Grist | Topics | 68 Results

RESULTS		Results 1 – 25 of 68
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Headline	Author	Published	Section
Converting a Yaris into a plug-in hybrid Toyota may have something up its sleeve	biodiversivist	12 Jun 2008	Gristmill
The first car I ever owned didn't have power anything. Today you will be hard pressed to find a car without power brakes and steering. But those features also consume energy. This explains how the first wave of economy cars from Japan got such notoriously high mileage (they didn't have power anything either). One reason I chose a Yaris for my next car is that it has electric power steering and power brakes. In theory, you should be able to turn the engine off without ...
Topics: cars, electric vehicles, green living, hybrids, placemaking, Prius (all these topics)

Why Vinod Khosla is very wrong A pragmatic view of cellulosic biofuels	Joseph Romm	17 Jan 2008	Gristmill
So Vinod Khosla is not happy with with my recent attack on his (willful) ignorance, 'Khosla blows his credibility dissing plug-ins.' Gristmill has given the billionaire a platform to defend himself, but he just spouts even more nonsense in the bizarrely titled post, 'Pragmatists v. environmentalists, part I': I have been accused of dissing hybrids. I was mostly discussing Prius-type parallel hybrids and all the support they get, when one can get the same carbon ...
Topics: biofuels, cars, cellulosic ethanol, electric vehicles, energy, ethanol, hybrids, Prius (all these topics)

Pragmatists v. environmentalists, part I Prius: Green or greenwash?	Vinod Khosla	14 Jan 2008	Gristmill
I have been accused of dissing hybrids. I was mostly discussing Prius-type parallel hybrids and all the support they get, when one can get the same carbon reduction by buying a cheaper, similar-sized and -featured car and buying $10 worth of carbon credits. I was objecting to greenwashing (powered by a large marketing machine) that suggests hybrids can solve our problems. Corn ethanol, which has been heavily maligned in the mainstream media, reduces carbon emis ...
Topics: biofuels, Prius, energy, cars, hybrids, electric vehicles, ethanol (all these topics)

Prius smackdown, round two High gas prices make hybrids look even better	Clark Williams-Derry	07 Dec 2007	Gristmill
A couple of years ago, I ran some numbers trying to figure out which was the better buy for the planet -- a biodiesel Jetta or a hybrid Prius. And I came to the tentative, but perhaps counterintuitive, conclusion that the best buy was ... wait for it ... a Toyota Corolla. The Corolla, you see, was thousands of dollars cheaper than the Prius (the runner-up), even after I accounted for all the savings on gas from driving a fuel-miser. And if you were a gre ...
Topics: cars, consumerism, electric vehicles, energy, green living, hybrids, Prius (all these topics)

Plug-in reality check The debate on plug-ins begins	biodiversivist	19 Nov 2007	Gristmill
Alan Durning's article makes a lot of good points about the need to do more than just improve the efficiency of our personal transport. It's a great article, but it also contains a few inaccuracies that I feel obligated to clear up before the global warming deniers (among others) try to use them. I can tell from the comments on Alan's post that some readers are under the mistaken impression that his conclusions are a reflection of the EPRI/NRDC (PDF) report cited, but ...
Topics: cars, tech, Prius, hybrids, energy, innovation, electric vehicles (all these topics)

Pick me! Pick me! 100 households to test out plug-in hybrid Pruises in California	Adam Browning	06 Nov 2007	Gristmill
UC Davis's Institute of Transportation Studies and AAA are looking for 100 households willing to drive their plug-in hybrids. I nominate myself for the sacrifice. The more batteries we have plugged into the grid, the more renewable energy we'll get on the grid. I would say I can't wait to buy one of these commercially, but if you read the sad details from Felix at CalCars, you'll see that's exactly what I am going to have to do. It appears Honda is out, Toyota is re ...
Topics: innovation, California, cars, hybrids, Prius, electric vehicles (all these topics)

URGE2, baby Automakers debate skipping directly to full-electric cars	David Roberts	26 Oct 2007	Gristmill
Ah, finally! The argument surfacing among auto-industry leaders gathering for the Tokyo Motor Show this week is over whether it is time to skip past partial electrification of cars -- represented by gasoline-electric hybrids such as the Toyota Prius -- and push instead to revive the idea of an all-electric car. On one side are Toyota Motor Corp. and General Motors Corp. Both have played down all-electric cars in favor of developing gasoline-elec ...
Topics: business, cars, electric vehicles, hybrids, Prius (all these topics)

Chick car Reaper on the Prius	David Roberts	15 Oct 2007	Gristmill
CW has a new show called Reaper, about a slacker whose parents sold his soul to the devil, who he now has to work for. It's genial enough, funny in bits. I like to keep an eye on how Priuses and hybrids are used in television, and this one was amusing:
Topics: cars, electric vehicles, hybrids, Prius, TV (all these topics)

