PDX Transit

Beefer Electric Scooters under devlelopment

Wednesday, 09. 3. 2008  –  Category: Driving, Technology

As scooters gain in popularity and usage, performance is an increasing concern for riders.  Its no fun running out of juice due to an unexpected traffic jam or a whim to take the long way home from work. 
PowerGenix is developing a nickel zinc battery that sports 35% more power and energy density than a nickel metal hydride battery [...]

Hybrid cars mean big sales for car makers

Sunday, 08. 31. 2008  –  Category: Driving, Technology

The demand for cleaner, greener automobiles has caught the notice of big car manufacturers. Honda's Civic sedan in particular is taking on the prototypical hybrid car, Toyota's Prius. In Australia, with a price tag $5000 less than the Prius, the number of hybrid Civics sold is steadily rising even to the point of outselling the [...]

Are Hybrid Cars too quiet?

Tuesday, 08. 26. 2008  –  Category: Driving, Technology

This report by Larissa Branin in Science Today about the research conducted by University of California, Riverside under the leadership of Lawrence Rosenblum, the professor of cognitive psychology is a good eye-opener for all of us, since it highlights the real life problem that could be faced by blind people, due to the silent operation [...]

Portland transit Google mashup

Friday, 08. 15. 2008  –  Category: Portland Mall Light Rail, Technology, Uncategorized

I found a nice Portland transit mashup yesterday at http://mapmash.googlepages.com/portlandmax.html.  It has some nice features including links to a pdf that you can print with every Max and bus stop.
I built a similar mashup a few years ago, but never completed the project.   You can see my outdated portland transit map here.  Google has since [...]

Hype, Hot air, or a glimpse of the future

Friday, 08. 8. 2008  –  Category: Driving, Technology

I just finished reading an article on a light weight, 6 passengar car that promises 106mpg.  That's more than 2x of the Toyota Prius.  The catch is that it uses a combination of compressed air and gasoline to achieve this astounding efficiency.   Zero Pollution Motors has licensed the technology and plans to "produce the cars in the [...]

An Easier Walk-About Portland

Friday, 08. 1. 2008  –  Category: Technology, Walk

Google has added a new feature – walking directions to google maps. 
From Google Maps Website – "Starting today, you can tell Google Maps that you want walking directions, and we'll try to find you a route that's direct, flat, and uses pedestrian pathways when we know about them. Just get directions as you normally [...]

Japan leads the way with Hybrid Trains

Thursday, 07. 31. 2008  –  Category: Technology, Train, transit

Japan's JR East launched a hybrid train with lithium ion battery packs and regenerative braking earlier this year.   Read this post from http://www.greencarcongress.com/ below. 
"The New Energy Train cars use twin 95 kW electric motors (to deliver grade ability at the same level as that of a new model railcar), a 330 kW diesel engine powering a [...]

More on Motorhead Messiah

Wednesday, 11. 21. 2007  –  Category: Driving, Technology

The Motorhead messiah strikes again.  Johnathan Goodwin is featured today on CNN.com, Gas guzzlers get new lives — as tire-smoking hybrids.  This time he's converting Neil Young's classic Lincoln Continental to electric-biodiesal gas slipping machine.    "Young renamed his car Linc-Volt, and is making a movie about the transformation, which he hopes to release next year."
Read more [...]

An SUV named Green Car of Year

Monday, 11. 19. 2007  –  Category: Driving, Technology

Tahoe Hybrid SUV was named Green Car of Year from the Green Car Journal for its outstanding gas mileage compared to its competitors.  The Tahoe's 5.3 liter V8 is as efficient as the four-cylinder Toyota Camry.  Both get about 21mpg in the city. 
 
You can read more at http://money.cnn.com/2007/11/15/autos/green_car/index.htm?section=money_latest
 

GM Hybrid Dual mode Pickup

Thursday, 11. 15. 2007  –  Category: Driving, Technology

GM announced that 2009 Chevrolet Silverado hybrid will be the industry's most fuel-efficient full-size pickup truck at the LA Auto Show.  The Silverado will sport a 40% increase in city fuel economy and 25% increase in overall fuel economy.  So if you're worried about going green and drive a pickup, hang on until 2009
Here's some more [...]