Filed under: EV/Plug-in , Hybrid , GM , Th!nk (Think) Think City – Click above for high-res image gallery General Motor ’s attempt to trademark the term “range anxiety ” is generating some critical heat. The first to attack was Tesla Motors , which basically told GM to go ahead and associate itself with the term . Later, the global marketing director for Think EV, Michael Lock , told AutoblogGreen that: While I have no... 

Photo: Elephant being bathed in a temple in Thrissur (K.C. Sowmish via The Hindu ) As long-standing icons of its unique cultural psyche, India’s threatened elephants are finally getting the protection — and well-deserved recognition — they need. In a bid for better conservation, earlier this week the Indian government formally declared the elephant its “national heritage animal”, elevating the legendary pachyderm... 

Filed under: EV/Plug-in , Green Daily Intensifying price competition from South Korean battery manufacturers has driven Sanyo Electric Co. and GS Yuasa Corp. to dissolve their long-standing lithium-ion battery joint venture (JV). According to a joint announcement, the liquidation of the Sanyo GS Soft Energy Co. JV was inevitable as the venture had posted net losses for two years running. The decision to dissolve the JV may hinder Sanyo’s... 

Photo via OneThirtyBPM.com Musician Paul McCartney isn’t shy about taking a stand for animal rights — the vegetarian superstar has talked about his journey to a meat-free diet and supported Meatless Mondays — and now he’s speaking up for another group: the monkeys that NASA uses to predict how space travel will affect humans. … Read the full story on TreeHugger  Read More →

One development in my home state of California that caught my eye while I was living in New York for a few years was voters’ approval in 2008 of nearly $10 billion in bonds to build a high-speed rail network. In the face of the worst economic outlook in decades, Californians (52 percent of them anyway) saw that issuing debt for the project was a worthy investment in clean air, reduced emissions, less…  Read More →

David and Charles Koch, the billionaire brothers bankrolling the front groups behind the Tea Party and climate denial movement , have added another ’cause’ to their philanthropic endeavors, donating $1 million to the Proposition 23 fight to kill California’s landmark 2006 climate change legislation. Koch subsidiary Flint Hills Resources LP handled the laundry duties on this one, but the directive surely came from the heads of... 

Up front, let me tell you that I’m no artist. But believe me when I say that Nike’s attempt at memorializing the 29 coal miners who died when Massey Energy’s mine exploded in April displayed a pretty amazing lack of taste. Which might be fine, if only it actually made a modicum of sense. Unfortunately, their memorial displayed neither. The controversy started the week when the sports gear company aired ads to promote the tricked-out... 

This Frog Can Crusher helps you to be able to crush your cans in style. By crushing your cans you can help save space in any recycling bin, or make it easier to transport the cans to a recycling center. The Frog Can Crusher allows you to quickly and easily crush your cans safely. The fun frog shaped crusher helps to make the process fun for all while safely containing the can and easily crushing it when pressed.The frog design helps to keep the... 

photo: Michael Graham Richard As most readers have probably heard or read by now, yesterday was a dramatic day at the Silver Spring, Maryland headquarters of TreeHugger’s parent company, Discovery Communications. Early in the afternoon a lone man, later identified to be James J. Lee , entered the building, brandishing a pistol and carrying explosives, and began taking hostages. The situation ended four hours later with the hostages unharmed... 

Filed under: EV/Plug-in , Tesla Motors , Green Daily , Japan Tesla Roadster 2.5 – Click above for high-res image gallery Less than four months ago, Tesla Motors entered the Japanese market by shipping a dozen or so right-hand drive Signature Series Roadsters across the pond. The base Roadster , which starts at a rather shocking price of 12.8 million yen ($151,500 U.S. at the current exchange rate)…  Read More →

Filed under: EV/Plug-in , Coda Automotive Coda Sedan – Click above for high-res image gallery Hawai’i is an appealing place to operate and drive electric vehicles (EVs) for four main reasons: range anxiety isn’t a huge issue, there are a lot of eco-minded citizens there (some of whom have spending money), gasoline costs an arm and a leg compared to most of the rest of the U.S., and there is a lot of solar energy potential.... 

Image: Google Maps Thankfully, No Deaths This Time An offshore oil platform exploded and caught fire today in the Gulf of Mexico. It is located about 80 miles off the Louisiana coast, west of the site of BP’s massive oil spill. All 13 people who were on the rig were evacuated and only one was injured, reports the U.S. Coast Guard…. Read the full story on TreeHugger  Read More →

Don’t put those oil skimmer boats away yet. They may be needed for another go-around in the Gulf. At 9 AM central time, another oil rig exploded in the Gulf, 100 miles from the shore of Louisiana and about 200 miles from the BP disaster. The rig is still burning and, according to the Associated Press, a mile-long oil sheen appears to be spreading. Some on Twitter are reporting news re-using the same category markings that gained popularity…  Read More →

After debuting the world’s first hybrid tugboat in 2009 , the Port of Long Beach is partnering again with Foss Maritime Company to retrofit an existing tugboat with hybrid technology. The ship called the Campbell Foss is a conventional dolphin tugboat assisting ships in the San Pedro Bay. It will be fitted with motor generators, batteries and control systems by Foss at one of their shipyards.  The retrofit should cut 1,340 tons of CO2... 

Filed under: MPG , Chevrolet , GM , Lightweight Hyundai made some news last fall when it launched the all-new 2011 Sonata with a four-cylinder-only engine lineup. It now looks like General Motors might be following suit for its mid-sizers. By leaving out larger V6 engines as a possibility, Hyundai was able to design a lighter structure while still meeting new safety requirements and maintaining passenger volume. GM has already opted for four-cylinder...