Boston’s Taxis to Go Completely Hybrid by 2015
Posted in Automobiles, Car, Green, Pollution on 3 September 2008

It seems that the automobile industry is really riding the wave of green change with glee as it is making the best possible effort to keep up with the changing world. The fact the crude oil prices are shooting up at the rate of knots and pollution levels are growing alarmingly combine to make sure that the world of vehicles and transportation has virtually no other option but to switch to green. It is the turn of Boston and its Taxi system to head in that direction by completely going hybrid.

The mayor of Boston, Thomas Menino, made a major step forward for urban transportation by proposing that all off the city’s taxis be replaced with hybrids by 2015. The progressive measure will significantly cut the city’s carbon emissions, and officials expect that within two years, 50% of the city’s 5,500 cabs will have been replaced with ones with hybrid engines that work like a charm.

While the beautiful city of San Francisco and ever active New York are already on that path and will get there by 2012, Boston is running behind as a close second for now. The move will also modernize the outdated Taxi System of the city giving a whole new look. Hopefully more US cities will jump on the green bandwagon and set similar targets for themselves.

Via  Inhabitat

Will be trucks to produce electricity
Posted in Renewable on 5 May 2008

The truck can generate clean energy while transporting the goods: the Californian Terry Kenney has devised a system that uses the kinetic energy produced by the passage of the “bestioni” on the road. By placing a series of tanks to plates with fluids comprimibili below the road surface, the passage of trucks would replace the “pump” to operate a generator connected to the side road.

The idea will be tested in early June in the port of Oakland: plates for trucks hold up to 82,000 kg, but are under study also projects to capture the kinetic energy produced by cars and trucks size smaller: the second the calculations made based on estimations of 2500 steps per day, the generator installed at the port will produce between 5,000 and 7,000 kwh per day, useful for about 1750 homes. Not bad for being a prototype.