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German town of Vauban basically bans all cars
Like the idea of car-free streets? Bicycle riders the world over can probably see the appeal, but in the town of Vauban, German, the car-free lifestyle is being taken up by pretty much everyone. Since the early 1990s, residents have been moving away from cars and into alternatives like public transportation and bikes. As we wrote in 2006, the shift has been incremental and with the strong support of the people living in town. Heck, about 57 percent of the residents sold their cars in order to "enjoy the privilege of living here," project ... Read more →
BMW launches low-CO2 316d: 118 g/km Xavier Navarro
BMW has decided to engage futher the European low-CO2 market segment with the launch of the BMW 316d. The 316d uses the same powertrain as the 116d and gets remarkably low CO2 emissions of just 118 ...
German test with certified biodiesel shows great results Xavier Navarro
A recent test in Germany attempted to test claims by Neste that its biodiesel is sustainable. The tests involved 14 Daimler vehicles, DHL, the German Post, OMV and the Stuttgart bus company. The test ...
Ford to offer factory-converted LPG Fiesta in Europe Xavier Navarro
2009 Ford Fiesta - Click for high-res image gallery The new Ford Fiesta is now being offered with a factory-installed LPG option in Europe. This is the fourth Ford model that uses this technology ...
VIDEO: First TTGXP practice run features XXL Racing Domenick Yoney
The first ever TTXGP is now just a few days away and teams are still arriving to the Isle of Man for the event. One group that arrived earlier than most is XXL Racing from Germany, and as a result, ...
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Mercedes launches Citaro G Blue Tec Hybrid Bus 27 days ago on AutoblogGreen
Mercedes-Benz builds more than fancy li-ion hybrid cars. The company's buses, notably the Citaro series, are quite a common sight in European cities. The German company has announced that the new generation of the Citaro G model, known as "bendy-buses" in England, will include BlueTec technology ...
The European standard charging plug for cars is selected after Mennekes design 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
What does the plug used both by the Mini D project by Vattenfall al and BMW and the "e-mobility" project by RWE and Smart look like? Just like the one pictured above, which is a creation of a company called Mennekes. Getting all the interested parties to agree on a standard plug isn't an easy ...
Officially, official: Toyota will lease 150 plug-in Priuses in Europe starting in late 2009 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
Plug-in Toyota Prius prototype - Click above for a high-res gallery We heard in March that Toyota would bring 100 plug-in Priuses to Strasbourg, France. The company has now spelled out more of its European PHEV Prius roll-out plans, and the highlight is a total of 500 new-generation plug-in ...
2010 Opel Astra revealed ahead of Frankfurt debut 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
2010 Vauxhall Astra - Click above for a high-res image gallery Yesterday, the internet got an unexpected early sneak-peak of the new 2010 Opel/Vauxhall Astra. Now that the cat's out of the bag, GM of Europe has apparently decided it may as well let out all the pictures and details of the next-gen ...
VW reports roughly 13,000 advance orders for new 2010 Polo 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
2010 VW Polo - Click above for a high-res gallery Volkswagen has accepted roughly 13,000 orders for its new 2010 Polo hatchback in Germany ahead of the car's official launch. Production of the Polo began back in March, but the car won't be hitting dealerships until the end of June. A major ...
Volkswagen installs TSI EcoFuel in the Touran minivan 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
Volkswagen has apparently decided it's about time to install its latest and most powerful CNG (compressed natural gas) bifuel powertrain under the hood of the Touran, a compact MPV, as well as the Cross Touran (pictured above). The 1.4-liter TSI EcoFuel powerplant has an output of 150 horsepower ...
20 fuel sipping diesel SUV/CUV/crossovers available in Germany 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
Modern compact SUVs don't need to drink fuel at quite the rate of their larger, more easily spotted cousins (HUMMER, Range Rover, we're looking at you). Over in Europe, drivers have opened their arms to compact SUVs as an alternative to sedans and mini vans. Current offerings share car platforms ...
