EcoInsomniac

Care about green/social issues? Want to stay on top of the green news about technology and things? Subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

In the past the ability to find a stylish green vehicle has not been so easy for us especially in the US.  You had a choice of a Prius or a Honda Civic and a few standard vehicles that got a hybrid thrown into them, but didn’t seem to get the MPG that the Prius or Civic was getting.  The times are changing though companies new and old are creating eye catching concepts both hybrid and full electric that will not only save you money on your gas bill, but help lower your impact on the earth.  Our current gas price hikes have hastened the publics yearning for these kind of vehicles and while I think unfortunately the price of gas has more of a pull for people then the environment does right now I believe it works out for everyone.  Here are some of the companies and the vehicles that I can’t wait to see:

The 2008 Tesla Roadster is actually in full production and if you haven’t seen one on the road you may soon.  Tesla’s Roadster gets an equivalent of 135 mpg and has a range of about 220 miles between charges.  At a price of $98,000 the car isn’t in everybody’s price range, but for those with the ability to afford the price will get a great electric sports car with a 0-60 mph time of just 3.9 seconds and top speed of 125 mph.  Keep your eyes peeled and let me know if you see one on the streets.

Chevrolet is working hard on the Chevy Volt and have been for a few years.  They’ve got an internal deadline which they’re hoping to have the car complete and in production by 2010.  The Chevy Volt’s drive train will be powered completely by electricity, but will have an E85 gas generator to keep the battery charged.  They’re expecting a range of about 600 miles while using the E85 to charge the electrical system, but for the first 40 miles a fully charged Volt uses absolutely no fuel.  The Volt is also going to be a plug-in so if you only use your vehicle 4o miles a day or so you could potentially drive it with out using any gas at all.  The best part about this vehicle I think besides the amazing range is the price goal which GM set at $30,000.

Toyota’s concept FT-HS aims to bring performance to the hybrid market with a goal of 400hp while still remaining fuel efficient at around 70mpg. It’s an exciting and stylish sports car with very aggressive lines and performance specs able to go from 0 to 60 in the 4 second range.  Toyota hopes to fit the FT-HS price between $30,000 and $40,000.  The word is that this concept car will make its debut as a production Supra in 2009.  I can’t wait as I’ve been a fan of the Supra ever since I was a teenager.I’ll admit it before last month I’d never heard of Phoenix Motorcars, but now that I have heard of them I can’t stop telling people about them.  They’re not sports cars or anything, but they’re electric vehicles that work and fit into the lifestyle most people in America live today.  That’s why I like them so much people are having a hard time switching to eco-friendly vehicles because they don’t like to change too much.  The Phoenix Motorcars SUV fits the mold as a great replacement vehicle for today’s SUV.  You can travel over 100 miles on a single charge and with the 250kW off board charger you can be fully charged in 10 minutes and ready to go or just plug it in overnight and let off peak electricity get your car charged and ready for your trip to work.  At $50,000 the Phoenix Motorcars SUV is in the price range of many of the current SUV drivers.

Related posts:

1. We need to get over dieselphobia
2. Tesla Motors gives its Roadster a powertrain boost
3. Honda releases first hydrogen fuel cell vehicle
4. Progressive Automotive X Prize competition $10,000,000 prize purse
5. Friday night eco-week roundup