Archive for category Green Cars
Cash for Clunkers…Conan O’Brien Style: KABOOM!
Posted by Jeffrey in General News, Green Cars on August 14th, 2009
If you’re not familiar with Cash for Clunkers (aka the “Car Allowance Rebate System“), then you should catch up on the news. It’s all over the place. It’s simple: trade in a qualifying older, not-so-fuel-efficient vehicle and get a government rebate towards the purchase of a new, more fuel efficient vehicle. It’s not perfect, but it’s wildly popular right now.
Well, Conan O’Brien made a fantastic offer on The Tonight Show: trade in your earth-killing jalopy for a Lexus HS10 Hybrid sedan. The catch? Conan is going to “blow up” your old car! (Check out the video clip on Hulu from the show.)
Conan wants people to send in videos of their terrible car and why they deserve the new Lexus. The winner gets their car blown up with massive amounts of explosives, and they get a new Lexus! The official name of the contest: Conan, Please Blow-Up My Car!
This is all of course a promotion for the new Lexus HS10, which indeed looks like a very nice car. If you watch the video clip above, they give a little overview of the car. It is loaded with technology. Maybe too much technology: it has a mouse to control all the electronics! The car is a hybrid, but because of it’s big, powerful engine, it gets a fuel efficiency of about 35 mpg.
So, if you have a real beater that is too old to qualify for the Cash for Clunkers program, Conan O’Brien might be a good alternative.
Can you get 100 MPG? Your chance to PROVE IT!
Posted by Jeffrey in Green Cars on August 7th, 2009
The Toyota Prius Plug-in is capable if getting over 100 MPG if you drive conservatively. Do you have the special touch to reach such amazing fuel efficiency? Find out on August 22! by taking the 100+MPG Challenge!
We’re holding a special event at The Green Car Company to give you the chance to drive a Toyota Prius with the A123 System Hymotion Plug-In kit. With extra batteries and the ability to go up to 40 miles in all electric mode, you’ll be blown away with this amazing technology. A representative from A123 Systems will be on had to answer all the questions you have.
Plus, if you can get over 100MPG in our Prius, you’ll be entered to win an electric bicycle!
Visit the 100+MPG Challenge page at The Green Car Company website to learn more.
Coolest Hybrid Motorcycle Ever! It’s a Peugeot!
Posted by Jeffrey in Green Cars on July 30th, 2009
Ever since spending time in South America I’ve had a fond feeling for Peugeot automobiles. Peugeot gave up on the United States in the early 1990s, but they’re going strong in Chile, where my friend works for their marketing team. I had the chance to drive a diesel 207 around, and I have to say I loved it. I had ridden in his car several times, but until I drove it, and he told me, I didn’t know it was diesel.
Peugeot may have just completely won me over for life with their HYmotion Hybrid Motorcycle. Hybrid? Indeed. It has a 125cc gas engine, and two electric motors, one for each front wheel. Oh yeah, it’s a three-wheeled motorcycle.
If that three wheel design looks familiar, you may be thinking of the Piaggio MP3. Notably a hybrid MP3 is also in production.
BMW tried making scooter with a roof, but it didn’t take off. I always thought it was pretty cool-looking though.
The Peugeot will be hitting European streets next year.
Is Toyota’s Plug-In Prius worth it?
Posted by Jeffrey in Green Cars on July 9th, 2009
The word on the street is that Toyota is planning on producing 20,000 to 30,000 plug-in Prius vehicles and selling them in 2012. That’s the good news, but, as always, the devil is in the details. According to reports, the plug-in Prius from Toyota will only get 12-18 miles in electric mode. Worse, the plug-in model will have a price tag of about $48,000!!!
Many people seem to be quite unhappy with the specs because you can get something better, now, for much less money with A123 Systems Hymotion conversion kit. In fact, The Green Car Company is one of a handful of authorized installers for the plug-in conversion kit.
The conversion kit works with your current 2004 to 2009 Toyota Prius. If you don’t yet own a Prius, check out our inventory page. We sell the Prius, both new and used, that already have the conversion kit installed.
With the a current Prius and the Hymotion kit, you can get better EV performance at a much lower price! So, perhaps Toyota needs to go back to the drawing board.
McDonald’s: would you like a charging station with your order?
Posted by Jeffrey in General News, Green Cars on July 6th, 2009
McDonald's first "green" restaurant
It looks like McDonald’s is going to start cleaning up its image and install EV and Hybrid Plug-In charging stations at its restaurants. McDonald’s first charging station will be at a new restaurant that will be opening July 14 in Cary, NC.
The charging stations will be part of the ChargePoint Network. The stations can either be free, or require a subscription. The press release didn’t mention if charging would be free at McDonald’s, but it doesn’t really make sense to pay for a full charging session if you’re just stepping into have a Big Mac. (You can look up other ChargePoint station locations here.)
The new restaurant in Cary, NC is McDonald’s first “green” restaurant in North Carolina, and only their third such restaurant in the United States. The other two green restaurants are in Savannah, GA and Chicago. Aside from the new restaurant’s charging stations, it will also feature other environmentally-responsible aspects:
- Use of solatubes and LED lighting fixtures designed to use 97 percent natural light during the day
- Highly efficient, energy and water-saving restroom and kitchen fixtures
- Dedicated parking spaces for hybrid vehicles and plug-in charging stations for electric vehicles
- Table and decor walls incorporating rapidly renewable materials like sunflower seed board, wheat board, bamboo and kirei board
- Some recycled building materials
- Drought tolerant landscape plants
- Energy Efficiency Education Dashboard in dining area informing guests about the economic and environmental benefits of the building
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