Although mass production and use of solar cars is still a long way off.  It’s nice to see that Toyota has taken the first steps toward the use of solar energy to replace fuel consumption on it’s eco-friendly Prius.

The solar panel roof option will be available this Spring, and will power a cooling system without power from the engine.  The solar panel will provide energy to a ventilation fan that will help keep the car cool on hot sunny days.

So it’s not as light as a feather but with a fiberglass body and aluminum chassis is pretty close. And yes, it really does run on air.

These stylish eco-friendly cars are taking the planet by storm, it seems we may see more “compressed air stations” popping up to replace the gas station.

Natural Resources: Canada, the United States Department of Energy and General Motors have joined together to sponsor a three-year collegiate advanced vehicle technology engineering competition.

With rising fuel prices and rising concerns for the environment more people from both nations are demanding more from their transportation sources.

View this video to learn more about the collegiate teams and the requirements they must meet to participate in the Eco Car Challenge.

2009 will bring in some pretty sweet new Green cars, including the new Volkswagen Jetta Sportswagon and the new Honda Fit.

The Jetta Sportswagon TDI will feature a Diesel Hybrid with both power and efficiency.

Saab is also revealing their new concept car the 9X Bio-Hybrid. It’s clear if the 9X will be out in 2009 but it’s clear that it will be a real contender in the Green market.

Are you getting confused by all the terminology in the Green car categories?

Want to know the difference between a Hybrid and a Hydrogen Car? What does a “solar” car look like? What kind of “engine” does an electric car have?

Watch this short video for a refresher course in what makes a car “green”.

For most people the idea of an eco-friendly car brings up images of stripped down not very visually appealing vehicles, but the cool Tesla is changing all that with it’s sleek designs, quick acceleration and long range driving.

The hefty $92,000 price tag keeps it out of the economy class but is still within the reach of the well to do environmentally friendly crowd.

Yep! That’s according to the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show. Watch this video to see why this vehicle was chosen among so many possible contenders.

Tell me what you think. Would this have been your choice for Green Car of the Year?

New York’s Fleet of Electric Taxis in 1897

Would you even consider that in 1987 car hire usa stateside could be green?

Petrol driven cars are seen as sexy and dangerous, depicted in films like the classic ‘Bullitt’ and the boy racer franchise ‘The Fast and the Furious 1,2,3,4 & 5’.

The funny thing is that electric vehicles actually predated their petrol headed cousins. After the decline of the horse and cart, the first electric cars were born to replace them and were popping up in Europe as far back as 1832. The very first electric cars were horribly crude, more like giant open boxes on wheels, but they began to build in popularity in Europe over the next few years and were seen as a main form of transportation for more affluent citizens. It wasn’t until the 1890’s that America jumped on the electrical band wagon and AL Ryker and William Morrison began to build their reputable models across America. However, the style of the cars still had that horse and cart feel to them.

Typical form of transport in the 1800’s

The style did not really stretch beyond boxy in 1970’s with the high sided square Zagato Zele electric cars.

Jumping forward to 2011, how much has the environmentally friendly hybrid and electric car changed? Well for one, the speeds have been much improved. The Tesla Roadster Sport can reach speeds of 102.89 mph in 12.643 seconds. The other worthy features are the use of the technology. Not only full electric cars powered by batteries but shared battery and fuel powered sources as well as hydrogen fuelled cars and a mix of the fuel cell and a lithium battery as used in Ford Airstreams.

But let’s get to what we want to talk about – how sexy are green cars in 2011? Well, there has always been a stab of sexy design and 100’s of concepts through the years. But this list shows you what is actually being created and the types of green vehicles out there.They won’t make a statement about how “right on you are or how much you care about the planet, but will instead make you look like a rich, vibrant in speed monster and…..sexy.

1. Telsa Roadster – £106,901

This electric roadster by Telsa has been talked about for the past year or so ever since the first photos of the car were released. Those more interested in the performance of a car of course would be impressed by its statistics; ie it has a carbon fibre frame, making the car much lighter and therefore requiring less power to reach those top speeds. It gets 0 to 60 mph in around 4 seconds and reaches a top speed of 125 mph.

 2. Venturi Fetish – $465,000

This beautiful car has the look of a concept car but it is actually moved from being a mere concept at the 2002 Geneva Motor Show to an on the road car. Top speed is less than the Telsa at 100 mph, the power is delivered by a lithium ion battery pack that gives 1 hour of charge and an extra 2 hours thanks to the on board charger.

3. Morgan – Concept begins testing 2012

Even if this is a concept, there is no denying that it is so beautiful and it is soon to be put into manufacture with electric engine technology company Zytek. The operations director of Morgan described it as “zero-emissions with near super car performance”. This is like something you’d expect a modern Sherlock Holmes driving – it’s slick, it’s got that typical classic Morgan look and it’s British.

3. Audi-E-Tron-Spyder – Audi still not releasing date or costs

Looking like something out of Judge Dredd this plug-in hybrid Audi is a force to be reckoned with. The back wheels are powered by a massive V6 diesel engine and the front by two electric motors producing 64kW. It is also said to hit speeds of 155 mph, making for a fast and hulking green machine.

