Green Education: Energy

Tesla Motors has been operating for about 10 years without turning a profit, out of the sheer determination from its founder Elon Musk. But finally, Tesla has earned its first quarterly profit ever, and going forward the outlook for Tesla looks bright. The post Tesla Motors Earns First Quarterly Profit Ever appeared first on Gas 2.

The budget sequester should not excuse military and civilian leadership in the Department of Defense from making the important investments into the future; it is strategically important for the military to develop new sources of energy like biofuels, opines Andrew Holland.

Volvo just entered the hybrid market with a limited production V60 Plug-In Hybrid-Electric Vehicle (PHEV). They sold the first 1,000 that they built last year, and initially expected to increase production to 5,000 in 2014, but now they are increasing it to 10,000 due to unanticipated demand. The post Volvo Doubling V60 Diesel PHEV Production Due To High Demand appeared first on Gas 2.

At the 24 Hours of LeMans races, there are various different types of prototype vehicles, including diesel and hybrid-electric ones. The Le Mans-winning Audi R18 e-tron Quattro is shown here during testing at the Monza race track, reaching speeds of up to 210 mph! It exhibits a highly unique sound resembling that of a jet engine and uses a KERS hybrid system to beat out the competition. It is also loud (for those which enjoy that). The post Video of R18 e-tron Testing At Monza appeared first on Gas 2.

Motorsports teams the world over are seriously looking at pure electric and hybrid drivetrains as the future of racing, but few teams have been as bold as Drive-eO. Earlier this year their Dakar Rally hybrid truck became the first hybrid to complete the treacherous race, and now the Latvian team is building an all-electric race car for competing in the Pikes Peak hill climb. The post Dakar Hybrid Rally Team Building All-Electric Pikes Peak Racer appeared first on Gas 2.

The Solar Impulse, a solar-powered plane that has already flown between Europe and Africa, has just completed the first leg of its American odyssey between San Francisco, California to Phoenix, Arizona. The flight lasted 18 hours, but eventually the Solar Impulse landed safely in Phoenix. The next stop is Dallas, Texas, and from there it is on to St. Louis, Washington D.C., and eventually New York City. The post Solar Impulse Plane Completes Flight From San Francisco to Phoenix appeared first on Gas 2.

Despite its shortcomings as a green car, the Fisker Karma is still very much a gorgeous vehicle. It was so sexy that the Bob Lutz-backed VL Productions planned on producing a V8-powered version called the Destino. As it turns out the failure of Fisker may have been a blessing for Destino fans, as hundreds of Karma owners are reportedly seeking the 556 horsepower conversion for their former green cars. The post Fisker Karma Owners Lining Up For Destino V8 Conversion appeared first on Gas 2.

After listening to customer feedback, Tesla Motors has rolled out its leasing scheme 2.0, which ditches the sketchy math and allows for longer leasing options that could bring the Tesla Model S price down to just $580 a month. Sounds downright affordable. The post Tesla Revises Leasing Scheme, Offering Model S For As Little As $580 A Month appeared first on Gas 2.

I’m not sure when it happened or why, but the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb has become a magnet for alternative fuel race cars, especially electric vehicles. Last year the Toyota P002 electric race car set a new class record for EVs, and was just 30 seconds behind the all-time record set by Rhys Millen. Well Toyota is returning for 2013 with a refreshed race car to finish the job. The post Upgraded Toyota P002 EV Returning To Pikes Peak appeared first on Gas 2.

A car that has seemingly be in development forever, the BMW i8 will eventually come to market as a plug-in hybrid with a hint of performance. But there were also rumors that the i8 could also get a gas-only drivetrain for serious horsepower enthusiasts. Those plans have been canned, and the BMW i8 will remain a clean performance car...for now. The post BMW i8 Drops Plans For V8 Or V10 Version appeared first on Gas 2.

The fundamental nature of assembling an automobile is both complex and expensive as man and machine work together on a vehicle with thousands of separate components. But one man is working to develop a lightweight, affordable car that is different in a very important way. Rather than be assembled, this new kind of car is “printed”, and it could revolutionize the auto manufacturing business. The post 3D Printed Cars Could Revolutionize The Automobile appeared first on Gas 2.

In many ways, the Tesla Model S is a car unlike any other, from the way it drives to the way it is sold. Yet in other ways, it is very much embedded in the traditions of the auto industry. Taking a cue from more established companies, Tesla is rolling out a new performance package that, for $6,500, will add mileage and improve the handling of the all-electric sedan. The post Tesla Model S “Performance Plus” Improves Range, Handling appeared first on Gas 2.

Last week, I was granted a rare visit to MotoCzysz headquarters in Portland, OR. I met with their General Manager Ray Crepeau, to discuss where the company is at both commercially and in racing for the 2013 season. Last week they announced their 2013 rider lineup, making it clear that they would like to race the full US season of the eRoadRacing series but for now are targeting IOM TT Zero and the Laguna Seca round of eRoadRacing. I got to see Michael’s father and lead mechanic Terry Czysz hard at work on one bike while lead engineer Nick Schoeps took a moment to stop measuring the other bike’s power delivery on the dyno to answer my questions. The post Inside the Magic Factory of MotoCzysz appeared first on Gas 2.