Hybrid wars Honda fights to regain green car company mantle	David Roberts	29 Aug 2007	Gristmill
Honda entered the hybrid market before Toyota, but over time it made a fateful mistake: it failed to visually distinguish its line of hybrids. The Prius' distinct shape is like peacock feathers -- it signals your identity to the world. Who wants to be virtuous if nobody knows about it? Now Honda's gotten the message and it's returning to the fight: [Honda is] working on a new high-profile hybrid -- a Prius fighter that analysts expect will have the highest mileage ...
Topics: business, cars, electric vehicles, green living, hybrids, placemaking, Prius (all these topics)

It Only Hertz a Little Rental and car-share companies get hip to hybrids		14 Aug 2007	Daily Grist
It Only Hertz a Little Rental and car-share companies get hip to hybrids Fueled by consumers' green interests, rental, car-service, and car-sharing companies are increasingly turning to hybrids. (Hear the collective sigh of relief from guilt-prone enviros who cringe with every tap on the rental accelerator.) Big renters Enterprise, Hertz, and Avis have all recently added several ...
Topics: cars, consumerism, electric vehicles, green living, hybrids, news, Prius (all these topics)

15 Green Cars		13 Aug 2007	Grist Feature
The greenest way to get around? On your own two feet, of course, or on a bicycle, unicycle, skateboard, or public transit. But if you still find yourself in need of a car, these are some of the best green options on the market. If we zoomed right past your favorite eco-friendly auto, tell us in the comments section at the bottom of the page. Courtesy of Toyota via Wieck Toyota Prius The best-selling Prius is synonymous with "hybrid" in many minds, and with ...
Topics: biofuels, cars, electric vehicles, energy, hybrids, innovation, lists, Prius (all these topics)

Aero 101 Airliners are shaped the way they are for a reason	biodiversivist	29 Jul 2007	Gristmill
We took our Prius over the mountains a few weeks back. I was looking forward to testing it at the extreme end of its design envelope, with a bulky cargo carrier to boot. This gave me an opportunity to see how much highway mileage would be affected by aerodynamic drag. Yes, yes, I should have stuck to the speed limit, but by not doing so I preemptively squashed a bitching point leveled by hybrid hatas -- Prius drivers sticking to the speed limit are always getting in t ...
Topics: cars, electric vehicles, green living, hybrids, placemaking, Prius, tech (all these topics)

Search Engine Engine Search Google pledges $10 million for plug-in hybrid research		19 Jun 2007	Daily Grist
Search Engine Engine Search Google pledges $10 million for plug-in hybrid research Google has gone all googly-eyed over plug-in hybrid vehicles, pledging more than $10 million in funding for the nascent technology. At a sunny photo op at its Mountain View, Calif., headquarters yesterday, company officials showed off a handful of Toyota Prius and Ford Escape cars that ...
Topics: cars, electric vehicles, electricity grid, energy, hybrids, innovation, news, Prius (all these topics)

Google tries to kickstart an energy revolution Google.org funds V2G demonstration projects	David Roberts	18 Jun 2007	Gristmill
Sweet mama! Google.org is going to give vehicle-to-grid technology a much-needed boost, to the tune of $10 million. The company is going to modify six cars, a mix of Toyota Priuses and Ford Escape hybrids, with batteries that can draw juice from the grid and feed juice back in. The promise of this technology is that if it spreads, it will enable distributed electricity storage that can smooth spikes in electricity demand without expensive new generation plants. That ...
Topics: business, cars, electric vehicles, electricity grid, green living, hybrids, placemaking, Prius (all these topics)

A123 assimilates Hymotion Plug-in aftermarket kits just around the corner?	biodiversivist	07 May 2007	Gristmill
Business Wire tells us that A123 (what a catchy name) just bought out Hymotion, the company it had been working with to develop a plug-in kit for the Prius. The kits may be available next year for about $10,000, allowing you to go about 30 miles on a four-hour charge. Don't get too excited just yet. Putting one on your car will void the manufacturer's warranty and Hymotion presently plans to guarantee the kit for only two years, until they are confident it will las ...
Topics: cars, electric vehicles, energy, green living, hybrids, Prius (all these topics)

Meeting notes The lost art of conversation	biodiversivist	21 Apr 2007	Gristmill
I passed a big rabble of bikers on my way to downtown Seattle yesterday evening. Several complimented my bike as I passed. There were a couple of talls in the mix. I assumed it was another Critical Mass ride, but maybe not. Sure looked like fun. I need to participate in one of those someday. I periodically attend a monthly gathering of Seattle atheists. There are always new faces, and they pick a different restaurant every month for variety's sake. We chatted about t ...
Topics: bikes, cars, electric vehicles, green living, hybrids, placemaking, Prius, religion and spirituality (all these topics)

