Archive for the ‘Autos & Transport’ Category
April 26th, 2009
The Podcar: A Cross between a Taxi and a Personal Bus
Stumble it!
Written byAmiel Blajchman, courtesy of Gas2.0
Masdar City, located within Abu Dhabi, is introducing personal rapid transit “podcars”. Basically, a cross between the convenience of grabbing a cab and a public bus; the podcars will be a component of Masdar City’s public transportation system.
As part of Masdar City’s car-free design; these podcars will be part of a network of electric taxis without drivers (!). The first of these podcars (also known as personal rapid transit - PRT) are set to debut this year.
According to Luca Guala, a planner at the consulting firm Systematica that designed the PRT network, it will:
Initially, the system will be very simple, with only a couple of stations. During this period, the system will function kind of like an elevator – you press a button and go to the third floor. Think of it as a horizontal lift. Later on it will be more sophisticated, and passengers will be able to get within 100 meters of any destination.
Since it is a prototype system, PRT is currently expensive to build. But, doesn’t it just scream “vision of the future”?
Image: Flyway Gotgatan via Flickr’s Media Commons
Popularity: 11% [?]
April 17th, 2009
Yahoo Choo-Choo! Obama’s High Speed Rail Plan
We are tickled pink to learn about President Obama’s new high speed rail plan for America. What better way to cut traffic, reduce our global warming contribution, AND create jobs? Yahoo for this Choo Choo Plan, we say.
The President is committing $13 billion to fund his plan. He’ll be using $8 billion from the existing stimulus plan and plans to allocated $5 billion over the next five years.
The plan identifies 10 corridors for federal funding, including California, the Pacific Northwest, the Midwest, the Southeast, the Gulf Coast, Pennsylvania, Florida, New York and New England. (For an illustrated map see this Wall Street Journal article.)
Read more about the plan at CNN.com here.
Popularity: 3% [?]
April 9th, 2009
Here Comes the PUMA: Electric Two-seater from Segway and GM
Just when you thought GM was a washed up brontosaurus, they come out with a pretty cool announcement. GM and Segway are teaming up to develop an electric two-seater called the PUMA. This small vehicle is for urban use– with a top speed of 35 miles per hour. And they say it can go for about 35 miles on a single charge.
The producers are comparing the vehicle to “an iPod on wheels” due to its revolutionary nature. (Wishful thinking?) The snappy little car comes complete with Internet connectivity and an electronic brain to drive by itself. They claim it can even find its own parking spot!
They plan to roll the PUMA out in 2010 but they have not yet announced a price.
Read more about the PUMA in this Marketwatch article and the Segway website.
Popularity: 5% [?]
April 3rd, 2009
Walk Score - How Does Your Neighborhood Rank?
One of the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint is to drive less, or even better get rid of your car all together. If you live in a city like San Francisco, New York or Chicago, this is a no brainer. In fact, you’re probably better off without the car - no worrying about parking, getting tickets, gas, or insurance, and in reality it’s usually easier and faster to walk or take public transportation. But what if you’re not in one of these cities, what if you’re in Denver, Portland, or even Los Angeles? Can you live without your car, or use it less?
A new website called Walk Score may just give you the boost you need to leave the car behind and set out on foot to reach restaurants, shops and other amenities.
Popularity: 3% [?]
March 26th, 2009
Hybrid News: Honda Insight a Bargain, Toyota Keeping Existing Prius
There are two important pieces of hybrid auto news today. First, according to Reuters, Honda Motors has announced the base price for their new Honda Insightat $19,800, which is 10% lower than the base Toyota Prius. Honda is positioning the five-door Insight as an economical alternative to the Prius, which has so far dominated the hybrid market. We welcome the competition and hope that this aggressive pricing will entice many buyers. But, is it just us or does the Insight look shockingly like the Prius?
Second, according to AP, Toyota Motors announced that it will continue to sell the current Prius even when the revamped version goes on sale in May. This is an unusual move, and is likely directly a response to the Honda Insight’s pricing. The 2009 Prius pricing starts at $22,000.
Let the hybrid wars begin!
Popularity: 4% [?]
