Renew News » prius

125 mpg Plug In Toyota Prius!

Mark — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 04:18:01 +0000

The bar has been raised yet again. Lithium Technology Corporation out of Pennsyvania has released a new line of lithium batteries
that are “…the answer the automotive industry has been searching for.” according to their website.

The Future of Thongs has a great article on the new 125 mpg hybrid. Read it here.

Learn more about Lithium Technology Corporation on their website.

New Solar Roof for the Toyota Prius!

Mark — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 21:36:14 +0000

A company called Solar Electric Vehicles has put out what Prius owners have been waiting for: a solar roof panel. It apparently costs about $2000-4000 and will pay for itself in 2-3 years. Read a very nice article at TreeHugger.com.

Photo from TreeHugger.com

Also, check out the Solar Electric Vehicles site for more information.

The Holy Grail Accessory for the Toyota Prius: Solar Panels

Mark — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 06:38:54 +0000

This is the accessory that I have been dreaming about ever since we bought our Toyota Prius: integrated solar panels. Of course, isn’t this always the way it works? Now that I’ve found the product I’ve been hoping for, it is temporaily unavailable. I have emailed Solatec, and I will post any further info I get from them.

Solatec Roof Top Solar Panels of the Toyota Prius

“Greenest” and “Meanest” Cars: Top Ten list Released

Mark — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 05:39:27 +0000

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy released it’s annual list of “Greenest” and “Meanest” cars once again. Topping the list are well-known and highly publicized hybrids Toyota Prius and Honda Civic, but there are some other interesting appearances as well.

EPA/DOE Fuel Efficiency Ratings Posted: For Best AND Worst

Mark — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 05:38:24 +0000

The Toyota Prius was postd as the overall most fuel-efficient car by the EPA/DOE, but the most fun is to look at the lists of the vehicles with the worst mileage. Admitedly, if you are buying a Lamborghini you probably don’t care about efficiency, the environment, or spending money on something so trivial as gas, but the list is still pretty funny… and embarassing for those on it.

See it here.

Toyota Reads My Mind: Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles

Mark — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 04:52:45 +0000

I love it when a product I want that doesn’t exist yet suddenly appears on the horizon. My wife and I have the cruel ability of thinking of things we want about a year before anyone makes them, but this time Toyota is only a step behind me. They are talking about making a plug-in hybrid car.

When we bought our Prius one of the big selling points was that you don’t have to plug it in. From the get-go this seemed like a disadvantage to me. I want to have the option of plugging it in. Think of all the rechargable things you use everyday as it is. For me it’s: cell phone, ipod, razor, beard trimmer, portable speaker (for performing), batteries, and camera. What’s one more thing? Especially if it’s going to give me better mileage and cost less. Read the article here.

Calcars.org already promotes and offers plug-in conversion, and has a great article about the benefits and current progress of the Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) movement.

Hydrogen Fuel Cells: the Promised Land

Mark — Fri, 02 Jun 2006 04:59:01 +0000

A lot of people seem to be saying that fuel cells are going to be the future of automoblies, most notably and shockingly: the President, George W Bush himself. It seems too good to be true to me at the moment, but I’m slowly being swayed.

There is definitely some promise there, but the hydrogen folks have some hurdles to get over first. One of the biggest ones is where the hydrogen will come from. Up to this point everything I have read and heard pushes that problem off to be solved magically by technology in the future. It doens’t do us any good if we are using fossil fuels to make a fuel that is supposed to free us of the chains of fossil fuels.

My buddy Greg from www.yoyoguy.com turned me on to a site that actually deals with the problems as well as the benefits of hydrogen. They are the first to admit that the technology isn’t quite ready yet, but they are also the first I have seen (in my very limited research) who don’t talk about hydrogen in such glorious terms as to make it unbelievable. Check it out for yourself here. They are even realistic about hydrogen generation and propose that you do it yourself with solar. I have to say, it would be awfully nice to not have to pay someone else for your fuel. But then again, I’m still crossing my fingers and waiting for my solar car. With some luck, some help, and some solar panels, I’m hoping to make my Prius get closer to that goal.

Better Mileage (and cool tricks) From Your Toyota Prius

Mark — Thu, 25 May 2006 23:00:14 +0000

There is a new breed of hot rodders sprouting up these days: techies. All kinds of people are finding new ways to hack and modify their Priuses to make them have incredible mileage (100+ mpg) or do cool tricks (like maintain your 12V battery with a solar panel).
Read the CNET News.com article here.

Get your own parts and Prius mod kits here.

Even though most of these modifications are not really about renewable energy, conservation is an important part of the big picture. And besides, it’s only a matter of time until we have hybrid or full electric vehicles covered in solar panels.