disguised the fact that older areas were…
Invasive Species Buy Time
Animals and plants introduced from foreign habitats may not reveal themselves to be harmful ’invasive’ species for decades, according to a European study published recently. Species that are moved away from their natural predators back home can displace native species in their new habitats, and scientists say the problem already…