Free Republic

Oregon is about to embark on a first-in-the-nation program that aims to charge car owners not for the fuel they use, but for the miles they drive. The program is meant to help the state raise more revenue to pay for road and bridge projects at a time when money generated from gasoline taxes are declining across the country, in part, because of greater fuel efficiency and the increasing popularity of fuel-efficient, hybrid and electric cars. Starting July 1, up to 5,000 volunteers in Oregon can sign up to drive with devices that collect data on how much they have...

My notebook computer is dying and needs replacement. I like the idea of replacing it with a tablet/laptop hybrid, as I can think of a number of ways to make my life more productive if I could use both. I go out to jobsites and gather information on paper, then bring it back and enter it into the computer and produce reports. Seems to me the info could be entered into a tablet and skip a step. I also do a fair bit of work with graphics and such, but for that I normally hook up to a large monitor...

Live in California and looking for more money in your wallet upon purchasing a green vehicle? The state’s legislature just might make that wish come true. The Los Angeles Times reports a bill sponsored by Assemblyman Phil Ting of San Francisco would reduce the sales tax on so-called clean vehicles from 7.5 percent to 3.06 percent. The reduction would be applied to EVs, PHEVs, FCVs and CNG-powered models. Should the legislation become law, over $92 million in tax revenue would disappear between 2016 and 2020, when the law rides off into the sunset; the figure is based on 60,000 PHEVs...

Chris and Ellie Eichman’s electric car gleams — even on this overcast day — in the backyard of the modest home they share with their nine-month old daughter. They did tons of research before deciding to purchase a Nissan Leaf in 2012. It was the first sold in Wisconsin. And it’s just one of the Eichman’s “sustainable” investments: 12 solar panels span the garage roof; their second car is a Prius. If Wisconsin’s governor and legislature give the transportation budget a thumbs up, the Eichmans would pay an annual transportation fee — $50 for the Prius, another $50 for the...

Help save the Planet.

Chevrolet Chief Marketing Officer Tim Mahoney told the industry seminars in Traverse City, Mich., that General Motors will show the next-generation Chevrolet Volt at the Detroit auto show in January. But he also told me that GM considers Volt “not a mass-market” vehicle any longer. The next generation of GM’s groundbreaking plug-in hybrid is expected to arrive in showrooms sometime late next year. It will sport a third seat in the rear and feature a downsized 1.0-liter, three-cylinder engine compared with the current 1.4-liter, four-cylinder engine, Automotive News reported. Mahoney promised the industry audience improvements from technology to design. But...

Three years ago, a security guard working for seed company Pioneer Hi-Bred came across something unusual on a road in Iowa: Just off the pavement, a man was on his knees, digging in a field. Challenged by the guard, Mo Hailong claimed to be an employee of the University of Iowa who was traveling to a nearby conference. He jumped back in his car and sped away. U.S. authorities would later accuse Hailong, and five other Chinese nationals, of stealing corn seeds and attempting to smuggle them back to China. A seventh defendant, Mo Yun, was arrested and charged Wednesday...

Toyota is hot on hydrogen fuel cells for its next-generation cars, but it’s not going cold on internal combustion just yet. The company’s R&D division has developed a Free Piston Engine Linear Generator that can convert gasoline and other fuels into electricity more efficiently than existing systems.

First deliveries of the Massachusetts-produced Terrafugia TF-X -a hybrid-powerd car/plane that can not just fly but do vertical takeoffs like an V-22 Osprey- begin in 2020...  pics/video at Reaganite Republican Unlike earlier, more awkward/gangly prototypes (and a model available in 2015 called the 'Transition' -a gasoline powered car-plane that requires a runway) the newer Terrafugia TF-X brings a more polished, handsome design that does a good job of tucking-in the wings for terrestrial travel mode. It's the first car-plane design I've ever seen that looks resolved and not 'silly' on the road, and it's new vertical takeoff -without any runway whatsoever- is a...

It’s almost upon us. The final eclipse of 2013 occurs this coming weekend on Sunday, November 3rd. This will be the fifth eclipse overall, and the second solar eclipse of 2013. This will also be the only eclipse this year that features a glimpse of totality. This eclipse is of the rare hybrid variety— that is, it will be an annular eclipse along the very first 15 seconds of its track before transitioning to a total as the Moon’s shadow sweeps just close enough to the Earth to cover the disk of the Sun along the remainder of its track....

