Photo: Times of India

Over the years, the Pope has been driven around in quite a few different vehicles, which most people refer to as the 'Popemobile.' The last time the Pope visited the United States, for instance, his ride was a modified Mercedes-Benz M Class SUV which had been specially modified to accommodate his needs. In fact, Mercedes-Benz has a long history of creating vehicles specially for the Pope, and now Piaggio has joined in as well. Piaggio's contribution, though, features just three wheels and is made from the rickshaw platform which is popular in India, where the vehicle was created.

According to Ravi Chopra from Piaggio's Indian subsidiary, "These vehicles were given a complete look and feel of a Popemobile by putting a white coloured hood, white tyres, seat upholstery, and white body paint. The insignia on the doors is specially handcrafted. The entire vehicle was given a complete unique decor to suit the aura of His Holiness." Piaggio hopes that Pope Benedict XVI can find a use for the vehicle at the Vatican, perhaps when touring the gardens.

[Source: Times of India]

This being the 4th of July, we would like to bring you a story about the power of the people (and possibly their elected representatives) in a democracy. You may remember a story we did a few days ago about the gov'ment, specifically the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), putting the big freeze on solar power projects on land it controls in six Western states until a programmatic environmental impact statement (PEIS) was completed. We told you they wanted input from the public and apparently they got an earful and because of the "concerns expressed", they have announced a sudden reversal of the moratorium policy.

In researching this story we learned it wasn't just outraged citizenry that took action on the issue. According to KVBC in Las Vegas, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, who had just attended the opening of a solar manufacturing plant in that city, had vowed to have the moratorium reversed this year upon hearing about it. Other reports have the senator saying it was wrong, "especially when you consider that, as we speak, tens of millions of acres are leased to oil companies for drilling."

So now that we're back to "game on" is everybody happy? Not quite. A politician in San Bernardino County, 1st District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt, has announced his displeasure (PDF). In a news release he stated, "At a time when we are trying to protect habitat, provide for recreation, maintain the expansive beauty of the desert while providing for responsible growth, not to mention the expansion of desert military bases, we cannot afford to surrender vast areas of public land to solar energy projects." We don't know the local politics of this district where 50 applications for solar installations have already been filed with the local BLM office, but think it interesting to note that commentors of an article discussing Mitzelfelt's position were under the impression that he didn't have as much concern for halting housing developments on desert land that were erected by a company they claimed was a campaign contributor to the politician. As always, we wonder what our own commentors have to make of all this.

[Source: UPI / Daily Press]

Everything old is new again.

A few years ago (can't find the link, sorry), we had a story about a service where people could pay now for way more gasoline than they needed (say, 100 gallons or more) and then this fuel would be stored for them somehow and would be available to them at a later date - most likely when the fuel price was higher. A new company, MyGallons, is now offering the same sort of deal. The US News & World Report is all over it.

One difference between MyGallons and previous fuel price lock deals is the wide availability of participating gas stations, over 200,000, according to the MyGallons site. On top of pre-paying for your fuel, you also need to pay $30 or $40 for the annual membership fee and the price you pay for fuel is "based on the current average price of self-serve regular unleaded gas in your home area," MyGallons says.

How does MyGallons make money? By taking members' money and investing it in oil and other energy companies, through those annual fees and through website advertising. Investing money back into the companies that make such big bucks off of high gas prices sure does seem like a vicious circle, doesn't it?

[Source: US News & World Report, MyGallons]

What choices do we realistically have when considering how to reduce our individual petroleum usage? Some people buy hybrid cars or scooters in an effort to cut down their fuel bills. Some carpool or take the bus to get where they need to go. Still others, though, take the horse.

Umm... sorry, the what?

Going back in time a bit, the horse was the most popular way to get around. When the modern car was first made popular, there were both horses and cars sharing American roads. It seems we could be headed that way again, at least if more people follow the example of a group of Washington State workmates. The group of people all work at the same dentist's office and decided that when gas topped four bucks per gallon that they would all get together and ride to work. And so they did. Police gave the riders special permits to ride in a pack down the road and the workers who didn't have horses followed on bicycles. Now, if we could just tackle that methane gas problem...

[Source: AP via Maryland Daily Record]

The gasoline or diesel that goes in the fuel tank is by no means the only petroleum used in cars. Oil is also used as a lubricant to keep all the metal parts sliding smoothly over one another. That lubricating oil needs to be changed periodically as it gets contaminated. Unfortunately a lot of people who change their own oil don't dispose of it properly, leading to contaminated soil and ground water. However, Green Earth Technologies has developed a new oil that isn't made from crude and even biodegrades very quickly. The motor oil is made from saturated fat from beef. After it's done lubricating your engine, you mix it with G-DISPOSOIL which breaks it down almost immediately in to something that can be poured onto the ground. The liquid can be consumed by bacteria in the soil which decomposes 90 percent of the oil within nine days. If anyone tries out G-Oil in their own engines, let us know how it worked out for you.

