Posted by Luke Tonachel in Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming
On Wednesday, U.S. EPA and DOT's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) held a public hearing in Detroit on recently proposed, first-ever national limits on global warming pollution from cars and light trucks and strengthened fuel economy requirements. The proposed...
Posted by Luke Tonachel in Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming
The past week and a half have been noteworthy in the passenger car tire world. Last week, California proposed tire efficiency ratings and today the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a proposal for a...
Posted by Luke Tonachel in Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming
Last week, California proposed a new tire efficiency rating system based on a tire's energy consumption during driving. Under the system, efficiency information on all tires sold in the state is collected in a public database and the most efficient tires...
Posted by Luke Tonachel in Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming
Did you know that some car tires are more efficient than others? It's true; some tires use less energy as they roll along the road and therefore make your car, minivan, SUV or pickup consume less gas. Fuel efficient tires...
Posted by Luke Tonachel in Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming
If the GM/Segway P.U.M.A. (Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility) vehicle were zipping around my neighborhood right now, I would expect to see it in the bicycle lane on 6th Avenue. The experimental two-seat electric vehicle isn't ready to join cars and trucks...
Posted by Luke Tonachel in Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming
The transportation sector is second largest source of global warming pollution in the US (contributing about a third of total emissions) and it consumes two-thirds of our daily oil demand. Those two facts make it essential to act now to...
Posted by Luke Tonachel in Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming
Yesterday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee proposed essential policies for cleaning up our fuel supply and reducing our dependence on oil. The proposal includes transportation fuels under an economy-wide cap and establishes a complementary, performance-based low carbon fuel standard....
Posted by Luke Tonachel in Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming
Today, the Obama Administration finalized fuel economy standards for model year 2011 cars and light trucks, which include SUVs, minivans, and pickups. This is a step in a process that could make the vehicles we drive each day dramatically cleaner....
Posted by Luke Tonachel in Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming
When I heard that President Obama was going to visit Southern California Edison's Electric Vehicle Test Center, I pictured him behind the wheel of a plug-in vehicle with a big smile on his face. He'd step on the accelerator, feel...
Posted by Luke Tonachel in Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming
In his speech to the nation last night, President Obama connected the dots between a healthy, vibrant economy and clean energy. He pointed out that our oil dependence continues to gravely threaten our security and economy, that our ill auto...
Posted by Luke Tonachel in Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming
Today, the Bush Administration announced that it will not issue final fuel economy standards for automobiles, leaving approval to President-elect Obama's administration. This gives the Obama administration an opportunity to move quickly under the nation's clean air and energy laws...
Posted by Luke Tonachel in Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming
Efficiency and other clean energy measures are sound investments for the near and long-term. I realize right now that it's hard to believe that sound investments exist. The financial center at Wall Street seems to be crumbling with the news that...
Posted by Luke Tonachel in Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming
Car shopping? Coming very soon in California is a handy new window sticker that makes it easy to choose the cleanest vehicles. It’s terrific in its simplicity; each car, SUV, minivan or pickup will get a 1-10 score on the...
Posted by Luke Tonachel in Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming
Tens of thousands of plug-in hybrid vehicles will start hitting the roads in 2012 due to last Thursday’s decision by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). In an update of the Zero Emission Vehicle program, CARB established plug-in hybrids as...
Posted by Luke Tonachel in Moving Beyond Oil , Solving Global Warming
As someone who has been enthusiastically watching and promoting plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, I was concerned that the headline of an article in USA Today (“Plug-in cars could actually increase air pollution,” Feb. 26) could lead to misperceptions about the...
