The city of Ann Arbor MI recently announced plans to to replace their entire transit bus fleet with hybrid versions as the fleet is turned over in the next few years. On Wednesday, they took delivery of the first of fifteen buses that will enter…

Over the past several years, numerous designers and architects have worked on the problem of what to do with the millions of metal shipping containers that come into this country every year from places like China. Since we don't actually make much in…

Not long after Toyota took up the stake in Subaru that was formerly owned by General Motors, the two companies agreed to work together to add hybrid power-trains to the all-wheel-drive specialist's lineup. The problem is that the unique layout of the…

There are already a variety of types of continuously variable transmissions on the market, including the well-known variable pulley and belt type used by companies like Honda, Suzuki and Subaru. Australian Steve Durnin thinks he has a better idea.…

There are many reasons why small, fuel-efficient cars often sold poorly in the US market from the mid 1980s until relatively recently. Cheap gas was certainly one very important reason. Once the memory of the last energy crisis of the 1979-80 period…

Nanomaterials are all the rage in battery chemistry these days, with both A123 and Altairnano relying on the tiny particles to improve the performance of their cells. Scientists at the Argonne National Laboratory are now testing adding manganese to…

One of the most persistent questions around the Chevrolet Volt – aside from whether or not GM will be around long enough to build it – is the fuel economy rating. The problem arises from the unique combination of plug-in electric drive and internal…

Nissan Leaf EV – Click above to for high-res image gallery
For those of you who aren't quite sure if an electric vehicle is something you can live with, you'll have an easier way to find out early in 2011. According to The New York Times, Hertz – the…

With the energy bill that was passed by the House of Representatives last week currently stalled in the US Senate, Democratic leaders are working feverishly to modify the legislation. Last Friday, a procedural vote to end debate and get a vote on the…

Ford has added two more platforms to its lineup of commercial vehicles available with a factory-installed preparation kit for either compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied petroleum gas systems (LPG). The F-450 and F-550 chassis cabs can now be…