Robert Scardino, Author

Robert Scardino avatar
I'm a writer stuck in an engineer's brain with a debilitating case of autoholism. While studying at the University of Illinois I discovered my passion for writing with a weekly sports column in a local newspaper. I've been writing ever since. When I moved out of my parents' house, I got married, rescued a beagle, and realized that environmental responsibility is a requirement, not a choice. I became obsessed with energy conservation to the annoyance of my wife, who raised an eyebrow when I suggested we use solar chargers for our portable electronics. I'm not ashamed to admit that my stash of earth friendly, biodegradable cleaners stems from an Oprah episode. I am embarrassed, however, that my steamiest dream lately involved a plug-in hybrid Toyota FJ Cruiser with go-anywhere attitude, room for my furry friends and a combined rating of 50 miles per gallon. Imagine my disappointment when I awoke and realized that this vehicle doesn't exist yet.

Articles

  • Zambonis Iced by Toronto, NHL - EV IceCats on the Way




    Keeping ice rinks smooth is important in Toronto. The city has 60 carbon monoxide spewing Zambonis to prove it. In a place that already has 365 hybrid fleet vehicles, it was only a matter of time...
  • Tata To Produce World's Cheapest Hybrid Car

    Tata Nano India's CNBC-TV18 is reporting that Tata Motors will make a micro-hybrid version of the world's cheapest car: the Tata Nano. The hybrid technology will disengage the motor when the vehicle is stopped resulting in a 5% increase in fuel economy. The so-called "stop-start" system will be...

  • Toyota Solar Car Rumors Swirl

    Toyota House Yesterday the Associated Press reported that Toyota is secretly developing a car that will be completely powered by solar energy, citing a story in Japan's Nikkei newspaper. All Cars Electric searched the Nikkei archives and was unable to find any such story. Here's what we know today...

  • Governor of Oregon Proposes Mileage Tax

    In the words of our great patriot Benjamin Franklin, "In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes." Yes, even you Prius drivers have to pay them. You may be accustomed to taxes on gasoline, but what if you had to pay for how many miles you drive instead? If Oregon Governor, Ted Kulongoski...

  • BMW EVs On The Way?

    This site has been covering news of the Mini E for over a month, so it shouldn't surprise you that Mini's parent company, BMW, is expected to unveil some EV concepts in the very near future. According to BMW Blog, the German automaker will showcase "Concept eDrive" at the Geneva Auto Show in March...

  • Army Scraps Plans for NEVs in Europe

    Only a month after the U.S. Military announced plans to purchase thousands of neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs), the Army has abandoned the idea. The results of a six month trial left Army officials unimpressed. Three vehicles were leased for $13,000 each by the U.S. Army base in Grafenwohr...

  •
    Tesla Roadster Appears in Swedish Commercial
    Sometimes speaking the same language isn't a prerequisite to understanding. Take this Swedish commercial. What appears to be an advertisement for the Finnish energy company, Fortum, carries a strong...
  • The Right Cord for the Electric Car

    Saturn Vue Plug-In Hybrid If you envision your future electric car being connected to the wall with the standard bright orange extension cord, you're living in the past. The growing interest in electric vehicles is already leading to advances in cord technology. To make sure that there's no Blu-Ray...

  • Nissan Partners with Energie Ouest Suisse

    Nissan has signed another memo of understanding committing to zero emissions mobility. Today's partner is the Swiss electric utility company Energie Ouest Suisse. The two parties will collaborate to develop a battery charging network throughout Switzerland. The Renault-Nissan Alliance will also...

  • Th!nk Gets Denied

    The Norwegian government denied EV car manufacturer, Th!nk, financial aid today. Th!nk's Chief Executive, Richard Canny, estimates that the company needs between $14.5 and $29 million in aid to survive the economic crisis. This isn't the first time Th!nk has faced financial hardship. In 2006, the...

  • Fisker Karma Caught on Video

    Fisker Karma The Fisker Karma isn't vaporware after all. Car and Driver caught the seductive plug-in hybrid sport sedan creeping around some cones in what might be the car's Stealth Drive mode for relaxed cruising. Notice the absence of any throaty internal combustion noise as the Karma drives...