Hybrid Lowdown Toyota will introduce new advertising, incentives for Prius		09 Feb 2007	Daily Grist
Hybrid Lowdown Toyota will introduce new advertising, incentives for Prius To many, the Toyota Prius is synonymous with months-long waiting lists. But just as the automaker has stepped up production on its hybrid darling, sales have plateaued. Fearing that the car lacks mainstream appeal, Toyota is training dealers in Prius sweet talk, hyping incentives like low- and no-interest f ...
Topics: advertising, cars, electric vehicles, hybrids, news, placemaking, Prius (all these topics)

Cleaner by the Dozen Green group produces list of top 12 eco-friendly vehicles		07 Feb 2007	Daily Grist
Cleaner by the Dozen Green group produces list of top 12 eco-friendly vehicles American autos are drowning their sorrows in foreign oil after not making the 2007 Green Book list of the top 12 eco-friendly vehicles, released yesterday by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. Honda's natural-gas-powered Civic GX (available only in California and New York) regain ...
Topics: Big Auto, cars, consumerism, electric vehicles, hybrids, lists, news, Prius (all these topics)

Prius facts to hang your hat on You may be surprised	biodiversivist	20 Jan 2007	Gristmill
I have been reading negative reports about Prius mileage and cost effectiveness for years. Here is one called 'The Hybrid Hoax,' written about a year ago. The author propagates misinformation by referring us to another article written in 2004 by a USA Today reporter (Kiley) who drove a Jetta diesel from Detroit to Washington, D.C., and a Prius back from Washington, D.C. to Detroit: Kiley had to stop to refill the Prius, which ended up averaging 38 miles per gallon, c ...
Topics: Prius, cars, hybrids, electric vehicles (all these topics)

Some Prius-mature celebration Car-maker planning to expand the family	Kate Sheppard	03 Nov 2006	Gristmill
The Prius may soon be more than just one oh-so-stereotyped hybrid motor vehicle. Toyota's talking about starting a family of the cars, and in this case I'd have to support wanton reproduction. The automaker announced this week that they are considering creating a line of the gasoline-electric cars. It could include a wagon and a smaller, Smart-Car-esque inner-city model. U.S. sales of the Prius fell in the first quarter of 2006 simply because Toyota couldn't keep up ...
Topics: business, cars, consumerism, electric vehicles, hybrids, Prius (all these topics)

White and nerdy Weird Al rocks my socks off	Sarah K. Burkhalter	28 Sep 2006	Gristmill
This video has nothing to do with the environment but my white and nerdy husband is insisting that I blog it perpetuates the stereotype that Priuses are white and nerdy. Sigh. The same implication is made for the Segway, but I can't say I disagree. Like him or not, there's no denying that Weird Al is a genius.
Topics: cars, celebrity, education, electric vehicles, hybrids, Prius (all these topics)

Engine Block On owning multiple cars	Umbra Fisk	27 Sep 2006	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, Your recent column suggested that the questioners sell one of their two cars, but I can't help wondering how much good that does for the environment, especially weighed against the annoyance cost of not having a second car when two people have to be going in opposite directions at the same time. I have a personal interest in this, as we have three cars: mine (a Prius, used for all errands and most weekend driving), his (f ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, cars, electric vehicles, green living, hybrids, placemaking, Prius (all these topics)

Hybrid placement Prius makes an appearance in Last Kiss	Sarah van Schagen	16 Sep 2006	Gristmill
So I've just returned home from a showing of Last Kiss, the new Zach Braff flick -- which, PS, pales next to Garden State -- and I'm excited to report that not only does Braff's character drive a Prius throughout the movie, but the car actually gets mentioned in the first two lines. As the film begins, the lens is focused knee-height at a number of women (with very nice legs) walking at a crosswalk. The camera then pans up very slowly to focus on the front of a bl ...
Topics: cars, celebrity, electric vehicles, hybrids, movies, Prius (all these topics)

Sticker Shock Absorber Some hybrids can pay back their price premium over time		24 Aug 2006	Daily Grist
Sticker Shock Absorber Some hybrids can pay back their price premium over time High price of hybrids got you down? According to the gurus at Edmunds.com, the cash some hybrid owners save on gas can make up for the sticker price. Hybrid cars and trucks cost between $1,200 and $7,000 more than their gas-chugging counterparts, but as analyst Alex Rosten s ...
Topics: cars, consumerism, electric vehicles, fuel efficiency, hybrids, news, placemaking, politics, Prius (all these topics)

Deactivated cylinders	biodiversivist	08 Jun 2006	Gristmill
The competition to own the biggest truck on the block has finally reached its zenith. The Detroit News tells us that pickup truck sales continue to 'crater.' GM and Ford Motor Co. announced plans to cut North American vehicle output in the third quarter to pare their stocks of unsold [pickup] trucks. 'That market is sitting back a bit,' said Gary Dilts, senior vice president of sales at DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group. 'But the core of the truck business -- a ver ...
Topics: cars, education, electric vehicles, hybrids, insanity, messaging, Prius (all these topics)

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