[Source: EcoGeek]

Click above for more images of the electric bike train

Recently, while searching the net for the most interesting forward-thinking ideas around, we stumbled across a design for an electric bicycle which works sort of like a train. Sure, that sounds confusing, but a quick glance at the pictures below will likely make the concept easier to understand. While we in no way believe that a device such as this would make any real dent in global emissions or congestion, we do think that the idea has some merit for cyclists. Consider, for example, how expensive tandem bicycles are. With a vehicle such as this, a single rider can go his merry way alone or attach extra helpers bikes as needed. Additionally, the electric machine is collapsible, which should make it easier to store when not needed. Pretty cool stuff from designer Jiang Qian in China. A quick glance at his accomplishments makes us believe we're not the only ones impressed by his work.


[Source: Coroflot.com]

Photo by ClevelandSGS. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

Angela Eversole thought she had it all figured out: she needed gas, and was alledgedly willing to give up a little sex to get it. Unfortunately for her, the deal she was setting up for "a $100 gasoline card and other gifts" was being watched by the police there in Fort Wright, Kentucky. She was arrested and charged with prostitution and, get this, for "doing business without an occupational license," according to the AP. She's pleaded not guilty. USAToday has more.

We knew that a green car could make a man a bit more popular with the ladies, but this is something else entirely. Who knew hybrids could promote moral behavior?

[Source: WLEX]

After Pittsburgh police noticed a Hummer (yep, a Hummer... what else?) sitting conspicuously close to a five-hundred gallon tank of gas at a golf course, the vehicle suddenly took off. Considering that the top speed of a Hummer is right around one-hundred miles per hour, we can safely say that the driver was giving it all he had in an attempt to get away. The high-speed chase ended as the Hummer smashed into a tree and rolled several times in a nearby parking lot. The eighteen-year-old-driver sustained leg injuries which required a hospital stay and will face charges after being deemed healthy.

Sixty-eight gallons of gasoline were said to be found missing from the tank by the golf course superintendent. To recap: this story is further proof that:

1. Hummers are very expensive to fill up.
2. Gas thefts are on the rise in the face of record-high fuel prices.

[Source: WPXI News]

The sky-high price of gas has hit some dealerships pretty hard. A perfect example of this is Moody Chevrolet in River Falls, Wisconsin which last sold a pick up truck sometime in February. While their truck inventory sits outside and waits patiently for new homes, the Moody brothers still need to sell something and that something now happens to be scooters. They might not have the profit margin of a Tahoe or an Avalanche but they don't cost nearly as much to stock either. They have sold 20 of the two-wheeled econo-cycles so far this year and suspect they could sell a lot more if they could only get their hands on them. Apparently, the scooter supply is as short as the demand for trucks is, well, non-existent.

According to the report from KARE11 there is one scooter on the premises that's not for sale. It's the red one that Mike Moody uses to get back and forth with while his Suburban sits in a garage at home. Because of its 45 mpg disadvantage, it only gets to come out and play when it's raining. Mike seems to have a good attitude about the situation though saying, "[It's] another mode of transportation and that's the business that we're in."

[Source: KARE11]

Chrysler's "Let's Refuel America" incentive was pretty soundly panned when it was announced in May. Consumer Reports did the math and agreed that getting gas for $2.99 a gallon for the next three years is not a deal. Customers apparently agree that the gas card incentive isn't worth it, since only about 5-10 percent of Chrysler buyers have opted for the promo (which locks out other options). Still, Chrysler doesn't have much else to offer these days, and so has decided to extended the promotion through July 31 rather than let this thing die a quiet death.

The bright side for Chrysler is that, the company claims, "The program continues to help improve showroom traffic and drive sales of the company's most fuel-efficient vehicles." Customers who bought Chrysler Sebring Sedans, Dodge Journeys, Dodge Calibers and Dodge Avengers were most likely to opt in to this deal.

Who's waiting for the program to be extended yet again in a few weeks?

