With the ability to consume up to 10,000 tons of waste plastics a year, and the ability to turn any type of plastic back into three to five barrels of oil per ton, the Envion Oil Generator could be a boon for recycling (and turn dumps into pseudo oil fields). The technology utilizes a non-catalysed method which processes the plastic in high temperature vacuums and extracts the hydrocarbons for conversion to oil products. The system comes in 6,000-ton-per-year and 10,000-ton-per-year sizes which are both scalable, costing up to $7 million to build. Pretty neat idea if you ask us.
[Pure Green Cars]

And we're not talking about some lame-o golf cart or even a Tesla- this is a highway-legal, 3.5 horsepower Citicar, one of the lone bright spots of the Malaise Era. Most of the time, I can't find the owner when I'm shooting a cool street-parked Alameda car, but I spotted this car just as its owner, Tom, was getting ready to run some errands around town. He was happy to show off his commuter's features, and even took me for a little drive around Alameda's downtown. Alameda High was just getting out for the day, and this Citicar got more attention from teenage girls than all the Lamborghinis in the world put together- take note, high school dudes looking for a project car that will help you score with the ladeeze! You can learn more about this car here.

The car has pretty decent acceleration and is surprisingly comfortable (at least, when the weather is nice). While the top speed is only about 36 MPH, that's just about perfect for getting around Alameda; most of the island has a 25 MPH speed limit, and parking is often tough for big cars.

The Roush Propane line of F-series trucks is all about zero compromises, saving green and being green. Delivering no reduction in horsepower or torque, the kit actually saves companies a ton of cash through clever tax credits available to those who are chill with Mother Earth.

Starting at $7,995, the plug-and-play package lets you burn straight propane, exactly the same kind found in your BBQ 'round back behind the shed. Reports estimate a slight 10% to 20% nick in fuel mileage, but that pain is quickly eased by a massive $5000 federal alternative fuels tax credit per kit alongside a 50-cent-per-gallon tax credit on any propane purchased. With propane hovering around a dollar a gallon on the wholesale market, things start making sense mighty quick.

Full press release for you below:

ROUSH® EXPANDS PROPANE VEHICLE LINEUP WITH UNVEIL OF LIQUID PROPANE-INJECTED F-250 PICKUP

LAS VEGAS (January 22, 2009) - Hammering home their success in offering
a propane-powered truck, ROUSH® Performance unveiled yesterday at the
2009 International Builders' Show the next product in the lineup - the
2010 ROUSH Liquid Propane Injected F-250.

The ROUSH propane-powered F-250 immediately received considerable
interest among the attendees who had been looking for a medium-duty
truck that could offer both lower operating costs and greenhouse
emissions.

According to research provided by the Propane Education and Research
Council (PERC), propane is the most widely-used alternative fuel today,
with more than 10 million vehicles around the world using it as a fuel.
Operating costs typically range from five to 30 percent less than those
of a gasoline-powered fleet, and on average create 20 percent less
nitrous oxide, up to 60 percent less carbon monoxide and fewer
particulate emissions.

"We have had tremendous interest in the ROUSH propane-powered F-150
and sold several hundred vehicles and conversion kits, but more than
that we had people tell us that they would be much more interested if
there was a medium-duty pickup available," said Joe Thompson,
vice-president and general manager of ROUSH Performance. "With that in
mind, we went to PERC who has been our strong supporter in developing
propane vehicles and took the next steps to expanding the ROUSH lineup
with the F-250. It is gratifying to see that the response has already
been so positive."

With deliveries anticipated to start in the third quarter, ROUSH will
make this product available in two forms; customers can choose either a
complete ROUSH-assembled vehicle which will have a 3-year/36,000 mile
warranty, or a conversion kit to fit existing trucks in the field which
also carries the same warranty. The conversion kit will also fit 2009
F-250 pickups that may be in service.

The order banks for both the vehicle and the conversion kit, both of
which are true OEM-quality in terms of engineering and materials, will
open on January 26. Among the components changed are the fuel tank with
multi-valve fuel pump, stainless steel fuel lines, billet aluminum fuel
rails, an upgraded custom ROUSH PCM calibration, and all necessary
wiring, hardware and instructions.

