With gasoline prices currently on the rise, the popularity of electric transportation will continue to rise as well. While electric vehicles do alleviate problems both at the pump and with the environment, there’s more to consider when looking at the entire cycle of pollution than just the emissions from a vehicle’s tailpipe; China is the focus of a recent study that sheds some light on this issue.

A National Science Foundation funded study from the University of Tennessee shows that electric vehicles in China are charged by electrical grid sources mixed with about 90% coal, which according to Assistant Professor Chris Cherry, makes electric vehicles “more harmful to public health per kilometer traveled in China than conventional vehicles.” (more…)

If the Nissan LEAF didn’t already have enough shock value, consider this, the LEAF can now come with its own wireless charging pad. The pad will be offered as an option in Japan on the 2013 models (and in the U.S. and elsewhere sometime later). Instead of plugging in with a wire charger for a recharge, all you would have to do is simply drive the LEAF over a Nissan designed pad and your car’s battery will charge automatically.

This wireless charger operates by electromagnetic induction, drawing power from a recharging coil in the pad and feeding it into contacts inside the vehicle. In addition to being safer than plugging the vehicle into a socket, the charger offers great convenience to EV drivers. Owners can park their car on the pad, leave it over night and have a fully charged vehicle in the morning.

This innovative system will charge a LEAF in approximately eight hours and is roughly 90 percent as efficient in power transmission as a cable/plug-in system.  (more…)

VW Think Blue Beetle ecofashioned from trash …

On display at the Kala Ghoda Art Festival in Mumbai, Indian artist Haribaabu Naatesan (Hari) applied mukti to embody the Think Blue VW Beetle. The project is part of VW’s new Think Blue eco awareness campaign.

Hari applies the Indian religious concept of ‘mukti’, the liberation from the cycle of reincarnation, as a metaphor for his craft. While at the same time reusing and re-adapting physical materials, Hari notes, ‘what I do is give the material mukti. Whatever material I use, it remains art forever; (on the conceptual level) it is not recycled again.’

Hari transformed over 2805 pieces of scrap metal in the life-size ‘think blue beetle’. The car utilizes 800 spark plugs, 200 bottle caps, 60 mother boards, audio cassettes, speakers, cans, keyboards, typewriters, and hundreds of other materials.

The scrap material was collected by VolksWagen over the course of various cleanup drives. Hari then dismantled each object and segregated it by shape. ‘I see all objects as forms,’ the artist explains in an interview with the Asian Age newspaper. As Hari says, ‘so my mind is always open to thinking I can create this out of this form. In the ‘think blue beetle’ you’ll see that I have used old speakers for the headlights, a mouse for the indicator light. For the wheel caps, we sourced old gramophone records … the function (of the discarded object) isn’t important, I work according to the form.’

photo credit: Rushlane

via: designboom.com

This innovative little microcar is called the Hiriko – it’s small, has no doors, folds-up when not in use and looks like something right out of a science fiction movie. In reality, it’s been in the concept stage as the “CityCar” for nearly a decade. The car, which is the brainchild of the engineers and scientists at MIT-Media Lab, a division of MIT, is now slated to go into production in 2013 in Europe, and sometime later in the United States, by the European technology consortium, Urban. Production of the tiny electric vehicle is anticipated to reach an estimated 9,000 units by 2015.

The Hiriko microcar was designed to reduce traffic congestion and space concerns in major metropolitan areas. According to European Commission President José Manuel Durao Barroso “Hiriko is an answer to the crisis,” an urban population crisis that will see more than half the world’s population residing in cities by 2050 (a 70% increase). Barroso and experts from the European Commission imagine having Hiriko ‘fleets’ owned by cities, where the cars will be readily available and easily rented, much like bikes are in many cities today. Purchasing the car will also be another option and it will cost about $16,500.

Though very small, the Hiriko may have big implications in terms of urban mobility; it is so small that 3 of the microcars can fit in a single, typical car’s parking spot. The Hiriko is a four wheel drive, two-seater that reaches speeds up to 59 mph and will be electronically programmed to abide by city-specific speed limits. The car is powered by electricity and has a range of 75 miles. The car’s robot wheels can spin the car 80 degrees allowing to be parked straight to the curb, so hapless drivers everywhere can rejoice!

Take a look at the video produced by MIT to see why the Hiriko could be changing the way you commute.

