From Green Right Now Reports

Hyundai said that this week it will begin building a new four-cylinder engine that will be the centerpiece in its goal to becoming the auto industry’s fuel economy leader. The engine, which will be built at Hyundai’s Alabama plant, will debut in the company’s most popular car, the 2011 Sonata.

The company said its new 2.4-liter Theta II GDI engine features gasoline direct injection technology that operates with greater efficiency using less fuel, creating fewer emissions and delivering improved throttle response, all while making more power than a traditional port-injected engine. Hyundai said the 2011 Sonata will deliver 35 miles per gallon in highway driving.

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From Green Right Now Reports

A host of new greener vehicles will be making their North American debuts at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show from Dec. 4 through Dec. 13 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Mercedes-Benz will show off the fuel-sipping E350 BlueTEC and the fuel-cell-powered F-Cell. The company also will showcase the just-launched ML450 Hybrid, Mercedes-Benz’s first hybrid SUV.

Essentially an electric car that makes its own power on board, the new Mercedes-Benz F-Cell has a range of about 240 miles and, running on compressed hydrogen, boasts an equivalent fuel mileage of 86.6 city-highway combined miles per gallon. In 2010, Mercedes-Benz says 200 production F-Cell cars will be delivered to customers in the U.S. and Europe as part of a special lease program.

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Mercedes-Benz will launch the ML450 Hybrid (Photo: PRNewsFoto/Mercedes-Benz USA)

From Green Right Now Reports

Mercedes-Benz said today that on Nov. 16 it will launch the first European full hybrid vehicle to be offered in the US. The company said the ML450 Hybrid will feature “V8-like power with four-cylinder fuel economy.”

The new Mercedes-Benz ML450 Hybrid uses a 3.5-liter V6 gasoline engine and two magneto-electric motors that produce 46 percent better fuel economy than a comparable V8-powered ML550 model. The SUV achieves 21 miles per gallon around town and 24 mpg on the highway.

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By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now

Watch out San Francisco, you’re not the only city striving to put electric cars on the road. Today, you’ll be joined by Elk Horn, Iowa, where Coulomb Technologies is installing EV charging stations.

The Danish Windmill in Elk Horn (Photo: DanishWindmill.com)

After a ribbon-cutting today, four ChargePoint stations will be available for public use in the small city between Des Moines and Omaha, thanks to support from Iron Eagle Technologies, the Danish Windmill, AmericInn Motels and the Elk Horn Service Station. Coulomb’s distributor Carbon Day Automotive also joined this group effort to bring clean renewable energy to Elk Horn.

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Ford's Flex uses a new wheat-byproduct in place of plastic. (Photo: Ford Motor Company)

From Green Right Now Reports

Ford Motor Company, working with academic researchers and one of its suppliers, said it is the first automaker to develop and use environmentally friendly wheat straw-reinforced plastic in a vehicle.

The first application of the natural fiber-based plastic that contains 20 percent wheat straw bio-filler is on the 2010 Ford Flex’s third-row interior storage bins, the company said. This application reduces petroleum usage by some 20,000 pounds per year, reduces CO2 emissions by 30,000 pounds per year, and represents a smart, sustainable usage for wheat straw, the waste byproduct of wheat.

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By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now

The Alliance to Save Energy is promoting its Drive Smarter Challenge in anticipation of Americans being on the move for the holidays. The challenge offers tips to bolster your mileage and other ways to trim transportation costs, some more effective (rent a hybrid) than others (use the right oil for a 2 percent improvement in mileage).

But even though these travel tips are wildly divergent – take a train, drive during off-peak hours – they should get most families thinking about conserving in these still-tough economic times.

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By Clint Williams
Green Right Now

There is no question the 2010 Toyota Prius is a comfortable compact with enviable fuel economy – we got a smidgen over 50 mpg in a week of driving.

But can you call a $30,000 hybrid an economy car?

2010 Prius

The iconic gasoline-electric hybrid favored by movie stars is all-new for this model year and the third-generation Prius offers more room, more power and more miles per gallon than its predecessors. It’s a pretty neat trick.

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The Nissan LEAF (Photo: Nissan)

From Green Right Now Reports

Nissan North America said it will debut the LEAF zero-emission, all-electric car in Los Angeles on Nov. 13. After Los Angeles, the five-passenger, five-door, gasoline-free car will go on a nationwide tour in the coming months.

The Nissan LEAF Zero Emission Tour will stop in 22 cities, in 11 states, the District of Columbia, and Vancouver, Canada, offering the opportunity for interested drivers, media, civic partners, businesses and university students to learn more about the Nissan LEAF and the benefits of zero-emission driving.

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Green Right Now Reports

The EPA has issued a new fuel economy guide for consumers that goes beyond the already standing website, fueleconomy.gov.

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2010 Kia Forte (photo: Kia)

By Clint Williams
Green Right Now

The 2010 Kia Forte, an all-new offering from the Korean automaker, is a handsome entry in a category filled with cute. Crisp lines and swept-back headlamps give this compact car a look much bolder than that of competitors such as the Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla.

But that bold look doesn’t mean bold driving dynamics. Driving the Forte is pleasant enough, but a bit bland.

The Forte comes in three trim levels – LX, EX and SX. The LX and EX are powered by a 2-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 156 horsepower. The SX has a 173-horsepower, 2.4-liter inline four.

The four-speed automatic transmission in the EX test car is calibrated for fuel-efficiency, not fun. The standard five-speed manual might coax a bit more out of the engine.

While not a lot of fun to drive, the Forte is frugal. The EPA fuel economy estimate is 25 mpg in city driving and 34 mpg in highway driving. We drove from Atlanta to Huntsville, Ala., on a little more than half a tank.

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Green Right Now Reports

Ever wonder about how smart those smart cars would be in a crash?

Seeing the pint-sized vehicles cruising through the valley of SUVs that still dominate US roads, it’s a question that comes to mind.

SmartUSA is aware of consumers’ safety concerns and addresses them in a page on its website: “The smart fortwo meets or exceeds all federal government crash test standards, including a 5-star side crash rating, and the highest scores for front and side crash worthiness and roof strength from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.”

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From Green Right Now Reports

Fisker Automotive announced Tuesday that US Department of Energy will loan the company more than half a billion dollars to create affordable, fuel-efficient plug-in hybrid electric cars. Fisker said it expects to create or save at least 5,000 US jobs among auto suppliers and thousands more to manufacture a plug-in hybrid in the US.

The funds are coming from the US Department of Energy’s $25-billion Advanced Technologies Vehicle Manufacturing Loan Program, created by Congress in November 2008 to help promote the development of energy-efficient, advanced-technology vehicles.

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