The kit will have a retail price of $7,995, and qualifies for a federal
tax credit of $5,000. There are also a number of state, regional and
local tax credits and rebates available for the purchase and
implementation of alternative fuel vehicles. Additionally, propane
prices per gallon are normally significantly much lower than gasoline or
diesel, and with the proper infrastructure in place a fleet user can
qualify for a 50-cent tax credit per gallon used.

The ROUSH propane-powered F-250 will come standard with an in-bed tank
offering 62-usable gallons of fuel. This will allow a range of
approximately 500 miles depending on the chassis and driving habits. A
under-bed propane tank will be available (with a range of approximately
250 miles) for users where range is not as important as bed capacity.

There will be no loss of horsepower, torque or towing capacity on the
ROUSH propane-powered F-250 as compared to the truck's gasoline-powered
equivalent. The truck will have all federal, CARB and Canadian
certifications.

ROUSH has long been considered as Detroit's foremost Tier 1 advanced
powertrain engineering company and well known for producing massive
horsepower from gasoline engines. Now this same company has turned their
resources towards helping fleet customers save money and reduce
greenhouse gasses by utilizing propane as an engine fuel. The company
launched a propane F-150 in 2007 and has plans for several additional
vehicles over the next few years.

Based in Livonia, Mich., "The Art of Performance Engineering" takes
place at ROUSH Performance. To get a look behind the scenes at what goes
on at ROUSH and how the vehicles and parts are designed, manufactured,
tested and produced logon to www.ROUSHtv.com. In addition to the array
of Ford Mustang and F-150 styling, handling and performance upgrades, a
complete line of performance parts and crate engines are offered. For
more information see your local ROUSH dealer, visit
www.ROUSHperformance.com or telephone toll-free (800) 59-ROUSH.

*"ROUSH" is the registered trademark of ROUSH Performance Products,
Inc., or its related entities.

Mazda Hydrogen Rotary Vehicle Takes to the Road in Norway

HIROSHIMA, Japan—Mazda Motor Corporation today introduced the Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE (Rotary Engine) vehicle to Norway’s public roads in collaboration with the Norwegian national hydrogen project, HyNor. Initially, the RX-8 Hydrogen RE’s driving performance on Norwegian roads will be validated with a single vehicle, which will also be shown at various events. This marks the first time that a Mazda hydrogen rotary vehicle has been put into regular use on public roads outside Japan.

Mazda signed a memorandum of understanding with HyNor (Hydrogen Road of Norway) to participate in the project in November 2007. HyNor is a national project in the Kingdom of Norway that aims to establish a clean energy transport system based on hydrogen fuel. Beginning in fiscal year 2009, Mazda will provide approximately 30 RX-8 Hydrogen RE vehicles for the HyNor project under commercial lease contracts.

The RX-8 Hydrogen RE validation vehicle is being delivered in advance so that Mazda and HyNor can jointly assess its driving performance in Norway. It will also be exhibited at environmental and other events for potential customers who are interested in leasing a hydrogen vehicle.

“Up to now, real world use of Mazda’s hydrogen rotary vehicles has been limited to Japan. Participation in the HyNor project marks our advancement to the next stage,” says Akihiro Kashiwagi, Mazda’s program manager in charge of hydrogen RE development. “After we validate the first vehicle on Norwegian roads, we intend to deliver 30 more units under commercial lease contracts. We are pleased to be a part of the establishment of a society based on hydrogen energy in Norway. Mazda plans to use the wealth of data and experience that will result from this project for the further development of hydrogen vehicles.”

HyNor is a unique Norwegian initiative to demonstrate the implementation of a hydrogen energy infrastructure along a 580 kilometer route from Oslo to Stavanger in Norway. Hydrogen filling stations are being established along this transport corridor to enable refueling of hydrogen vehicles. The project aims to revolutionize transportation in Norway by encompassing buses, taxis and private cars, and varying types of transport systems, including urban, inter-city, regional and even long-distance transport. In August 2006, Mazda attended the ceremony to commemorate the opening of Norway’s first hydrogen filling station constructed by HyNor. This was also where the first on-road demonstration of a RX-8 Hydrogen RE vehicle outside of Japan took place. Since April 2006, Mazda has delivered eight RX-8 Hydrogen RE vehicles to government bodies and enterprises in Japan under commercial lease contracts.

