Pacific Standard May-June 2013 Cover

Is Driving One of the Tiniest Cars in the World In Your Future?

July 11, 2012 • By • Leave a Comment
Hiriko smart car outside Guggenheim Bilbao

Beyond bike-share, easier than Zipcar, the next new thing in getting around town with a light carbon footprint may be Hiriko, a two-passenger electric vehicle developed by the Changing Places research group at MIT’s Media Lab. A production run of 20 prototypes begins next year at Vitoria Gasteiz, in northern Spain. (Hiriko means “urban” in Basque.) But it may be several years before they see wide use. Anyway, don’t dream of buying one of your own. The wee cars aren’t meant for private ownership. Instead they will be stationed in fleets, as complements to city transit systems. ... Read More

More like this: Environment
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Developing Smart Cars, Roads for a Greener Drive

August 12, 2011 • By • Leave a Comment

If you're the kind of driver who over-accelerates between traffic signals and jerks to a stop on red, you're a prime candidate to learn eco-driving, the steady-as-you-go technique that can cut down on fuel consumption by more than 10 percent. Eco-driving means "reading" the traffic flow as far ahead as possible so that you can maintain a consistent speed, anticipate stops and avoid excessive braking and accelerating. It means acting instead of reacting. You shift up as soon as possible. You don't barrel toward the intersection and slam on the brakes. You slowly coast to a stop, saving gas ... Read More

More like this: Environment
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Making the Case for Carpool Lanes

March 4, 2010 • By • 1 Comment

Do carpool lanes reduce traffic, or are they a waste of space — space that would be more efficiently used if it were accessible to all drivers and not just the ones who are carpooling, driving hybrids or riding motorcycles? There are plenty of commuters arguing for and against carpool lanes, and now both sides have research to back up their arguments. An earlier Miller-McCune.com article suggested that four general-purpose lanes on a freeway carry more people and vehicles per hour and than a freeway with one high-occupancy vehicle (HOV), or carpool, lane and three unrestricted lanes. The ... Read More

More like this: CAROUSEL, Culture, Culture & Society, Findings
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A Costly Green Machine

October 23, 2009 • By • Leave a Comment

The allure of "going green," it seems, isn't enough for consumers to significantly open their wallets. A Reuters/University of Michigan national survey released at this week's electric vehicle conference in Detroit finds that while there is broad interest in owning an electric vehicle, many consumers aren't willing to pay the premium to purchase one. The survey was conducted between July and November of last year when consumers probably had a little extra change in their pockets. Respondents were first told that the plug-in electric vehicle would save 75 percent in fuel costs compared to ... Read More

More like this: Business & Economics, Findings
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