Posts for hybrid

In 2010, the Centre for Advanced Engineering at Canterbury University studied the impact of various rates of electric vehicle (EV) uptake on New Zealand’s electricity grid. 
In their lowest uptake scenario, they projected 200,000 EVs on our roads by 2025, while a rapid-uptake scenario projected…

Despite of having never seen any, there seem to be more electric cars on the market than I knew. And you probably did not know either. We can clearly see a transition happening here from good old petrol only via hybrids (the second generation Toyota…

I find is astonishing how little though we tend to put into design really. Particularly when it comes down to buildings that are supposed to last 50+ years.

I must admit that I am having one of those moments again. I had WWF calling me to help protecting some cuddly animal. Last time it was a polar bear, then a panda and I have to admit I have forgotten what it was this…

I have been driving “Paul” now for a year, a second generation model Prius, built in 2001, so about 12 years old. Despite of people’s fear of ageing batteries, costly battery replacements and the funny belief that it may be not a “real” car, slow…

This morning I slept too long after a late night yesterday and woke up with the knowledge that I will have to queue in the traffic jam. If I do not leave home at 6:30 in the morning, the likelihood of ending up in rush…

Via earthtimes.org,03/09/2011 Genetic analysis has determined a fungus that has been causing cypress canker disease and killing trees in six out of the world’s seven continents originated from California. The fungus, Seiridium cardinale, enters a tree through cracks or wounds in the bark. Once inside,…

Via ecogeek.org, 11-07-2011 Now that Toyota has dominated the hybrid market for a decade, the automaker is finally coming out with an all-electric in the U.S. to compete with other leading automakers’ offerings.  At a dealer meeting in Las Vegas, Toyota announced that it will…

Via ecogeek.org, 27-07-2011 MIT scientists have made new discoveries that could significantly increase the energy density of batteries several times beyond the current level of lithium-ion batteries. The advances are in lithium-air storage, which uses a porous carbon electrode in place of a heavy solid…

Via inhabitat.com, 23-05-2011 In our convenience-obsessed culture, no matter how many articles about slow food are passed along online or liked on Facebook, fast and easy vittles are still king. And most everything fresh in supermarkets (think salsas, cheeses, fruit salad, hummous and yogurt) is…