By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

Two years ago, Bob Lutz came to Seattle to tell us about the Volt. At that time I no idea Nissan was working on an electric vehicle and had never heard of the Leaf. Fast forward two years–both the Volt and the Leaf are very close to production and will be rolled out in a few states starting in December. But Nissan is getting a jump on the PR game by making their pre-production vehicles available to journalists. And for some reason they invited me to come drive one.

Continue reading after the jump!

Continue reading "Driving the Nissan Leaf" »

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

Factory Five Racing founder/owner Mark Smith has a new project–a high mpg mid-engined performance car based on the MK4 Golf. He’s building the first example right now in his garage, and it’s TDI powered. Kits will be available in June for $10,000. Check out Mark’s ride page for more details and pics. And become a fan of Smyth Performance on CarDomain!

By Michael Berenis

Tampa Sports Car Examiner

Going green is more than just a statement for the environment, it actually yields more power! Creating gains of 71 horsepower and 114 foot pounds of torque, Eddie Bello and his record holding Porsche 911 with 1,200 horsepower is going green with Ignite racing fuels. Read more about the green racing fuel at Tampa Sports Car Examiner.

By Michael Berenis

Tampa Sports Car Examiner

Appeasing to both the extreme supercar enthusiast and the green ideologist, Russia’s new hybrid supercar the “Marussia” is stunning in both appearance and technology. Loaded with all the goodies like Bluetooth, GPS, and 4G Yota network, the Marussia is the new staple of hybrid drive supercars. Read more about the Marussia at Tampa Sports Car Examiner.

By Jen Dunnaway

Editor

The green category seemed a little subdued this year, and there were a lot of cars we’d already seen during previous visits to SEMA. Still, that didn’t stop us from finding some real standouts in the zero-emissions, electric, hybrid, and alt-fuel divisions–showing that green performance is still alive and well. For one thing, there was the Corsa Motorsports hybrid-electric LMP1 car, which will be running a full series in the American Le Mans Series this year. And the Progressive Automotive X Prize contingent was out in force, vying for the $10 million prize in the race to build marketable ultra-fuel efficient cars–we thought the Saba Motors electric roadster was one of the coolest rides in this section. The LPG-powered ’56 Ford pickup was an absolute knockout with its candy paint, copper-lined engine compartment, and propane-powered 460 big block. That all-electric 1976 Porsche 912 took a more subtle approach to vintage green, looking refined and flawless following its concours-level restoration and EV drivetrain conversion. Then finally there was Factory Five’s new electric hot rod, a total show-stopper that handily lived up to the hype that’s surrounded it in recent months. Vote on your favorite SEMA green car, below!

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By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

Factory Five is bringing an electric powered ’33 Hot Rod to SEMA. According to Factory Five, the ’33 EV is “powered by UQM technologies electric drive and A123 Systems high-power lithium-ion batteries. It produces 300+ HP and over 660ft/lbs of torque in a 2400lb car and delivers a range of 100+ miles and 0-60 acceleration in an estimated 4 seconds! ” Can’t wait to see it next week, and of course we’ll have a ton of pics of the car right here in the CarDomain Blog!

By John Coyle

Deputy Editor

It probably shouldn’t bother me, but I tend to get kind of steamed when people tell me racing is boring. Seriously, there are people out there who will make that statement, and then in the next breath, start talking about how awesome watching soccer is. Obviously, these people are insane. But what really pisses me off is when folks start whining about how “wasteful” auto racing is, because the fact of the matter is that a lot of the technology that makes road cars safer and more efficient comes from lessons learned on the grid. Two quick cases in point? Well, the American Le Mans Series recently launched the Green Challenge, a set of rules designed to encourage the use of environmentally friendly technology, and NASCARs are already running on E85. For some great info on the future of earth-friendly racing, head over to Wired and read the great interview with Lord Drayson, the UK’s minister for science and innovation. He moonlights as a AMLS racer, and he’s got an awesome perspective.

By John Coyle

Deputy Editor

Anyone who’s been to Tokyo is immediately struck by two things. First, the living spaces in Japan’s capital make the Big Apple’s cramped domiciles look like a suite at the Trump Tower, and second, the city is at the cutting edge of technology. So while it’s not surprising that the city will be a test bed for electric taxi cabs, I was struck by how simply the city’s largest cab company and its partner, Better Place, are choosing to handle the problem of limited range. Instead of pouring tons of money into the research and development of a long-range cell, the pair is aiming to make a battery which can be swapped out quickly at stations around the city, so that a fresh charge would take about as long as filling a conventional gas tank. Pretty cool idea, huh? More over at Wired.

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

Last weekend NASCAR held a groundbreaking ceremony at Pocono for what should be the largest solar power facility at a sports venue in the world. The 25 acres of solar panels will cost $15-17 million to build out, but should pay for themselves over time. More at AutoblogGreen

By Ron Honig

WaytooFurious

I have always had an interest in alternative fuels. Don’t get me wrong, I am no tree hugger. However over time I have realized that there can be cheaper ways to power your car, rather than simply pumping it full of gas (petrol). For instance I have been running my Valiant on propane for 10 years. Before I converted it my weekly commutes cost me $100. The conversion cut my fuel bill in half! I commute by train these days, but hate to think what it would cost to do the trip on gas at today’s prices. That’s why I was interested to hear that the folks at Ohio University were conducting research to turn waste water into hydrogen. Apparently they convert waste water into ammonia which in turn is converted to hydrogen. As long as it’s cheap it sounds good to me. Get the full story here.