[Mazda via Autoblog Green]

But, of course, the problem with ethanol remains one of economics rather than availability. E85 costs about 18% less nationwide than a gallon of gasoline despite containing 23-28% less energy. When the cost to grow, process, distill and transport that ethanol is taken into account, the math just doesn't work out in favor of corn likker . But we are glad our farmer friends are finally able to afford those new Sea Rays. [Green Car Congress; Image Credit: EPA]

Toyota Corporate Communicator Irv Miller contrasted the 1999 market with current conditions favoring low emissions and high economy while also throwing a bone to fuel-cell advocates, saying "an expanded retail-friendly CNG infrastructure could be seen as a model for future hydrogen infrastructure." Plus, lazy Americans wouldn't have to learn a new term for "filling up the gas tank." Press release below.

TOYOTA TO DISPLAY CNG-POWERED CAMRY-HYBRID CONCEPT AT 2008 LOS ANGELES AUTO SHOW

PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 24, 2008 – Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., announced here today at its Sustainable Mobility Seminar that it will display a compressed natural gas (CNG) Camry Hybrid concept vehicle at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November.

"With the combination of plentiful long-term supplies in North America, improved and more efficient recovery methods, favorable pricing and clean-burn/low emissions characteristics, CNG has become a prime energy-source for the future," said Irv Miller, group vice president, TMS Corporate Communications. "With this concept, we are confirming our interest in pursuing CNG within our broad and comprehensive R&D scope."

In 1999 Toyota marketed a CNG-powered four-cylinder Camry to fleet customers in California. However, in an era of relatively cheap gasoline, customers were not attracted to a vehicle that required special refueling techniques and a limited refueling infrastructure and the program was discontinued a year later. Currently, there are only about 1,000 CNG refueling stations nationwide, with less than half open to the public.

The benefits of CNG are currently being amplified by rapidly changing market conditions and an increase in consumer environmental awareness. At the same time its drawbacks are being mitigated by a growing awareness that advanced technologies will require investment in appropriate infrastructure. The U.S. CNG pipeline system is an approximately 1.8 million mile network and expanding.

"Natural gas," adds Miller, "and an expanded retail-friendly CNG infrastructure could be seen as a model for future hydrogen infrastructure."

[Toyota]

Details are sketchy, but the Star claims J.D. Power sources say suppliers are gearing up for an iteration of the Two-Mode Hybrid system used on the upcoming Durango/Aspen hybrids and shared with the Tahoe/Yukon hybrid. The report also states that a hybrid Toyota "Sierra" (which we're pretty sure means "Sienna") van is scheduled for 2010, and that diesel minivans from Honda and VW are on the near horizon.

Chrysler's foray into more-efficient vans could be as much for the company as for the consumer, since Chrysler remains near the back of the pack on total fleet fuel efficiency. Adding a hybrid van to the mix would be an effective (if expensive, on the order of $4,000 per unit) way to bump up CAFE numbers while older, larger models are being retooled or dropped completely.

Unlike Chrysler with its Two-Mode, and Toyota, who will presumably use a version of its Hybrid Synergy Drive in the Sienna Hybrid, Honda and VW are likely to exploit their diesel expertise in the Odyssey and Routan, respectively. Honda is reportedly readying a diesel Accord for 2009, providing it with a federally approved oilburner that could be used in Odyssey, while VW has access to its own diesels (which would be a bit small for minivan use) as well as the Mercedes Bluetec unit.

If the idea of a hybrid Grand Caravan or an Odyssey with 400 lb-ft of torque doesn't get you excited, hey, that's okay. What should get you excited is what's on display here: More evidence of the powertrain variety we can expect around the 2010/2011 model year. [Windsor Star]

Ferrari President Luca Cordero di Montezemolo stressed in an interview with German mag Welt am Sonntag (World on Sunday) it was their goal to reach the emissions targets, but the car that emerges will still need be "fundamentally a Ferrari." We agree, and think that if anyone can pull it off, Ferrari can — when cost is essentially no object, a hybrid can be a fire-breathing, huge-torque road menace. And there's no reason to expect anything less from the prancing pony. [SMH.com]

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA - June 27, 2008: Solazyme announced recently that SoladieselRDTM , a microalgae-derived renewable diesel, has passed American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D-975 specifications. SoladieselRDTM is the first algal-based renewable diesel to meet these standards.