[Source: Chrysler LLC]

A counter-terrorist exercise known as "Taishan 2008," took place yesterday in Jinan, Shandong Province, China. Among other things, the forces used Segways for transportation. As we've reported in the past, the Segway has become an increasingly popular way to travel now that gas prices have risen to record high levels in the United States. We've even seem some police forces using the urban runabouts and capturing criminals with them. Still, nothing we've seen in the past made us believe that somewhere in the world, the Segway scooter is being used by gun toting, armor wearing tactical defense teams. Seriously, is the Segway really the best choice for this type of operation?

Perhaps the T3 Mobile Defender would be a bit more appropriate. That machine has been specifically designed for police units and appears a bit more battle ready. Perhaps the advanced targeting system hooked to a non-lethal air gun would prove useful. Or maybe the S.W.A.T. team hopes to stun their opponents with disbelief to win the day.

[Sources: Engadget, Gizmodo]

Although this year's Isle of Man TT races have recently come to an end, many are already looking forward to next year's event. In 2009, for the first time ever, the normal races will be run alongside the world's first "clean emissions grand prix." The event organizers hope to prove that "being green does not mean being slow." Any vehicle which is perceived as being green, either by being powered by electrons or by carbon neutral fuels, is encouraged to enter to race on the 101 year-old racing circuit. Both two and three-wheeled vehicles are said to be allowable.

According to Environment Minister John Shimmin, "The Isle of Man has a great tradition in both racing and technological innovation. Combining the world's greatest road racing circuit with state-of-the-art clean emission technologies brings yet another fantastic first for the Island." Current plans call for three one lap races on Senior Race Day. That would mean that the green races would be held after the official TT race has concluded.

[Source: TTXGP]

Since Toyota, like other automakers doing business in the U.S., is currently unable to supply enough hybrids and other small fuel efficient cars to meet consumer demand, they are offering up other suggestions on how to conserve gas. Over on the Open Road blog, they have talked about hypermiling before but there is a solution that saves even more fuel and emissions. In a shocker for a car company, they actually suggest driving less.

As we've discussed before, there are plenty of ways to do just that. First of all, plan ahead. Instead of making separate trips to the store, to school to pick up the kids, and then to the soccer field, time things to make a single trip and plan the sequence to give you the shortest route. Go get a basket for your bike and use that for short trips to the store or a friend's house. If you have mass transit available, take the bus or train. Perhaps most important, just say no to drive throughs. Park the car and walk the 30 feet to get your burger or coffee.

[Source: Toyota]

In a particularly bleak sales month in June, there were some surprising numbers hidden deep in the sales reports. A month ago, sales of small cars like the Honda Civic, Ford Focus and Toyota Corolla all had record sales. All three of those cars had major drops in June, even though gas prices continued to rise above $4 a gallon. The main reason sales of those and other cars - including hybrids - dropped is that there simply aren't enough available. In general, car dealers try to keep about a 60-day supply of each model they sell in stock. That gives a buffer against supply interruptions and moderate increases in sales as well as providing a reasonable selection of option and color combinations for consumers.

Through April and May, sales of small cars were so strong that inventories of small cars were almost completely depleted. By the end of June, Toyota only had a 15-day supply of Corollas and 7-days worth of Yaris models. On the hybrid front, Toyota had essentially no Priuses or Camry hybrids in stock anywhere. At the beginning of June, (end of June figures aren't yet available) Ford had only a 24-day supply of Focuses while Honda had a 20-day supply of Civics. Automakers are scrambling right now to shift production capacity with Ford adding a third shift to the current Focus assembly plant while working on shifting the Explorer plant to Focus production. Toyota is also adding capacity for Camrys at its Princeton, Indiana plant and Honda is surely looking for more Civics as well.

[Source: Reuters]

Every month, our intrepid leader over at Autoblog crunches every automaker's U.S. sales figures and dutifully reports how well each brand is doing. This month continues the trend of fuel efficient vehicles recording record sales and closely mimics the trend of gas-guzzlers going down the toilet. The two brands which best seem to mark the turning of the tides, so to speak, are Mini and Hummer. Mini's brand of small, sporty and fun to drive coupe's 5,211 sales represented an increase of 40.5-percent over June of last year. Hummer's downward spiral also continues, as its 2,072 sales represent a 54.2-percent decrease from one year ago.

Honda managed to set a monthly record in June by selling a total of 142,539 vehicles -- an impressive 17.9-percent gain -- while its arch rival Toyota sunk 10.3-percent for the month. Part of this contrast in sales can be attributed to the fact that Honda does not offer any full-size trucks or SUVs while Toyota's sales figures are burdened by the huge Tundra pickup and Sequioa SUV. The Prius hybrid sedan, down 25-percent, continues to be plagued by supply issues, though demand for the fuel efficient vehicle remains very high.

[Source: Autoblog]