thoughtcrumbs

Who revived the electric car?

An exciting confluence of green auto news this week:

• Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski recently won a contract with Nissan to bring all-electric cars to the state for testing, and is courting a Chinese hybrid manufacturer whose car goes 80 miles per charge (which is roughly twice the average American round-trip commute of 32 miles). Let's hope the power comes from hydroelectric, solar, and other green sources.


• GM closes more SUV plants. Reading the heartbreaking stories about the workers at this plant can't help but make you feel sympathy for those losing their jobs. And several comments on the Kulongoski story expressed anger that the governor was supporting foreign automakers. But Kulongoski hopes to bring manufacturing and final assembly to Oregon, stimulating local jobs, and it's hard to feel bad for GM the corporation when it's still trying to open SUV plants in Russia.


• In better U.S. automaker news, the intrepid band of YERTians (with the Your Environmental Road Trip project, who spent the last year documenting the best and worst sustainability practices across the U.S.) found that a Ford plant in Dearborn, MI, has the largest living roof in the world. The plant's also hoping for LEED Silver certification (as they discuss in YERT's pretty funny video).


• Electric car entrepreneur Shai Agassi will be speaking at this year's TED conference.


• A Massachusetts man recently ran his major appliances for several days during an ice storm with his Prius. On five gallons of gas.