In a 100% blend, SoladieselRDTM has been road tested in a factory standard 2005 Jeep Liberty diesel. The fuel's chemical composition is identical to that of standard petroleum based diesel, and SoladieselRDTM is fully compatible with the existing transportation fuel infrastructure. Having fewer particulate emissions, SoladieselRDTM also has a more desirable environmental footprint than standard petro-diesel. In addition, it meets the new ASTM ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) standards.

"This now marks the production of our second fuel that meets current U.S. fuel specifications and is an important validation of our proprietary process using microalgae to produce renewable fuels," said Jonathan Wolfson, chief executive officer of Solazyme. "Solazyme's leadership in the green fuels space will continue to grow as we now execute on our strategy for commercial launch."

The only advanced biofuels company producing at scale, Solazyme implements a unique microbial fermentation process that allows algae to produce oil in massive vessels quickly, efficiently and without sunlight. The process can utilize many forms of non-food feedstocks, including waste glycerol and many cellulosic materials including wood chips, corn stover and switchgrass. The resulting oils can be leveraged across a wide variety of industries and applications, including fuels, edible oils and chemicals and are completely biodegradable, nontoxic and safe.

In a piece of beautifully symmetric history, the Urban Electric was developed for the First Symposium On Low Pollution Power Systems Development held, basically, in the parking lot of an Ann Arbor, Michigan Marriott. The ultra-mini around-town runabout came in two wacky, Barris-inspired varieties as well: one with with a space-age lifting canopy entrance, and the other with an open-top featuring an Isetta-like swinging front door. As you can see, the Urban Electric had all the creature comforts the 1970's could offer — metallic paint, loads of plastic and chrome doo-dads on the interior, enough room to fit two stuffy-suited middle managers and even a curbside battery charger — the luxury! Expect to see the unveiling of the 2009 GM Urban Electric Car at the Second Symposium On Low Pollution Power Systems Development next year. [LostBrain and Wikipedia]

The new system integrates a 447 kW-capable, sodium-based battery from the GE locomotive division in place of the dissipative resistor system which previously was used to dump the heat of braking. Instead of wasting all that energy, the battery stores it up and uses it to get the mini-mountain moving again later. The truly brilliant thing about this program? GE is getting government bucks from the US Department of Energy to do it! [GE Research via Edmunds]

Mitsubishi will be sharing all sorts of technology with the Frenchies, like information on how to better prevent overheating batteries and how to better convert electric juice to drive power, as well as supplying lithium-ion batteries. Peugeot-Citroen will in turn supply Mitsubishi with, umm... foie gras and a rusty 2CV, perhaps?
[Reuters]

Knowing it was there, we took a quick jaunt to their shop so you can see what may inform the next motorcycle. According to the folks who work there, reports of Caddy boss Jim Trailer actually buying this bike are greatly exaggerated, so if you want to take a look for yourself and live in the Detroit area, it'll be there for all to see. [MotorAuthority via Hell For Leather]

That's a pretty good day out in the dunes and with power like that available at the base of a grade it's no wonder the announcement sparked substantial interest. According to the company, after announcing the all electric car, requests for quote have skyrocketed 1,056% in the week since. We see only two problems with all of this. First, Xtreme went out of their way to create the extremely tiresome ZES acronym — of course, Zero Emissions Sandcar, ugh. Second, it's going to be awfully spooky when a mid-flight sand car sails overhead in complete silence. [Xtreme Motorsports]

If you are determined to fulfill your steam fantasy, the car comes with plenty of documentation from the 20+ years of experimentation on the car. Truly, this would be an eternal project car hell. That being said, if anyone buys it, we'll amend the "How Jalopnik Is Your Car" scale to include a +10,000,000 point bonus for steam power. We're not sure what the fuel economy is like on this (yes the boiler is heated by gasoline), but maybe it's just what we need with rising gas prices.
[eBay via Winding Road]

FREMONT, Calif.—Oorja Protonics (Oorja), the San Francisco Bay Area based developer and manufacturer of ultra-powerful fuel cells, today announced its public launch and patented direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) technology. Funded by venture capital firms Sequoia Capital and DAG Ventures, and led by fuel cell pioneer Sanjiv Malhotra, Oorja has been operating in stealth mode since 2005 and has been engaged in commercial testing and deployments of its technology through pilot programs with leading Fortune 50 customers.

Oorja's direct methanol fuel cells are novel in that they eliminate the barriers associated with hydrogen fuel cell adoption, namely the high price of compressed hydrogen gas, lack of hydrogen supply infrastructure, and hydrogen's inherent volatility as a fuel source. Methanol is a much better alternative to hydrogen fuel cells due to its low cost, ready availability, and greatly reduced volatility.