5. Electric-Peugeot-ex1 –  release date 2015

This car has been described as having an evil Maserati-looking front grille. This full electric car is said to go from 0-60mph in 3.58 seconds, faster even than the Tesla if that’s true. The car is also said to reach a top speed of 160mph, has a 30kWh lithium-Ion battery and promises that the charge could get the driver 280 miles on one charge.

6. 918-spyder-hybrid – $845,000

For any die hard Porsche fans out there, this eco car will not let you down. The Spyder will go from 0-62mph in 3.2 seconds beating both the Tesla and Peugeot and it has a whopping top speed of 198mph. Add to this its 8 cylinder engine that delivers 500 horsepower and a lithium-ion battery powering all four wheels, this is an all wheel drive hybrid. The upside of this car is that it can be charged from a standard electricity socket.

7. GM Volt – $40,280

The GM Volt is a “range-extended” electric car and is scheduled for 2011. It should be able to drive 40 miles in all-electric mode before a gas engine kicks in to recharge the batteries. More information and photos about the Volt can be found here.

8. Lightning GT – £120,000

This is another British electric sports car in the mix. The Lighting GT with its carbon fibre body can go from 0-60 in less than 5 seconds. Yes, this is slower than some we have mentioned, but superb for an all electric car. It boasts that the car takes only 10 minutes to recharge so long as the charge is available. Pretty impressive.

9. Fisker Karma – $95,90

Much like the GM Volt, the Karma has an extended all-electric range of 50 miles, upon which the gas engine starts to recharge the batteries. It is described as a plug-in hybrid sports sedan and is beautifully designed with a solar roof that not only recharges the car but controls the cabin’s climate. It features a top speed of 125 mph and for those who are serious about its eco credentials the wood interiors are all salvaged timber.

10. Jaguar C-X75 – will go on sale 2013 –  £700,000 and £900,000

This one had to make an appearance. Most Brits are rather fond of the good old Jag and if anything can prove that green is sexy it’s the C-X75. The beautiful C-X75 has four electric motors – one on each wheel making the car a four-wheel drive. This power will propel the car from 0-60 in less than 3 seconds which means you’ll have saved the planet even before you’ve left to get your shopping. I thought I would add a few more up close and personal photos of the car that make you feel as if you have just been dipped into warm melted metal and chocolate all at once.

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Global warming is now a big issue and is being talked about in all parts of the world. There are a lot of people who are looking into being able to help reduce the carbon footprint that is left by the burning of fuel. A lot of people have realized that everyone needs to take part in saving the environment.

One of the biggest problems and contributors to the rapid deterioration of the environment is air pollution. The smoke that comes from combustion systems in vehicles, homes and other facilities release irritants and other pollutants in the air. These include but are not limited to carbon dioxide, sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides that can be harmful to the environment including your health. So a lot of people have been setting up talks about cars and the environment. They are determined to be able to help increase awareness when it comes to cars & the environment and how you can be able to help decrease the carbon footprint you leave with your car. There are some groups who are pushing for more eco-friendly cars to be manufactured and released into the market.

If you are wondering what the connection is with cars and the environment, well, you have to know that the pollutants that are released from the smoke that comes from the burning of gas greatly affects the ozone layer. The ozone layer protects you from the scorching rays from the sun that bring ultraviolet rays. Ultraviolet rays can cause skin cancer. The destruction of the ozone layer could also lead to the rapid increase of the temperature in the atmosphere.

Since a lot more people have been aware about the dangers that concern cars and the environment, more and more consumers turn to using eco friendly vehicles. These vehicles do away with the use of fossil fuels and use other forms of fuel. These alternative power sources are bio-diesel, ethanol, electricity, fuel cells, natural gas and hybrid. Some of these options may cost a little more than regular cars. And the balance between efficiency and financial costs depend on where you actually live in. If you live in an area where there is high production of corn, barley or wheat, you can choose to use ethanol powered vehicles. The plants mentioned are used to manufacture ethanol.

Bio-diesel is another increasingly popular alternatives promoted by those who are concerned about their cars & the environment. The fuel is manufactured from vegetable oil. This fuel works best for places that have a constant temperature to work with the whole year round. This is because when the temperature drops, the oil will solidify and therefore, could not be burned properly.

Lastly, hybrid vehicles are those cars with two power sources: batteries and gas. The system will help you save a lot of money when it comes to fuel consumption and expenses as you can switch to battery power when you are stuck in traffic or when you are running on low speeds. The idea here is to be able to increase the efficiency of the engine while reducing the carbon emissions from the vehicle. However, you can expect to spend a pretty penny for the car since the technology requires a huge amount of money.

In these two videos Tom Hanks shows you his own electric cars. Both will get you close to 100 miles on a single charge and both were converted from gas to electric drive trains.

Love that he proves you can have an electric car and not sacrifice the amenities like air conditioning and power windows.