Jalopnik: Alternative

Saturn Vue Plug-In Hybrid On The Way

Wes Siler — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:00:00 EDT

Larry Nitz, General Motors' executive director for hybrid powertrains, speaking yesterday at the Plug-In 2008 Conference in San Jose, confirmed that the company is developing a plug-in hybrid Saturn Vue. The announcement comes as GM looks for ways to disseminate Chevy Volt-like technology through its other products. They're not telling when the plug-in Vue will be ready, but in the meantime, Saturn will launch a FWD two-mode hybrid Vue next year, and GM is also thought to be developing a plug-in hybrid based on the Saturn Flextreme concept.

Jalopnik Snap Judgement: Blah. We guess GM needs to do this to meet Corporate Average Fuel Economy Requirements and to give consumers an easy way to be "green." But really, is building a simple, lightweight car that gets decent economy really that hard? Heck, stick a two-mode hybrid in it if you have to, just don't try to tell us that SUVs can be economical. Someday, consumers are going to wake up to all this hypocrisy, GM better hope they're ready for the backlash.
[via Motor Authority]

What Bentley Believes: 17-Page CO2 Manifesto Has Been Read

Matthew DeBord — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:45:00 EDT

Bentley is refreshing. Their ultra-luxe, mega-horsepower sleds, favored rides of autocrats, royalty and rap tycoons, are such a specialized product that the Craftsmen of Crewe can pretty much reduce their whole climate-change/fuel-scarcity strategy to a question of customer relations. I promised I'd read the white paper on global warming etc. the company handed out at their New York Auto Show press conference yesterday—also available on Bentley's website—and now I have. Dry? To be sure. Wonky? Yep. But on the heels of the company's announcement at the Geneva Motor Show that it's going to seriously cut CO2 output by 2012, worth checking out.

Some of the highlights:

Life Is Better With Wheels: "It is...clear that mobility is becoming a fundamental component in perceptions of today's quality of life."

Bentleys Are Irrational: "As a luxury performance brand, the reasons for purchasing a Bentley are based on a more emotional than rational need for transportation."

Emergency!: "As this document makes clear, the world is facing a potential crisis over climate change and access to energy."

Upshot is that Bentley is putting its money, it heaping piles of money, behind FlexFuel. But not really first generation biofuels, which because they are derived from crops that people need for food has caused, as the report points out, riots. They are basically endorsing second-generation biofuels, made from ~~heaps of decomposing filth~~ waste products. Later, the situation will get completely kick-ass, when we brew up all our biofuels from farmed ocean algae, and also drive FlexFuel Bentleys in a future in which their is no sickness or war and we all live to be 317.

But you know what? We approve of this high-ground-taking on Bentley's part. Leadership! Even if they persistently remind us that emissions generated by Bentleys amount to the equivalent of "two cans of Cola in an Olympic sized swimming pool"—in other words, not very dang much, when compared to other carmakers. Of course, that's a bit of a bogus claim when you consider that Bentley might not even exist were it not for the global auto industry.

BBC Discovers Air Car, We Chuckle At Fill Up Procedure

Ben Wojdyla — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 14:30:00 EST

We heard about the Tata backed and French developed Air Car back in January and are intrigued by the brilliantly simple concept. It seems the Beeb has caught wind of it too and recently ran the coverage you see above. The numbers on it are pretty exciting for something running like an air compressor with its valves reversed. A top speed of 110 km/h and a range of 200 km makes it seem almost useful. Predictions on production dates are to be taken with a grain of salt, but claims of the end of the year are bandied about. Wonder if it will be an available option on the Tata Nano?

Daryl Hannah's Biodiesel El Camino For Sale, Our Heads Explode

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 11:15:00 EST

While someone named Daryl selling an El Camino isn't usually news, it is when it's Daryl Hannah's matte black Biodiesel El Camino. World colliding man. Worlds colliding. The Chi-town native, actress and environmentalist will gladly sell you this factory diesel bio-conversion, along with the "fueling station" (read: storage drum and filter) and a guide to finding biodiesel in your area. WANT! It goes on sale later this month, but no price yet. Oh, and she's also selling a biod "ranch biobeast" for the low price of $14,999. Full pics and spelling error-filled details below (we're not hating, in fact we think her spelling matte black "matt black" is a sign she secretly likes us):

The El Camino

special secret surprise!!!
the baddest assest biodiesel "el camino" ever
with your own b100 biodiesel pump + station!!!

