First, it would have to be isolated to windy areas like the Bay Area in Northern California.  The reason is because more people travel during the day than they do at night (outside of rush hour traffic, but not much wind would be produced anyway when cars travel at 5mph).

There would have to be some sort of battery mechanism to store the energy from the day to use at night.  This feature alone might make it cost prohibitive since battery technology is not advancing as quickly.

It also seems that this would be good to use in tandem with solar powered streetlights as they are starting to do in Oregon.  Some days will be windier than others, the weekends probably do not have as much traffic as weekdays…especially Sunday.

via inhabitat

images via mblast

One problem with hybrid cars is that they look like hybrid cars.  Perhaps something that will help to bridge the aesthetic gap between what is green and what is gas could be the new Volkswagon NCC Hybrid Coupe Concept that was unveiled at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show.  This car, although not perfect, helps to shed the “green cars are ugly” image with aggressive styling and smart technology.

The new VW NCC has a 1.4-liter TSI gas engine combined with a 20-kilowatt electric motor powered by a 1.1kWh lithium-ion battery pack and a 7-speed dual clutch transmission.  The 1.4-liter engine produces 150 hp and 110 pound-feet of torque, but when combined with the electric motor, the combined total climbs to 177 hp and 177 pound-feet of torque.

In the world of non-sports car hybrids, the VW is relatively fast with a 0-60 time of 8.1 seconds and a top speed of 141 mph.  Combined fuel consumption is 45 mpg and the CO2 emissions are 98 g/km.  This is a very good gas hybrid.  However, the question remains with the advanced diesel technology available to the VW/Audi line why they didn’t put a diesel engine in the hybrid.  It would have surely given the car more torque as well as much better fuel economy.

Another reason the VW gets great gas mileage is due to a trick hyper-milers use.  When the driver completely releases the gas pedal, the car disengages the transmission (the equivalent of putting a car in neutral).  The coasting is also possible at highway speeds, and since drag losses are eliminated, it leads directly to fuel savings.  Don’t be surprised to see this technology pop up in other fuel conscious cars.

via treehugger

images via Michael Graham Richard

The car does not look like your typical hybrid. It looks like a pure sports car. This also makes a lot of sense b/c sports cars tend to have the lowest coefficient of drag helping to get better gas mileage out of the car. They have won other car competitions with other cars.  In 2002, 2005 and 2006, the team won another alternative vehicle competition, the Tour de Sol.  The goal of that competition was to drive at least 150 miles while getting 100 mpg or better. In 2002, they beat out 40 other teams including one from MIT.

However, now they are shooting for the big stage and competing in the Automotive X Prize.

By now, anyone keeping up with the world of hybrid automotive technology knows about the Automotive X Prize.  For those that don’t, over 100 teams are competing to get the prize of $10 million dollars.  The cars entered into the competition must be road safe, easily mass produced, and achieve the benchmark of 100 mpg.

via gas2

The Metropolitan Area Planning Council of Boston understood the plight of its citizens and started working on a project that would allow Bostonians to borrow bikes for short trips as early as next summer.

The Public Bike System Company, a Canadian company will start implementing the bike share stations in Boston and will eventually extend the program further into Cambridge, Brookline, and Somerville.

A similar program has already been implemented in Montreal and has had glowing reviews.  Riders will simply  scan a credit card before they take a bike.  No more waiting for buses or taxis, and more importantly, no more pollution.

via boston

image via montreal.bixi.com

Nissan unveiled their first all-electric car design; the LEAF. This powder-blue wonder comes complete with two charge ports in the front, electricity saving headlights, right-side driving, and 5 doors (including the hatchback). Though the Nissan LEAF is not going to be available until late 2010, many questions have still been posed. Would the car perform up the standards of other cars on the market? How many miles will the car get to a full charge? How will consumers charge this new-age car? How long will charging to full battery take? So many questions.

So far, the car does seem to be holding up to the standards of the time as far as speed and miles per charge (mpc) go. The Nissan LEAF tops out at approximately 90 mph, nearly the same as it’s hybrid counterpart the Toyota Prius. However, the Prius does have the advantage of fuel, whereas the LEAF is fully electric.

Supposedly the LEAF will get about 100 miles to a full charge. No answers have been given as to if that takes into consideration the load weight and/or stop and go traffic. That being said, if you charge your Nissan LEAF with a fancy 3 phase station, it can be fully charged within about 30 minutes. Most consumers do not have access to these however and will have to endure approximately 8 hours on a standard 200 volt AC outlet at home. I suppose this gives them ample time to sleep between 100 mile trips though.

Nissan has also proposed to lease the batteries for the LEAF instead of making consumers buy them flat out. They’ve promised that the monthly cost to lease the battery and charge it will be less than a monthly trip to the gas station, an excellent perk when those fuel prices begin to rise again during the holiday seasons.

Someone else brought up the question of, what happens when you need your vehicle in the middle of a charge for an emergency. The LEAF is not really practical as an only car for a family, for just that reason. On the other hand, the average household owns about 2 cars. In case of emergency, use your alternate car.

With all that being said, the Nissan LEAF seems to be a nice new addition for the green family. You’ll save on fuel costs, emissions, and there are special tax breaks. What’s not to love?

This 4-door sports car will have room for 5 and get 240 miles on a charge. The acceleration is still very respectable at under 6 seconds, and for a base price of $60,000, it will be priced even better than the Fisker Karma. Electric never sounded so beautiful.

via engadet

BMW released the first images of the all electric Mini E. There has been buzz about it before and it was simply a matter of time before the public got to see it for the first time. It comes with a 204hp electric engine, regenerative braking, and an astounding range of 150 miles.

The Mini E will use lithium-ion battery technology. Unlike the new Honda Insight, the Mini E will not have a gas engine. The car will only use the batteries to power the car. The top speed will be limited to 95mph to further save energy.

The Mini E will not be available immediately. BMW will first conduct a limited test run of 500 to research the market for a vehicle of its kind in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, New Jersey, and possibly London. I think most readers of this site would agree that such a test is uneccessary. If there are any executives at BMW reading this…”we want one!”

via autobloggreen

Lucas’ father, Ralph Laborde, funded the project and let his son use the space at his company, River City Hydraulics Inc.  Ralph bought the kit car on Ebay for $5,000 and then spent the rest on the electrical parts and batteries that would later power the vehicle.  The converted Bradley now has a top speed of 45 mph and has a lot of low-end torque which is expected for electric vehicles.

The car does have its quirks in that the gull wing doors don’t close properly due to the stress of the 80 pound batteries twisting the fiberglass body.  However, this is a truly great accomplishment in that it takes years and several millions of dollars for auto manufacturers to come up with a working prototype.

via manufacturing

The bike weighs in at about 200 lbs., and has a 49cc engine to power the package. Anyone considering getting a scooter needs to take a close look at this one.

via ecogeek