Green cars are not a new thing for Toyota, which earlier showcased a variety of cars which could by all means be termed green. The company is again making news with another concept that could be a common sight on the road after a couple of decades. Toyota has showcased a hybrid concept car made from seaweed that will be shown at the Melbourne International Motor Show in Australia. The 1/X is being termed as Toyota's dream machine, which if developed could make millions of dreams come true.
The car is powered by a 500cc engine that is about a third the size of Toyota's ingenuity, the Prius. The 1/X makes use of high-tech materials like carbon-fiber reinforced plastic, which gives its collision safety. Weighing just over 400kg, the car can also be powered by electricity, giving it better speed and range.
I'd like to know how safe they intend it to be. And of course we won't see it for quite some time, if at all, since seaweed doesn't grow in Toyota's backyard or anything.
The Toyota 1/X will appear at the Melbourne International Motor Show, which started on February 27.
Another Northeast city (the first having been New York City) is getting in on the greening of their public transportation: Boston Mayor Thomas Menino has announced that 2015 the city’s entire taxi fleet would have to be converted to hybrid vehicles.
According to the mayor's office:
The new standards for hybrid vehicles will be phased in as current vehicles reach their mandatory retirement age of six years. As a result of this new plan, owners will be required to replace their taxis with hybrid vehicles. Hybrid taxis will reduce carbon emissions from the taxi fleet by 50% and will save taxi drivers $1,000 a month in fuel costs. It is anticipated that within two years more than 50% of the fleet will be hybrid. It is required that by 2015 100% of the fleet is hybrid.
The Boston Globe has reported somewhat negatively about this decision. They express concern about the cost of replacing the batteries in hybrid cars. It is also up for debate as to whether or not hybrids are large enough to hold people and their luggage if, for example, they are on the way to the airport.
As for the taxi drivers of Boston, it is reported they are quite livid about the 2015 set date for which they must go hybrid.
"I don’t think anyone is against the idea of hybrids. But the thing is to put them on so fast, to come up with $30,000 is very difficult for a lot of guys," said John Ford, owner of City Cab.
Taxi companies typically use Crown Victorias that cost roughly $6,000 to $7,500, while hybrids may cost between $26,000 and $30,000.
We'll have to see how this pans out, but I do think a lot of good points are being brought up here. I would love to have a more eco-friendly vehicle but I do not have the means and doubt I will by 2015 either.
One clear sign that the search for alternatives to oil has reached a fever pitch is when Ferrari, one of the world's most renowned sports car manufacturers, announces its intention to build vehicles powered by biofuels and electricity, as well as hybrid drivetrains. Ferrari, of course, isn't doing this out of the goodness of its heart: it has to meet more stringent European emissions standards and the company has set a goal of reducing "CO2 emissions by 40 percent between now and 2012."
Weehoo!
I have always wanted a red Ferrari Spyder. They are small, I don't need the speed I just like the look. Though I am sure it will be over $100K if it goes hybrid.
According to Andrew Posner who writes for Treehugger.com, "from Ferrari to Ford to Toyota, are looking to get around the high cost and environmental/geopolitical stigma of oil."
Philadelphia today was the first stop on the East Coast of a cross country tour by the 150 mpg Extreme Hybrid SUV developed by AFS Trinity Power Corporation of Bellevue Washington.
The XH-150 stopped in Philadelphia on its way to being featured at the 38th Earth Day on the Capital Mall in Washington, D.C. April 20. In January, when it was introduced at the North American International Auto Show, CNN and others said the XH-150 could be the "car of the future".
"AFS Trinity is in Philadelphia with our XH-150 to help get the word out that fast, economical plug-in hybrids can be built now," said AFS Trinity CEO Edward W. Furia. "It is a personal pleasure for me to demonstrate the XH-150 in the town where I was raised. After Philadelphia we will make the Extreme Hybrid available to be driven in Washington D.C. by environmental leaders, government officials and members of Congress starting on Earth Day April 20."
