Maintaining your vehicle’s fuel system can improve performance, lower emissions and save you money.
As a new generation of hybrid and electric cars and light trucks start appearing on the market, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are jointly proposing changes to the fuel economy labels consumers see on the window of every new vehicle in dealer showrooms. But before a change is made, the agencies are asking the public to comment on the label design options and related issues.
Ford's Transit Connect electric small commercial van (Photo: Ford Motor Company)
Ford Motor Company and the City of Seattle today announced they will work together to prepare the city for the operation of electric vehicles. The partnership will include developing consumer outreach and education programs on electric vehicles, as well as information on charging needs and requirements to ensure the electrical grid can support the necessary demand.
Zipcar Inc., Harvard University Transportation Services and Zimride today announced Greater Boston’s first campus car sharing program for drivers under 21. The partnership will make it even easier for parents to send students to school without a car and further reduce the number of cars in Cambridge neighborhoods, already a city with one of the highest concentrations of car sharers in the country.
John Monnet of Sonex Aircraft demonstrates an experimental battery-powered airplane. “It’s ready to fly,” he says in this VOA report. Meanwhile, Sikorsky’s Project Firefly focuses on launching a hybrid helicopter:
Seven states will receive more than $9.7 million as part of a national program to encourage innovative strategies to relieve congestion, which should also result in lower air pollution. California, Florida, North Carolina, Minnesota, Texas, Virginia and Washington received grants for 10 projects under the Federal Highway Administration’s Value Pricing Pilot Program. “Value pricing” is an attempt to use varying price levels by time of day or traffic volume in order to manage congestion. Government officials says it can significantly improve traffic flow by encouraging people to choose to drive at different times of the day, thereby spreading out demand and reducing congestion at peak hours.
General Motors says that thanks to strong public interest in the Chevrolet Volt, its new 340-mile extended range electric vehicle, it will increase U.S. production capacity of the car by 50 percent, from 30,000 units to 45,000 units, in 2012. The Volt is due in dealer showrooms by the end of the year.
B-cycle and the City of Chicago will launch a bicycle-sharing demonstration program.
The City of Chicago and B-cycle are teaming to create a bike-sharing system to help residents and visitors increase daily activity and reduce carbon emissions. Chicago B-cycle will launch with 100 bicycles at six B-stations around the city, offering a green alternative to cars for short commutes and errands. The demonstration program will make bikes available through October 2010 and the following spring.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to install more than 100 EV charging points by the end of this year. In an effort to promote the use of the eco-friendly vehicles, the city government said it will work to secure enough parking spaces to accommodate a minimum of two electric vehicles and at least one charging station at each of Seoul’s 25 district offices.
Barbara Kessler
Other Voices