The Cadillac ELR extended range electric luxury coupe will go on sale in January for $75,995, including destination charges. Derived from the 2009 Converj concept car, the ELR will have a driving range of more 300 miles between the dual fuel powertrain of an electric motor and a gas generator. The electric-only range is 35 miles, General Motors says, but once the battery loses power the 1.4-liter gas generator takes over to power the electric motor. If this sounds like the Chevy Volt, the other plug-in hybrid (PHEV) or extended range electric (EREV) produced by GM, it’s because the ELR...

NEW YORK (MainStreet) — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced last month the launching of the "eGallon" - a tool that will compare the costs of fueling electric vehicles (EVs) to fueling gasoline-powered ones. According to the report, the national average eGallon price is about $1.14. This means that an EV can travel as far on $1.14

The man who tried to make human-ape hybrids Ilya Ivanovich Ivanov was a gifted scientist, a dedicated conservationist, and a practical, grounded man who expanded everyone's understanding of animal husbandry. He also, for years, tried to make human-ape hybrids. The post-revolution USSR was a nation that wanted to wholly embrace new technology and progressive science while reinforcing traditional nationalistic pride. It's no wonder that Ilya Ivanovic Ivanov fit right in. He was a biologist who wanted to split his talents evenly between innovation and preservation. Ivanov got a lot of Soviet and international support because he'd been doing useful work...

the highlight of the Geneva show and one of the most widely anticipated debuts of all of 2013 is a car whose name translates to TheFerrari. And it's not a Ferrari LaFerrari. It's just LaFerrari. And no, it has nothing in common with Renault's Le Car, including an expected price of more than $1 million. Although the name of this supercar may not live up to that of its predecessor -- the Enzo, named for the founder of the company -- the performance specs definitely will.

Once seen as the future of surveillance, the Long-Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle has been terminated, InsideDefense.com reports. Is the military airship revival drawing to a close? UPDATE, 6:30pm Thursday: The Army confirmed that the LEMV airship project has been canceled. Here's the statement an Army spokesman emailed us: "The Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle (LEMV), a hybrid air vehicle, is a technology demonstration project administered by the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command. This project was initially designed to support operational needs in Afghanistan in Spring 2012; it will not provide a capability in the timeframe required. Due to technical and...

According to Toyota Vice Chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada, "Because of its shortcomings - driving range, cost and recharging time - the electric vehicle is not a viable replacement for most conventional cars; we need something entirely new." Uchiyamada is considered the "father of the Prius." An article by Reuter's exposes the limitations of EVs and focuses on Toyota's, along with Nissan's, change in strategy, which is now moving away from EVs. Even the most ideological and extreme green energy proponents and backers of the Chevy Volt will have to open their eyes to the sad truth uncovered by the latest report....

Hybrid car pioneer and “father of the Prius” Takeshi Uchiyamada says the billions poured into developing battery electric vehicles have ultimately been in vain. "Because of its shortcomings--driving range, cost and recharging time--the electric vehicle is not a viable replacement for most conventional cars," said Uchiyamada. "We need something entirely new." Uchiyamada’s comments come as the U.S. Department of Energy announced Thursday that the government is backing off President Barack Obama’s promise to put one million electric cars on American roads by 2015. As Breitbart News reported last September, there are just 30,000 electric cars on American roads.

•Peugeot Citroen invents technology for air car ready for the market by 2016 •'Hybrid Air' engine system runs on petrol and air, instead of electricity •Company predicts 'Hybrid Air' to achieve 117 miles per gallon by 2020 French car giant PSA Peugeot Citroen believes it can put an air- powered vehicle on the road by 2016. Its scientists say it will knock 45 per cent off fuel bills for an average motorist. And when driving in towns and cities costs could be slashed by as much as 80 per cent because the car will be running on air for four-fifths...

On a recent morning, Jack Luu parked his plug-in Toyota Prius in one of the most expensive lots at Los Angeles International Airport before flying off to a film shoot in Canada. The lot, where Mr. Luu leaves his car as many as 10 times a month for business trips, normally charges $30 a day. But when Mr. Luu returned home three weeks later, he drove out, as usual, without paying a dime. "That was a huge reason why I bought the car in the first place," says the 35-year-old Santa Monica, Calif., postproduction company executive, whose car qualifies for...

A new study by R.L. Polk & Co. shows that the overall percentage of hybrids sold into the new vehicle market has fallen from 2.9 percent to 2.4 percent over the past three years. Moreover, approximately two-thirds of hybrid owners who returned to the market in 2011 did not buy another hybrid. "Intuitively, you would expect the numbers to be higher, given how many hybrid vehicles are available in the market place today," Brad Smith, director of Polk's loyalty management practice, told us. Polk's study revealed that only 35 percent of hybrid owners chose to purchase a hybrid again when...