  • Go Electric and Lose Weight Too!

       GYM Concept Car What if you could combine your evening commute with your evening workout? You'd save a lot of time, gas and money skipping the trip to Life Time Fitness. This might become reality if Coventry University design student, Da Feng, gets his way. Feng has designed the GYM Concept...

  •
    Indy Cops Buy Camry Hybrids - Chevy Dealer Complains

    Detectives in Indianapolis will soon be driving Toyota Camry Hybrids to crime scenes. The city has already purchased 85 of the hybrid vehicles and expects to buy more. Indianapolis Mayor, Greg...

  • Your Future Power Source: Manure

    Some Michigan dairy farmers are turning one of their stinkiest problems into a business proposition. They're fermenting the manure of pigs and cows to produce electricity. Scenic View Dairy farm is like a lot of dairy farms. They've got nearly 3,500 cows and 9,400 pigs and acres of corn. They've...

  • Electric Car Sales Fried

      This should come as no surprise to anyone, but last week, DailyTech reported precipitous drops in electric car sales in the U.S. They contacted dealerships Florida, Texas, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and the Pacific Northwest. Some of the dealerships didn't pick up their phones and the ones that...

  • Celgard Wins Battery Development Contract

    The United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC) and the U.S. Department of Energy have awarded Celgard, LLC. with a contract to improve lithium-ion battery separator technology. Battery separators are electronic insulating layers that prevent batteries from overheating, which improves their...

  • Meet Tesla's New SVP of Global Sales, Marketing and Service

    Tesla's new Senior Vice President of Global Sales, Marketing and Service, Michael van der Sande, left his first post on the company's "Think" blog yesterday. The self-proclaimed car nut replaces Darryl Siry, who announced his resignation on Monday. Van der Sande came to Tesla after spending his...

  • Hybrid Sales Plummet

    Hybrid vehicle sales fell 50% last month compared to November of 2007 even though fewer hybrid models were available last year. Analysts blame the hybrid price premium, low gas prices and tighter credit markets. This November, 16,536 hybrids were sold.  In October 21,979 rolled off dealership...

  •
    Tesla Motors Loses SVP of Sales, Marketing and Service


    Darryl Siry, Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Service for Tesla Motors has resigned. On his blog yesterday, Siry cited, "disagreements in strategy," as his reason. Though he has no...
  • Hybrid Buses Gain Traction

    Think taking the bus is eco-friendly? You're right, but it's certainly not because traditional diesel buses are fuel efficient. The average bus carries 40 people or more, which takes 40 CO2 spewing cars off the streets. Unfortunately the bus only gets three miles per diesel gallon, with its...

  • Sam's Club Sells Nonexistent Electric Super Car

    Sam's Club has expanded their repertoire beyond seven pound cans of Nacho cheese to electric super cars; and why not? It might be the only store where you can get a vending machine and fifteen dozen eggs in one stop. There's just one problem with the electric super car bit: it doesn't exist yet...

  • Even Automakers Think Hybrids Are Too Expensive

    According to yesterday's Washington Post, all those Priuses Toyota has been selling aren't making them much money. Rumor has it that those touted hybrid SUVs General Motors has been parading aren't turning profits either. What about the Chevy Volt? In June, GM Vice Chairman, Bob Lutz, said that the...

  • Universal Studios Gets Plugged In

      Shrek is going green(er). Universal Studios announced today that they will replace their fleet of 300 gas powered golf carts with solar-electric hybrid models. Sarasota, Florida based Cruise Car, Inc. will supply the hybrids, which will have range of 50 miles on a full charge. The vehicles will...

  • Fisker Karma Gets GM's Ecotec

    Fisker announced Friday that they've chosen GM's turbocharged 2.0 liter, 4-cylinder Ecotec engine to extend the range of their plug-in hybrid performance sedan. The Fisker Karma has an electric-only range of 50 miles. After that, the Ecotec will kick in to generate more electricity. This is the...

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