uh huh...
that's right...
the original black beauty biodiesel el camino
run on b100 sustainably sourced biodiesel
this super stealth flat matt black el camino hasn't seen a lick of petroleum + has been my daily driver 4 several years
one of the few diesel el caminos ever made
factory diesels r super hard 2 find
(they only made a few hundred in 83' +84')
it's fully smoked + tinted by a custom shop
it gets pretty decent gas mileage cause it's not so heavy
5.7l gm diesel, automatic, cruise control ac, pb, ps,
139,000 miles
i love it soo much + I wanna share the love
(u know i'll find another one 4 myself)
+
it comes with a basic oh so easy home fueling station -
if you have room 4 a trash can - you have room 4 your own gas station!
easy instructions included
a 55 gallon super lightweight storage drum - a hand pump + filter
with unique quick release fittings that take the hassle out of threading etc.
so easy I can do it myself all dressed up + no mess
+
we'll give you a resource guide 2 finding the most sustainable b100 biodiesel source near you!

2 see more about bio-diesel + the el camino -
(go 2 dhlovelife bio-diesel vlog#1)

so get up and get off the fossil fuels!!!
xo
daryl
Sale info will be posted on Dec. 20th. Keep you eyes open!

The Ranch BioBeast

ranch bio-beast!!!
meet tomcar....
isn't he cute?
this tough buddy will + can do almost anything you need on the ranch
a sandrail (think baja 1000), mule hybrid
the tomcar is workhorse extraodinaire
+ it runs on b100 biodiesel
(sustainably sourced - the only kind we like )!!!

25 mpg - up to 250 miles fuel range
(with optional 2nd tank).
the highest safety profile - like a roll cage on wheels
designed for 300hp but powered by 35...
seamless frame + roll cage welded as one unit.
safety fuel tanks, racing regulation 4 point seat belts.
very low center of gravity
+ long suspension travel makes the tomcar extremely safe 2 drive
for all skill levels
towing capacity - 2500 lb, up to 100% cargo payload (on TM5 models).
3 cyl turbo diesel running on b100!

street legal (low speed vehicle)
built to do the toughest jobs ever imaginable
+ made in the u.s.

(h/t to Rafael) [Camino & Ranch Beast]

Tesla Nixes Battery Deal, to Focus on Not Building Cars

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 13:00:00 EDT

Tesla Motors' plans to sell battery packs to Norwegian company Think Global has been put on hold as the company plans to focus on shipping cars to the 600 people who paid a lot of money and still have nothing to drive (except a fleet of other cars, presuming they're very wealthy). It was hoped this deal would help Tesla diversify and maybe gain a little income to help with the cost of producing cars, but the cost and effort of producing the batteries interfered with the idea that they would make cars, which has been delayed until 2008. It's a great business model. Maybe they should just call the car the Tesla Motors Vista Leopard Roadster. [Greentech Media]

Plug it in, Plug it in: NorCal Families to get Plug-In Hybrids

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 11:30:00 EDT

Transit planners at UC Davis and AAA will be giving away 100 hundred plug-in Toyota Prius hybrids to families chosen from the AAA database. Like other plug-in vehicles we've seen, these can get 100 MPG and are blind crushingly quiet. Testers will only get to try out the cars for eight weeks and will be constantly asked how they're liking them, to which they'll predictably reply: "It's so quiet" and "I don't have to put as much fuel in the car." The ultimate goal is to get people to think they could drive plug-ins by giving them plug-ins. Brilliant![SF GATE]

'35 Ford Ute's LP Gassed Thunder From Down Under

Davey G. Johnson — Tue, 26 Jul 2005 13:40:24 EDT

Australia: the land that bequeathed onto us such treasures as Radio Birdman, The Saints, The Celibate Rifles, and Steve Irwin. When most of us think of hot Australian cars we think of Ford Falcons or Holden Monaros blasting across the Outback. And of course, we think of El Camino-esque, still-in-production Utes, wishing they'd follow the GTO to the States. But older utes are much like '30s and '40s American pickups, and as such, they're really responsive to classic rodding tricks.

20 year-old Steve Jones (not the Sex Pistol) and his dad built this neat little rod from a rusty hulk his father picked up from a friend. It took the Joneses 4 years to build the truck, as he had to pay for all the parts and only had a part-time job at the time. The LPG-fueled 283 feeds into a TH 350 and out to a Chrysler rear end. The interior features bits from Saab, Holden and Nissan, while the stereo pumps out 640 watts of good will. Body mods include a 2-inch chop, alumium hood side panels and a one-piece bonnet, and it's all coated in PPG Orange Pearl.

Just the ticket for cruising for Sheilas or haulin' a load of shrimp to the barbie. (We need some new Australian clich s. Can somebody help us out, please? Anybody? Bueller?)

Fair Dinkem, Mate [Custom Classic Trucks]