We're back for AutoblogGreen Podcast #16. In this installment, Sebastian updates us on some of the really amazing things he saw while at EVS23 in Anaheim. Speaking of really cool stuff, our interview this time is with Beau Boeckmann of Galpin Autosports. Sebastian and Beau talk in depth about the crazyawesomelywild hybrid F450 that was done up for Pimp My Ride, while Sam got to see the Chevy Volt showing a little leg on a recent tour of the E-Flex design studio. We take some time to discuss the Volt and E-Flex in depth, touching on some of the discoveries that have been made as the platform gets developed, as well as how far along the E-Flex is, which is surprising. We're looking ahead to NAIAS in Detroit in a few weeks, for now, enjoy this installment, clocking in at 43 minutes.

UPDATE: Read the transcript and view a picture of Beau's truck here.

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MTV's hit show, Pimp My Ride, has tried to go green already. If you recall, we brought news of the episode where California's Governator himself was a guest and Mad Mike and the crew took a classic Impala and swapped out the gas engine for a Duramax diesel. But, what do you think the team could do if the four-wheeled conveyance was human powered? How about a wheelchair? Well, now I'm sure you're interested, right? Follow past the break where you can see a short video from Darius and his friends. It seems that the story was shown on Nightline as well, so you may already have heard about it.

There was also a movie made about the trip that Darius and his friends took. Here is a link. If you are interested in the story, maybe it's worth a ticket.

[Source: Ecorazzi]

After MTV announced last week that they were doing a special edition of Pimp My Ride in honor of Earth Day this weekend AutoblogGreen had an opportunity to talk to Ian Rowe, MTV's Vice President of Public Affairs.

AutoblgGreen: We're talking today with Ian Rowe the Vice President of Public Affairs and Strategic Partnerships for MTV. Ian, why don't you tell us first about the Break the Addiction campaign. I suspect there's probably a lot of people who read AutoblogGreen who may not be familiar with it.

Ian Rowe: Well, about a year ago, we were really analyzing what were the issues that young people were speaking about and concerned with and it was very interesting that they were speaking about their concerns about what they've heard about this thing called global warming. But typically they saw images of polar bears or ice caps that were melting and not really clear as to how those issues were actually relevant to their day-to-day life and issues like the war in Iraq and our dependence on foreign oil and how that put us in situations that as a country threatened our national security. We saw an opportunity to really help young people connect the dots, that somehow their daily behavior actually was related to all of these things, that they were simple things that they could do in their daily lives that would not only help to preserve the environment, but to could save them money, improve their health and improve the general welfare of this earth that we live on. Simultaneously the President talked about the country needing to break our addiction to, America's dependence on oil, so we saw an opportunity to launch a massive campaign that we decided to call Break the Addiction to deliver literally every single day. So 365 days of very pragmatic simple tips that any young person can do in their daily life, whether it be, car pooling, saving water, using a different kind of shower head, using different kinds of bulbs, but all very simple things that the audience could do as a way to easily bring them into what is now a larger conversation and a larger understanding of the issues of whether or not we-if we collectively engage in these kinds of behaviors, we can have a substantial impact on preserving our environment.

Continue reading the interview with Ian Rowe after the jump

Just about the time that this blog burst forth upon the world last year, the cable channel that used to play music videos, started a thinkMTV campaign called "Break The Addiction". The 12 month long 12-step program aimed at breaking the addiction to excessive energy use will be wrapping on April 22, Earth Day 2007 with a special edition of Pimp My Ride. The show that normally focuses on doing things to cars that go way beyond the bounds of good taste or common sense will be taking on a 1965 Chevrolet Impala.

The crew from Galpin Auto Sports will be getting a visit from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as they transform a forty-two year old beater. The probably very smoky old gas engine will be tossed in favor of an 800hp biodiesel fueled oil-burner. While this is clearly not quite the same as bolting a rack full of batteries into the bed of an old Chevy S10, it definitely falls into the alternative realm. The finale will apparently involve running the diesel Impala against a new Lamborghini Gallardo, which given the torque characteristics of a diesel should prove interesting. There's no word yet whether BioWillie Nelson will make an appearance to help fuel up the car, but we will have an interview with the creators of the show early next week.

[Source: MTV]

In reporting on the trend in the automotive market to add dashboard electronics to non-luxury cars, PhysOrg points out that "pimping your ride" is now virtually mainstream. Regular consumers are reportedly ignoring engine size and other traditional benchmarks for a vehicle's value in preference for a burgeoning fascination for gadgets such as heated cup holders, rear parking cameras, iPod integration kits and voice-activated navigation systems. Well if that's the case, let's push the auto makers to trick out their hybrids and other green vehicles to help drive even more sales.

Analysis: If hybrid, plug-in electric, fuel-cell and flex-fuel technologies are the 'next generation' of automotive technology, then surely vehicles based on them should be next generation too? Load them up with so many gadgets you'd need extra fuel-cells on board to run the show. I don't know about you but I'd love to see a pimped Prius.

Related:

• ZAP releases details and drawings of their impending 644 horsepower ZAP-X electric SUV
• Toyota hybrids sell briskly in February; Prius sets all-time monthly record
• Geneva Motor Show: Toyota Hybrid-X concept

[Source: PhysOrg]