Related: more electric vehicle featured on The Alternative Consumer

Remember how high the initial demand was for hybrid vehicles? Now the growing demand for pure electric vehicles (EVs), is making things even more hectic. It’s a good thing the number of electric car charging stations is rising too.

Nationwide there are currently twice as many charging stations (roughly 4,500) as there are E-85 ethanol stations, with the government finalizing a proposal to expand the number to nearly 14,000 in the near future. (more…)

The car industry continues to get greener – Ford Motor Company, through the use of REPREVE recycled plastic fiber, plans to keep about 2 million post-consumer plastic bottles out of  landfills. Ford and recycled plastic innovator REPREVE will use the recycled plastic fiber in new vehicles beginning with the 2012 Focus Electric – the first vehicle to feature branded REPREVE’s seat fabric made from a hybrid blend of recycled plastic bottles and post-consumer waste.

The companies will collect bottles at events throughout the year, beginning with the North American International Auto Show and Consumer Electronics Show and convert them into REPREVE recycled fibers.

Ford states that the Focus Electric is the first vehicle with interior materials made of 100 percent clean technology, including the use of REPREVE recycled fibers — seating in each vehicle interior uses roughly 22 recycled plastic bottles.

Note: Ford’s recycling program is part of an effort to raise awareness that only 29 percent of plastic bottles are recycled in the United States – only half the rate of Europe.

Source: Ford Motor Company

Related: more green car info on The Alternative Consumer

Note: for the purposes of this review Eco Touch provided us a complimentary Wash and Wax Kit.

The traditional driveway car wash uses an average of 20 + gallons of water and sends all manner of chemicals, soaps and non-biodegradable materials into lawns, storm drains and local waterways. A neat alternative – the Eco Touch Waterless Car Wash. Do the planet and your car a solid – try this waterless car wash product and wax. Eco Touch makes their car care products with natural, plant-based, biodegradable ingredients and they actually work. The Eco Touch products contain no parabens, phosphates, dyes or alcohol. A key to their car wash’s effectiveness is its combination of plant-derived surfactants that lift the dirt away from the car’s finish and Eco Touch’s micro fiber towels (machine-washable and totally reusable) that really suck up dirt.

The test: I recently waited until my car was appropriately grungy from sitting in an open air garage adjacent to our local commuter train station. (more…)

UPDATE: Thanks to Kia and everyone for participating. There were many worthy entries, but after much debate over who left the best Top 3 Green Tips, we have our official winner — Geoff K of New Hampshire. Congratulations and enjoy your Gaiam Gift Card! (original post follows)…

Want to win a $100 Gaiam Gift Card? Here’s how to enter this giveaway, sponsored by Kia.

As you may already know, we’ve been committed to becoming more sustainable and greening our lifestyles for the past several years. If you drive, one of the most effective ways you can reduce your carbon footprint is to opt for a hybrid car. Kia’s all-new Optima Hybrid is one a cool ride — save money by filling up less at the pump, and save the planet by using less non-renewable energy and causing less air pollution. A sporty sedan, it’s priced to sell (in the mid-$20,000s).

To enter this contest, simply complete the following:

• check out the lifestyle videos @ kia.com and learn about the design, technology & value of the 2011 Optima Hybrid
• then leave a comment on this post telling us how you optimize your green lifestyle with your Top 3 Essential Green Tips for those who are just starting to become “green”
• check out the Official Rules – (they may look a little intimidating but no need for concern – no waiver needs to be signed, and no likeness of you will be used – promise!)
• be sure to add m @ alternativeconsumer.com to your email address book – winner will be notified via email

A $100 gift card will be awarded to the person who we deem to be the most worthy. So give it your best. Generously sponsored by Kia, the $100 Gift Card is from one of our favorite green emporiums: gaiam.com.

Hurry, contest ends Monday, October 17, 2011, 11:59pm, EST.  NOTE: Contest is open to USA residents only. One entry per person. As always, we will not share your contact info or email address with anyone.

Toyota USA has announced the final 25 non-profits to receive a new Toyota as a result of their 100 Cars for Good giveaway. Five non-profit organizations were profiled on Toyota’s Facebook page for 100 days, with winners voted on and chosen by the public.

Each winning non-profit can choose a vehicle from the following models: Prius, Tacoma, Tundra, Highlander Hybrid, Sienna or Sienna Mobility. Toyota will provide a six-year, 100,000-mile Toyota Vehicle Service Agreement to provide extended protection beyond the vehicle warranty.

You can see the complete list of the 100 deserving organizations on Toyota’s Facebook contest page.