Listen in to a fascinating conversation that took place yesterday on green car politics, featured on the radio show, "Your Call." (KALW, 91.7 FM, San Francisco, CA). The show gave me a chance to discuss some of my research on "The Clean Car Movement," and also featured Meghan Sinott (Organizer for the Car Free Cities Conference in Portland, OR), Michou Olivera (Co-Owner of Luscious Garage, San Francisco), and Russ Heimerich (Spokesman for California Bureau of Automotive Affairs Drive Healthy Campaign).

Some of the topics we discussed include whether green cars obscure public transportation alternatives, who defines what a "green" car is, and what alternatives exist today for consumers looking for the greenest possible options. Near the end of the show, Michou Olivera, who also repairs muscle cars on the weekends, gives a strong defense for the continued use of the internal combustion engine. I guess she never drove a Tesla....

Both Senators McCain and Obama have expressed support towards the development of alternative fuel and vehicle technologies - but which candidate has the best green car platform? The Christian Science Monitor brought together five clean energy experts to assess each candidate's platform. Here's where the candidates stand:

Obama:
1- Calls for federal investments of $150 billion over 10 years for next-generation fuels and for commercialization of plug-in hybrids.
2- Wants an expansion of locally-owned biofuel refineries.
3- Plans to add 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels to fuel supply by 2022.
4- Intends to double fuel economy standards within 18 years, while offering tax breaks and federal loan guarantees to US auto companies.
5- Calls for federal tax credits for hybrids.
6- Wants all new cars to be flex-fuel vehicles.

McCain:
1- Wants to create a tax credit for consumers of up to $5,000 for buying a green car.
2- Plans to establish penalties to car companies for violating federal fuel-efficiency standards.
3- Calls for a $300 million prize to improve battery technology for plug-in hybrid or electric cars.
4- Wants to remove or reduce tariffs on imported ethanol.

What is interesting, however, is that both McCain and Obama have recently come out in support of off-shore drilling for oil. Such a move sends a message to automakers to continue production of internal combustion engine vehicles, rather than stimulate alternative vehicle development.

As we move into the next U.S. Presidency, it is important for potential candidates to consider the wider ramifications of green car policy development. Such initiatives need to be thought out in a comprehensive fashion to avoid sending mixed signals to the industry.

[Source: Christian Science Monitor]

What are the best green cars available to consumers in 2008? The Toyota Prius certainly springs to mind, and that model is in fact KBB's top choice in their new Top Green Cars of 2008 list. Six of KBB's top ten choices are hybrids, which is not surprising given their comparatively low fuel consumption numbers. There are three gasoline powered cars on the list, the Honda Fit, smart ForTwo and the Mini Cooper -- all find choices as far as we are concerned, and each sitting in a slightly different market niche. Lastly, a single model from Mercedes-Benz represents the few diesels currently available in America. That particular model is the E320 BlueTEC, a sedan which sort of falls under the new classification of Clean Diesels due to its use of some exhaust-scrubbing technology (MB has a waiver to lease the E320 in California and four other states for 2 years).

This list was launced in conjunction with KBB Green, a new site from Kelley Blue Book which focuses in on the emerging green-scene in the automotive realm. Hey, we were there first! We kid, of course (we weren't the very first). It's great to see a major player like KBB jump into the fray, giving consumers ever more eco-friendly information related to their next car purchase. Thanks for the tip, Ashley!

[Source: KBB Green via eMercedesBenz]

A new study conducted by a Zurich insurance company gives new meaning to the benefits of owning a green car. In a survey that examined the color of vehicles to frequency of bird droppings, results showed that owners of green cars were less likely to find bird poo stains (86%) compared to owners of silver cars (92%).

While those numbers may seem relatively trivial, consider this: the overall costs of repairing the damage caused by bird droppings is nearly £57 million/a year.

The study also found that only twenty percent of drivers remove "bird lime" immediately, while a third choose to wait until their next car wash.

Marketing company JWT recently proclaimed that blue would be taking over from green as the new color for the environmental crowd to get behind. Naming trends seem to support this theory, with BlueTec and BlueMotion both highlighting clean diesel technology. Now, DuPont is reporting that the color blue is gaining ground on white, which is currently the most popular shade to order a new car in. One reason that the hue is gaining in popularity is that people reportedly equate the tone with the earth. Yeah, the sky and the ocean are blue, but let's not forget the green grass and trees that make up much of the landscape.