Old vehicle scrappage program not just for cars in Deutschland 2 months ago on AutoblogGreen
The popular German car scrapping scheme helped revive German car sales in the early part of 2009. The Germany city of Mannheim thinks that what's good for the four wheels is good for the two as well, and started a scrapping bonus plan for bicycles this past Saturday. It works like this: city ...
E3 Limousine, Karmann's all-electric concept, on tap for Hannover 2 months ago on AutoblogGreen
German coachbuilder Karmann will introduce an all-new electric car, codeveloped with utility company Oldenburg Energy Group (EWE) at the next Hannover auto fair. The model is called the E3 Limousine, but the vehicle is really a crossover with classic lines and full interior versatility. According ...
Mazda brings new diesel engines in Mazda 2 in June 2 months ago on AutoblogGreen
Mazda2 - Click above for a complete gallery Mazda announced last fall it would be phasing out the current 1.4-liter diesels in the Mazda2 hoods with new 1.6-liter units. Starting in June, the new 1.6-liter will be available in the 2. This is the same powertrain found at the 2's larger sibling, ...
ADAC says Passat EcoFuel is the greenest car in Europe 2 months ago on AutoblogGreen
ADAC, the famous German drivers' association, thinks that the VW Passat TSI EcoFuel Trendlne with natural gas (CNG) is the most environmentally friendly car in Europe. This is the result of ADAC's ECOT, in which the car scored 92 out of 100 points. The car received special awards during the ...
TÜV Rheinland warns against cheap LPG and CNG conversions 2 months ago on AutoblogGreen
German motorists are eager to convert their cars to run with LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gas) and CNG (Compressed Natural Gas). However, unless your next car purchase comes with the LPG/CNG conversion as standard, you should be careful where you get your car converted, according to TÜV Rheinland. ...
Speeding down the Autobahn burning not quite as much gasoline as before 2 months ago on AutoblogGreen
If you're a diesel hater and you want to cruise down a German highway in style, there's nothing like a good coupé to fit the bill. European coupés offer comfort, sporty sensations and, usually, a paying a high price at the pump. But there's good news: the European market offers models ...
Karmann-designed E3 "sports limousine" coming to Hanover 2009 2 months ago on AutoblogGreen
It seems as though Karmann won't let a little thing like bankruptcy get in the way of its plans to move forward with new electro-car work. As part of a venture undertaken with German energy and communications company the Oldenburg Energy Group (EWE), the iconic maker of Ghias, Crossfires and ...
ELMOTO HR-2 to conquer Europe this summer, USA next spring 2 months ago on AutoblogGreen
Click above for hi-res gallery If you happened to be at the International Bike Trade Show (IFMA) in Cologne, Germany last September (and who wasn't?), like many others in attendance you might have had your head turned by the ELMOTO HR-2 that you see pictured above. Combining some of the better ...
European car scrapping schemes proving successful, Germany to extend program 3 months ago on AutoblogGreen
Last month, Germany posted a whopping 40 percent increase in new car sales, an improvement over February's 21.5% gain that is again being attributed to that country's vehicle scrapping program. Similar programs in Italy and France have also reversed the trend of falling sales figures. The success ...
Germany bets millions in race for better battery, will likely lose 3 months ago on AutoblogGreen
Nothing would cement electric vehicles into place as the future of transportation like a battery with the energy density to take you 5 times farther than they can today at a low price. To that end the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has just invested $28 million in a consortium ...
Opel Astra Caravan CNG hybrid with GPS-enabled smart powertrain 3 months ago on AutoblogGreen
After two years of research, Opel and the Institute for Combustion Engines and Motor Vehicles at the University of Stuttgart have developed a CNG-hybrid version of the Opel Astra Caravan. The car uses an all-new 1-liter 3-cylinder turbocharged engine that manages to produce 97hp and 160 Nm of ...
Should the U.S. institute a vehicle scrapping plan? 3 months ago on AutoblogGreen
Last month, Germany reported a shocking 21 percent improvement in auto sales, and the greatest driver in the uptick was a used vehicle scrapping plan that pays drivers 2,500 euros ($3,150) to remove their old car from the road. With new car sales in most other countries down by at least that much, ...
