Monthly Archives: May 2006

VW forced to drop small diesel models in 07, but their big SUV diesel rides on

Posted on May 30, 2006 by paul kuehnel

Due to new federal emissions standards that take effect this fall, Volkswagen of America will lose several models. Diesel versions for the Jetta, Golf and Beetle will be dropped this fall for the 2007 model year.

Posted in All posts from the start, Diesel, Oil Machine/politics | Leave a comment

Those amazing men and their green machines

Posted on May 27, 2006 by paul kuehnel

I recently had the privilege of spending a couple days with Jeff O’Brien while documenting his barn building with a photo package and video. Jeff O’Brien moved a barn 9 miles with a 1991 Ford F-250.

Posted in All posts from the start, History, Innovation, MPG | Leave a comment

The arrival of a SMART car

Posted on May 23, 2006 by paul kuehnel

Made popular by a chase scene in the movie “The Da Vinci Code,” the SMART car made by smartUSA, a division of Mercedes-Benz LLC, may soon be more accessible to consumers. The company Zap is seeking interested people for dealerships … Continue reading →

Posted in All posts from the start, Innovation | 5 Comments

Redefine car ownership

Posted on May 20, 2006 by paul kuehnel

Hourcar.org is an innovative way to have access to a car from a Minneapolis nonprofit affiliated with the Neighborhood Energy Connection that redefines consumer cost, pollution and congestion in an urban setting by creating a pool of member owned cars.The … Continue reading →

Posted in All posts from the start, Human Power, Innovation, Public Transportation | 2 Comments

New Hybrid from Honda comes with a new American factory – Insight dropped

Posted on May 17, 2006 by paul kuehnel

Honda Motor Co. will add a dedicated hybrid vehicle to its Honda-brand lineup in 2009. The vehicle will be “suitable for family use” and will be priced below the current Civic Hybrid, says Honda CEO Takeo Fukui. autoweek.com Honda is … Continue reading →

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Join the HOV club, but watch out for angry people

Posted on May 15, 2006 by paul kuehnel

Starting today, hybrid vehicles can travel the New Jersey Turnpike’s HOV lanes. This follows a trend by other states like Virginia and California to allow solitary drivers with hybrid vehicles in lanes traditionally reserved for carpools.

Posted in All posts from the start, Hybrid, Tax incentives | Leave a comment

Hydrogen, it’s the same stuff your grandfather used in the zeppelin

Posted on May 14, 2006 by paul kuehnel

When I think of hydrogen propulsion, the first thing that comes to mind is a flaming, cigar-like object in an old black and white photograph from 1937 over Lakehurst, N.J., accompanied by a scratchy soundtrack of people in terror. Of … Continue reading →

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The Hydrogen Road of Norway

Posted on May 11, 2006 by paul kuehnel

While in Pennsylvania, we can take advantage of huge rebates on big SUVs that aren’t selling… there is a unique Norwegian joint industry initiative about to begin to demonstrate real life implementation of hydrogen energy infrastructure along a 360 mile … Continue reading →

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The Scuderi Air Hybrid Engine

Posted on May 8, 2006 by paul kuehnel

An interesting twist on the internal combustion engine, the Scuderi Air Hybrid Engine will debut their designs tomorrow at Engine Expo 2006 in Stuttgart, Germany. The company line goes… for more than a century engine manufacturers haven’t done much to … Continue reading →

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Pennsylvania is in the top ten for hybrid registrations

Posted on May 7, 2006 by paul kuehnel

R.L. Polk & Co., a marketing firm that collects and interprets automotive data, lists the top ten states with the most registrations of hybrid vehicles for 2005. The states, registrations, and percentage, are: 1. California 52,619 26.4 percent 2. Florida … Continue reading →

Posted in All posts from the start, Hybrid | 4 Comments

Politicians Disconnected – What they are driving

Posted on May 6, 2006 by paul kuehnel

I have always been amused by the amount of fuel needed to get politicians to energy related press conferences and media opportunities to promote technology that conserves fuel. Funny excerpts from Washington Post Columnist, Dana Milbank: “Since George Bush and … Continue reading →

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Using laptops to start cars

Posted on May 5, 2006 by paul kuehnel

The Prius uses a keyless lock and starting system. When you start the car, you are telling the computer to boot up much like turning on your PC. BMW also uses a keyless starting system. Car thieves are using laptops … Continue reading →

Posted in All posts from the start, Hybrid, Innovation | Leave a comment

Find the cheapest gas in York

Posted on May 2, 2006 by paul kuehnel

Crude pushes up past $74 a barrel as I am writing this, you can bet gasoline will follow in real-time. Here is a bit of high tech repackaging of information to help you find the best price at the pump.

Posted in All posts from the start, MPG | Leave a comment