green transportation

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Green Joyride Sours for Paris' Rental Bikes

Vandalism, theft hurt pioneering program

(Newser) - A public bicycle-rental program launched in Paris in 2007 amid green good feeling has found reality to be a rough ride. Locals and tourists alike get unlimited access to Vélib’s fleet for about $1.50 a day, but some 80% of the $3,500 bikes have been stolen...

Monthly Fee May Pave Way for Electric Car Boom
Monthly Fee May Pave Way for Electric Car Boom
ANALYSIS
Dec 24, 2008 8:05 PM CST

Monthly Fee May Pave Way for Electric Car Boom

Developer strikes deals with countries, cities for broad charging infrastructure

(Newser) - An Israeli entrepreneur bets you’ll be willing to pay to fuel up your car like you pay your monthly cell phone bill. If Shai Agassi is right, Jim Motavalli writes in Yale Environment 360, it could be the charge electric cars need to succeed. Partnering with nations, cities, and...

US Slow to Hop On Global Biking Boom

Countries that encourage self-propelled commuting see benefits instantly

(Newser) - The US remains uninspired by nations that have prodded people to save money by biking to work, the Washington Post reports. Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands installed infrastructure years ago to benefit bikers and discourage cars, but America—along with Canada, Australia, and Britain—have not. "It is very...

Retro Moped Slow, But Efficient—and Cool
 Retro Moped Slow, 
 But Efficient—and Cool 
PRODUCT REVIEW
Aug 5, 2008 2:32 PM CDT

Retro Moped Slow, But Efficient—and Cool

Velosolex has old-fashioned charm ... and engine

(Newser) - The Velosolex S4800 motorized bike sports plenty of retro charm—and technology. Its incredible gas mileage (150-200 mpg) makes as much sense today as in postwar Paris, but the two-stroke engine is also a weakness, Jonathan Welsh writes in the Wall Street Journal. The Velosolex generates 0.80 horsepower and...

GM, Utilities Join to Speed Plug-Ins

Three-dozen utilities agree to help integrate electric cars with their grids

(Newser) - General Motors and three dozen electric utilities in nearly 40 states have agreed to work together on the transition to plug-in electric vehicles that are expected to begin rolling out within 2 years, the Wall Street Journal reports. With GM’s Chevy Volt and Saturn Vue  expected to hit the...

NYC's Taxi Fleets in Race for Hybrids

Fall mandate means a rush to replace 3,000 taxis a year.

(Newser) - The Big Apple's unprecedented plan to turn its famous yellow cabs green could run into an old-fashioned supply-and-demand problem this fall, USA Today reports. Starting in October, the city is requiring that any new replacement cabs be hybrids. But the transition may be difficult because gas prices have triggered a...

Why Everyone in Berkeley Owns a Prius

Development of green political clusters starts at the beach

(Newser) - Nowhere in California is the power of green consumerism more apparent than the Prius-packed city of Berkley. The Economist takes a look at a "greenery by zip code" study that, somewhat unsurprisingly, places Palo Alto near the top and Bakersfield near the bottom of locales packed with certified green...

Railroads Hopping Aboard Green Marketing Trend

Train pushed as eco-friendlier option—and environmentalists are conceding the point

(Newser) - Often maligned as noxious-fume-spewing bad citizens, railroad companies are hopping the green train, the Wall Street Journal reports. Campaigns by Norfolk Southern and CSX tout clean-burning diesel engines that "can move a ton of freight 423 miles on a single gallon," and Union Pacific claims diverting 25% of...

Green Cars Race for Funding
Green Cars Race for Funding
Dec 9, 2007 3:12 PM CST

Green Cars Race for Funding

Hydrogen and hybrid electrics are competing to replace gas

(Newser) - Makers of two green technologies—hydrogen fuel cells and plug-in electric hybrids—are racing to become the alternative energy of choice for buyers thinking beyond gasoline. They are competing for public attention, space on manufacturer’s production lines, and federal support, reports the Los Angeles Times. Electric cars,like Toyota’...

Car Sharing Firms to Merge
Car Sharing Firms to Merge
Oct 31, 2007 5:26 AM CDT

Car Sharing Firms to Merge

Zipcar and Flexcar to merge into 50-city, 5,000 car network

(Newser) - Car-sharing firms Zipcar and Flexcar will merge this week under the Zipcar brand, which has the largest network of the two. The firms, both 7 years old, rent cars by the hour, rolling gas, insurance, parking, and maintenance costs into a $7-$15 hourly rate and an annual membership fee. Cambridge-based...

Sarko: France to Go Green
Sarko: France to Go Green
Oct 25, 2007 7:10 PM CDT

Sarko: France to Go Green

French leader is optimistic about a cleaner future

(Newser) - Nicolas Sarkozy called for a greener France today, including higher taxes on polluters, a 50% reduction of pesticide use, and the eradication of genetically modified crops. The French president spoke at the close of a national environment summit that counted Al Gore in attendance. But the conference failed to generate...

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