Get your Geld ready: Germany issues final draft on CO2-based taxes 3 months ago on AutoblogGreen
Changing the road tax legislation in Germany wasn't an easy thing to do. This tax is managed at the state level, but a nationwide modification will be enforced now that the German federal government has decided to give €9 billion in compensation to the states. The new road tax, like similar ...
German car sales rise 21 percent; UK to launch vehicle scrappage plan? 4 months ago on AutoblogGreen
Vehicle scrapping plans are likely to get lots of attention now that Germany's program has proven so effective. Last month, sales in Germany, Europe's largest new car market, surged by 21 percent, which is an amazing figure considering the current state of the global economy. Much of this uptick in ...
Dutch LPG giant expands to Germany 4 months ago on AutoblogGreen
Benelux (made up of Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg) is one of the world's largest LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) markets. The most important distributor of this fuel in Benelux, BK-GAS, has announced plans to expand to Germany, after its successful move to France, Italy and Poland. The Dutch ...
AMG: Direct injection and Stop&Start in 2010 4 months ago on AutoblogGreen
As you may recall, Mercedes' performance division, AMG, recently put up the white flag on the speed wars. This basically means that they are now looking for more efficiency rather than more brute horsepower. Their previous focus on power came at the expense of fuel economy, natürlich. How will ...
Thermoelectric generator in a Volkswagen Golf Plus lowers fuel use by 5% 4 months ago on AutoblogGreen
Not long ago, we reported that BMW was awarded a prize for installing a thermoelectric generator at the exhaust pipe of a car. This device works under the Seebeck effect and generates electricity by the difference in temperatures. Although we can't use the generator to fill up our hybrid batteries, ...
Tire pressure monitoring systems to become mandatory in the EU 4 months ago on AutoblogGreen
The European Union is set to make tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) mandatory in 2012. This measure is intended to not only improve vehicle safety, but also to reduce CO2 emissions. Only correctly inflated tires run with the intended low rolling resistance and hence deliver maximum fuel ...
German auto club gets HydroGen4 from GM for roadside assistance 4 months ago on AutoblogGreen
One of General Motors' HydroGen4 (aka fuel cell Equinox) vehicles is now prowling the streets in Berlin and Brandenberg, Germany offering up roadside assistance. The German auto club ADAC is operating one of the fuel cell-powered crossovers as part of GM's Project Driveway. Just as AAA crews do ...
Germany will go with CO2-based car tax in July 5 months ago on AutoblogGreen
Photo by laurenatclemson. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0. It's been a long, hard fight in the German Reichstag to get to this day. After all kinds of vociferous opposition from the big German automakers, it looks like the German government will finally implement an automobile tax ...
Top 20 efficient European gasoline-powered compact sedans 5 months ago on AutoblogGreen
What?!? A list of European cars that does not include diesels? Crazy? Of course not. Although gasoline vehicles in Europe suffer from tough diesel competition, automakers still build them and are able to find plenty of buyers. While sales of compact sedans have taken a hit in recent years - ...
German CNG fan tours 800 filling stations 5 months ago on AutoblogGreen
Despite some recent problems with the natural gas supply from Russia, Germans have an ever-increasing number of CNG options. Rainer Zietlow, a German citizen who just might be the world's biggest CNG fan, started a nationwide tour of Germany's 800 compressed natural gas (CNG) service stations on ...
Spyshot: hybrid BMW X6 spotted in the wild 5 months ago on AutoblogGreen
Although it was unveiled back in 2007 during the Frankfurt Motor show, the quirky X6 with a hybrid powertrain has just now been spotted in the wild. French website Le Blog Auto found it on a street in Munich, Germany, where it was not disguised at all, with the HYBRID Erprobungsfahrzeug (hybrid ...
Germany gives bonus to old car scrappers, prepares CO2-based road tax 5 months ago on AutoblogGreen
Photo by Snowmanradio. Under CCL 2.0 The Federal Government of Germany has decided to offer something never seen before in the country: €2,500 cash when you purchase a new car, as long as you also get rid of a car which is at least nine years old and has held a German registration plate for ...
