road

  • Dutch coalition PlasticRoad bike path

    Cars could soon provide a solution to one of the world's biggest environmental problems, not just contribute to them. Cars, or at least the roads they drive on, could provide a much needed outlet for tons of recycled plastics that currently have no place else to go. According to the EPA, the U.S. produces about 14 million tons of plastic waste a year, and 91 percent of it is not recycled, according to National Geographic. The problem was compounded dramatically last year when China stopped buying plastic waste from the U.S. Previously China bought about 45 percent of the world's plastic...

  • President Donald Trump (Photo courtesy DoD)
    Trump backs 25-cent gas-tax boost for road repairs and infrastructure (maybe)

    The federal gas tax, which was supposed to pay for repairs and expansion to roads maintained or funded by the national government, now does nothing of the kind. Congress last raised the U.S. federal gas tax a quarter of a century ago in 1993, to the 18.5-cents-per-gallon level it remains at today...

  • Ferrock, screen cap from video report by PBS
    Carbon-Negative Replacement For Cement Traps CO2 During Manufacturing

    An inventor pitches his iron-based material as an alternative to cement-based concrete.

  • Traffic Jam
    Hybrids & Electric Cars May Spell Doom For America's Roads

    Yesterday, we discussed the problem of America's crumbling roads and bridges. Taxes on gasoline are meant to keep that stuff up to snuff, but the costs of maintenance and upgrades are outpacing revenue. The reason? The federal gas tax hasn't risen since 1993. The Wall Street Journal recently...

  • 2011 Chevrolet Volt in Waco, Texas, en route during the 1,776-mile Freedom Drive PR stunt
    2011 Chevy Volt: Freedom Drive Underway, GM Offers T-Shirts

    Taking a break from the relentless drumbeat of news about Tesla Motors, its stock offering this week, and the latest model of its electric two-seater, the Roadster 2.5--we bring you a story about the upcoming 2011 Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric vehicle. Specifically, a Volt is now en route...

  • 2011 Nissan Leaf spied -- via Nissan-LEAF.net
    Nissan Leaf Audio Warnings Disappoints Advocates, Need For Sound Questioned.

    Ever think of the benefits of EVs? Aside from the more obvious ones associated with not burning quite as much oil, zero tailpipe emissions and ease of driving many will cite the lack of engine noise.  That last point however, may not be such a benefit to all and may even prove dangerous to those...

  • Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric car at quick charging station

    At the moment, drivers of cars from the  2011 Mitsubishi i-MiEV to the 2010 Mini E are struggling to achieve the official mileage-range figures. So far, only Tesla's 2010 Roadster seems to be able to deliver on its range promises, and that's just when driven conservatively. Why are we hearing so many tales of stranded EVs that couldn't reach their claimed mileage? Do car companies exaggerate their ranges, or are there other forces in play? Manufacturers' range-per-charge claims are as tough to tie down as fuel economy figures. They're often obtained under laboratory test conditions, with...

  • Aptera 2e during Automotive X-Prize handling tests, from Consumer Reports video on YouTube
    Aptera Grits Its Teeth, Glosses Over Auto X-Prize 2e Handling Issue

    Optimism is a useful thing for a startup company, maybe even a requirement. But the April newsletter from Aptera Motors, which is struggling to launch its ultra-aerodynamic three-wheeled electric vehicle in the face of delays and funding constraints, smooths over some crucial handling issues with...

  • 2011 Chevrolet Volt pre-production prototype, January 2010
    Making EVs is Easy; Making GOOD EVs Is Hard, and Costly

    We're now well and truly on the road to plug-in vehicle nirvana, with the 2011 Nissan Leaf, the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, and various other plug-in and electric vehicles due to hit the market within the next couple of years. But there now seem to be hundreds of car companies, enthusiastic business...

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