Oorja has been able to produce a reliable, affordable, and compact fuel cell that is ten to one hundred times more powerful than existing methanol fuel cells. Developed and designed as a self contained retrofit for material handling vehicles like pallet loaders, tuggers, and automated guided vehicles, Oorja's fuel cells serve as an on-board battery charger that continuously charges the batteries of these vehicles while they operate. Oorja is currently on its fifth generation of fuel cell technology and has been in development and in field evaluation since early 2005.

Founded by Sanjiv Malhotra, PhD, Oorja is poised to capture significant market share from the entrenched power technologies in the material handling industry, namely off-board battery charging with swapping and compressed gas. For more than ten years Dr. Malhotra has been at the forefront of commercial development of alternative power generation and storage technologies. Early in his career as a researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories in Berkeley California, he worked on pioneering developments with Zinc-Air batteries. In addition to his technical skills, he went on to take H-Power, a leading fuel cell company, public in August of 2000 and was also a senior executive at another prominent fuel cell company DCH Technologies. Before founding Oorja he was a consultant with Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers where he assisted its venture partners with due diligence for energy related investment opportunities.

"Large distribution centers and manufacturing facilities can create substantial savings and improve productivity by using the OorjaPac™" said Sanjiv Malhotra, CEO and founder of Oorja. "The materials handling industry is an early adopter of technologies that later gain traction in mainstream consumer markets. For example, regenerative braking systems have been in use in the material handling industry for a number of years and have relatively recently begun finding their way into hybrid automobiles like the Toyota Prius. We are confident that Oorja's innovative on board charging technology represents a bold step forward and its adoption in the material handling industry is a key predictor of the role methanol fuel cell technology will play in other markets."

Oorja is funded by Sequoia Capital and DAG Ventures, and is representative of Sequoia's leadership in funding Bay Area cleantech ventures. Oorja's Board of Directors includes industry leaders in the technology and manufacturing space including:

* Pierre Lamond, Venture Capitalist at Sequoia Capital
* Gary Convis, Chairman of Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. and former Executive Vice President of New United Motor Manufacturing
* John Cadeddu, Venture Capitalist at DAG Ventures
* Sean McKenna, Managing Partner at McKenna Management
* William Meehan, Senior Director of McKinsey and Company, Inc.
* Sanjiv Malhotra, Founder and CEO of Oorja Protonics

Additional information on Oorja can be found at http://www.oorjaprotonics.com/

About Oorja Protonics

Oorja designs, develops, and manufacturers the most powerful direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) in the world. In development for three years and on its fifth generation of technology, Oorja's products are customer proven, reliable, affordable, and available today. Oorja's customers include Fortune 50 OEMs, retailers, automotive manufacturers, logistics providers, and food processing companies. Founded in 2005, Oorja is a privately held company and is backed by venture capital firms Sequoia Capital and DAG Ventures.

Available for auction is an electric comuta-car. This is an all electric car built in Sebring Florida in the 70's as a fight against high fuel costs and to be pollution free. You would plug it into a 110 V outlet to charge the batteries, and experience up to 40 miles of inexpensive driving at speeds up to 40 m.p.h. It is made of all aluminum and cycolac body. The advertising says that all of the components, such as, differential,brakes wheels, tires, and electrical systems have been engineered, tested and developed for specific application in an electric car. It has been made with a full roll cage crafted of aircraft aluminum to offer protection. Extra high back seats and belts are added for safety. This car was originally sold for $4,495.00 new. I do have have a few a couple pages of advertisement price sheet and a service manual.

This electric car has been sitting for years. It does not run. This is a complete car with side doors and door handles. I am not positive that this is a 1979 car as I am still looking for the title. The storage of the batteries are concealed in the bumpers. It has 763 mi. on the odometer. It is an orange car. The body has a couple minor cracks. One on the drivers door and one on the A-pillar. It has an Illinois tag on it from 1982-83, being the last time it was ran. The interior is very nice. No wear or tares. It needs cleaned up and a new set of batteries. This car is sold as is, no warranty intended or implied. I am also taking offers on the car locally so I reserve the right to pull the car from the auction at anytime. It will need to be trailered at time of pick up. There is a reasonably low reserve on the car..