While the world has been heaping praise upon hybrid technology for its mileage-boosting properties, a forgotten and alienated alternative has quietly been evolving with even more impressive green numbers. I’m speaking of diesel engines, of course, which, up until a few years ago, were nary on the radar of American consumers. Early diesel engines in the U.S. were dirty, loud, and generally associated with some pretty terrible cars. Buried under environmental regulations and poor sales, they faded away to only a handful of brands.

Today, the diesel engine has roared back to life as a versatile, efficient, and green alternative to standard petrol cars. Automakers have taken notice, and diesel options for upcoming models are being included in roadmaps. Of particular interest, earlier this month Honda showed off an Accord that gets 62.8 miles per gallon with its diesel engine. This is right up there with the best current hybrids have to offer — but with even more power. Emissions ratings are about the same, but the diesel Accord picks up points by burning fuel even cleaner when run on biodiesel. Honda expects to release the diesel edition as part of its 2010 model lineup.

Expect additional diesel cars around 2010 from Audi, Saab, BMW, Mini Cooper, and hopefully, Hummer.

via CNET

I’ve been a doubter of fuel cell technology for a very long time. Commercialization has always seemed just “over the next hill” with promises of “we’re almost there” silencing the eager in the backseat. Before going green was cool, and when gas purchases didn’t require a second thought, a hydrogen economy seemed too expensive, too laborious, and not worth the investment or effort. My, how things have changed.

Fuel cells are now poised to become a part of everything from our laptops to our heaters to our vehicles. One car maker, Honda, has been particularly active in investing in the future with their concept FCX fuel cell vehicle. On Tuesday, the FCX made its European debut in Sweden sporting some new features that are notably impressive over previous incarnations of the model. First off, the vehicle is highly efficient, with an energy efficiency of around 60 percent. According to the release, this is “approximately three times that of a petrol-engine vehicle, twice that of a hybrid vehicle and 10 percent better than the current FCX.”

Additionally, the new fuel cell stack is 20 percent smaller and 30 percent lighter than the current Honda FCX FC Stack. Going small, however, hasn’t impacted power — the new model delivers 14kW over the previous. Overall, the power plant weighs less and is about 40% smaller in volume. This has allowed the engineers to design a vehicle that much more spacious and “modern” looking and less like a concept vehicle. Further promoting the FCX’s green credentials the interior fabric is made from Honda Bio-Fabric, a plant-based material that offers outstanding durability and resistance to sunlight damage. Interesting.

So, the next step in the evolution of Honda’s offering has arrived — and with a 30% greater range than its predecessor. If the industry can continue to reign in the investments and find support from federal and state governments, 10-15 years may actually be 10-15 years away. Call me a believer.

I saw a post recently while browsing Hugg promoting a new piece of software that might help those of us with “Forgetfulshutdowncomputer-itis”. Yes, it’s true. “Forgetfulshutdowncomputer-itis” is a real disease that effects 3 out of 5 Americans with a computer. Those without a computer did not respond to our emails about the survey.

Anyways, as I found while watching Grey’s Anatomy (that’s right, and I enjoy it.) “Forgetfulshutdowncomputer-itis” can be a significant cause of massive energy waste. The CO2 emissions caused by 15 computers consistently running are equal to the gas consumption energy-wise by one car! Overall, more than 30 billion watts of energy are lost to this terrible disease. Thankfully, there’s now a nice piece of software you can install to help optimize your computers energy efficiency.

Called Local Cooling, this little app will save power by either turning off your screen, putting your hard drive to sleep when not used or shutting down your PC when you are away. Of course, so you’re not interrupted in the middle of leaving a humorous response to this post, you can adjust when and how this happens in the settings. There’s also a little ‘incentive’ window that tells you how well you’re contributing in terms of trees or gallons of oil saved. Just glancing at it makes me feel all green inside…and hungry. Though I can’t explain the last part….

Anyways, download the app and give it a shot. At the very least, install it on your work computer and your co-workers computer. “Forgetfulshutdowncomputer-itis” may not go away tomorrow, but at least there’s a handy solution that’s got your back for those days that are worse than others.

Being green doesn’t mean sacrificing style for the environment. It’s been a bit of an uphill climb for such a statement to be true, but from fashion to automobiles, we’re starting to see some great green technology come in the shell of some sexy beasts.

Take for instance the VentureOne hybrid vehicle. Technically classified as a motorcycle, this won’t fit in at your local Hell’s Angels potluck. However, it will impress your eco-friends, get you to wherever you’re going, and give you 100mpg in the process.

Current tests peg it at more than 33 times safer than a motorcycle due to its reinforced roll cage and dynamic vehicle control. It comes in three flavors; an all-electric (lithium-ion batter) with a range of about 120 miles, and two hybrid versions with fast and fastest in the 0-60 time category. If you want a comparison, the “zoom-zoom” model accelerates at roughly the same speed as a Ferrari or Lamborghini!

Prices are expected to stay under $20K for all three models. When Green Options starts looking at company cars, I’d recommend taking a look here first! Drool! Hit the site for more information and news updates for scheduled releases.

via GadgetRoad