Posts for hybrid

Michael Braungart and William McDonough called them “horrible hybrids” in their 2002 book “Crade to Cradle”. Things that are fused together from different materials that cannot be separated and thus not recycled.

I have been drivings hybrid cars for about a decade now and really like them. They are particularly well suited for mid to long range drives. They are not great for short trips, a plugin Hybrid would be way better for that but has been…

Efficiency is very interesting concept. One can be very efficient in doing the wrong thing. That does not make the solution very effective.

Again and again I am astonished as to how long it takes for a great idea for a design until it becomes mainstream. It likewise amazes me how we design things on a daily basis, the things that are not the great inventions but just…

Looks like Australia is having similar problems as New Zealand is facing.The widening cracks in Australia’s housing system can no longer be concealed. The extraordinary recent debate has laid bare both the depth of public concern and the vacuum of coherent policy to promote housing…

The all new Mercedes C class appears not to be new in performance and features, rather in design and gadgets. The environmental credentials are rather disappointing.

Some time ago I was pointed to an article that outlined the environmental issues and hazards of electric cars. You read the headline above. Some of the content (please feel free to read the original article): But while electric cars hold such promise, they are…

A new Mercedes-Benz E 300 BlueTEC Hybrid posted an average consumption of just 3.8 litres of diesel per 100 kilometres is a great result, but is only a slow catch-up on already existing technology and comes with a significant price. We need more affordable hybrids.

This is one of the most insane things I have seen and heard in a long time. While I can see that this a rather obvious sign of protest, it lacks any sense for health and safety even if we leave the environment totally aside…

While it was a bit scary last month when the electric engine all of a sudden stopped working and I just made it home, I guess that is probably something that is not necessarily unexpected for a 13 year old car with more than 250,000…