In any case, light shades of blue are proving to be popular choices for the clean appearance that the color adds to whatever vehicle it is applied to. According to Nancy Lockhart, DuPont color designer for North America, "Royal blues will give way to lighter, cleaner and more water-like blues." If this keeps up, we may need to change our name from AutoblogGreen to AutoblogBlue. All right, maybe not.

[Source: DuPont]

Some see the success of the Toyota Prius, compared to such competitors as the Civic Hybrid, as proof that green cars need to look different from their normal siblings. While it may be a bit early on in the game to make this assessment, Ford's North American director of car design, Pat Schiavone, suggests that there could be a trend towards "green" styling cues. For instance, cars like the Honda Insight and GM EV1 are easily recognizable for their teardrop shape and covered wheels, both of which help with the vehicles' high efficiency. While nobody that I can think of considers covered wheels "sexy," Schiavone indicates that could change, saying, "This sort of science-project look could end up sexy, or perceived sexy." We've seen some rolling science projects on these pages... although often supremely practical, not one of them has been all that sexy. Also mentioned as earmarked for the future are the wings and spoilers used by Indy racers in the 1970s. Now that could be pretty cool!

[Source: AutoWeek]

Daryl Hannah prefers guys with green cars

We've been covering Challenge X since we first started our blogging careers, but we somehow missed the results of an extremely interesting survey which was conducted by the group of college students. The survey focused on green automobiles and society's view of their drivers. It turns out that in this day and age, you have a better shot at attracting attention from the opposite sex if you drive an eco-friendly car as opposed to a sports car. In fact, almost nine out of ten women would prefer to get to know a guy with a green car. Your social life would improve too, as eighty percent of respondents would rather talk to someone with a fuel efficient car that someone with the latest model sports car.

Other interesting tidbits gleaned from the survey include the notion that $4 for a gallon for gas could be a tipping point to get consumers to actively pursue a green car purchase. There's plenty more interesting information contained in the press release pasted after the break.

Related:

• It's the first date. Do you want him to show up in a Prius or a Hummer?

There is a great deal of controversy regarding Consumer Reports these days, given the recent erroneous test results of children's car seats (CR will redo their tests under the correct conditions), however, many still rely on the magazine for help in choosing their next vehicle. The full list is below, but a few choices caught my eye. The Honda Fit won the "Best Budget Car" category, the Toyota Prius the "Best Green Car" category and the "Best Midsize SUV" award going to the Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The Honda Fit was chosen by the editors of Motor Week as the Best of the Year as well.

According to our very own Dan Roth and Alex Nunez, the testing facilities and personnel at the Consumer Reports facility are first-rate.

Consumer Reports Top Picks for 2007

• Fun To Drive: Mazda MX-5 Miata
• Small SUV: Toyota RAV4
• Small Sedan: Honda Civic
• Family Sedan: Honda Accord
• Minivan: Toyota Sienna
• Luxury Sedan: Infiniti M45
• Midsized SUV: Toyota Highlander Hybrid
• Green Car: Toyota Prius
• Upscale sedan: Infiniti G35
• Budget Car: Honda Fit

[Source: Consumer Reports via Autoblog]

I know that some people think that the Smart car is a little funny looking as it is. I think it's all right. I mean, it may not be the coolest car on the road, but it's kind of neat in its own little quirky way. But, even those who think it is horrible would probably agree that it is pretty efficient. With space for two people and some belongings, it is all the vehicle that many need. It sells in Europe already, and the next model is supposed to be for sale in the States at some point. You may have seen it at the NAIAS in Detroit last week if you made it up there.

Katharina Sieverding and her students may have taken that "green" image of the Smart a little too literally. They took the next-to-last Smart to be built (the last is going in a museum) and painted it such a bright green that buildings and scenery reflect off the car while driving. They even go so far as to call it "an experimental light source." That must be really bright! Judging from the picture above, I can't imagine finding one in my driveway any time soon, and don't think I would want to see it in my neighbor's either.

[Source: Edmunds Inside Line]