Click the MINI Cooper D for a high res gallery

For reasons such as imported oil dependency and environmental concerns, there are some people who think personal cars are evil and must be eliminated from our roads immediately. This sentiment is patently unrealistic, and there's no shortage of people, this writer included, who to enjoy cars while using less fuel and emitting fewer greenhouse gases. I'm not ashamed to say that driving quickly is fun and feels good, but that doesn't mean I like to waste fuel or dump pollutants into the air. That's why I love driving cars like the Tesla Roadster. Having fun driving doesn't necessarily mean you need to have an insanely fast car like the Tesla or an Audi R8. Small, lightweight cars like the Mazda MX-5 or or the Honda Fit don't have gobs of power, but they're fun to drive because they handle well and go around corners quickly.

The latest resident of the AutoblogGreen Garage is one of the most entertaining and fuel efficient cars I've driven in a long time. Unfortunately, it's also a car that Americans cannot buy. The 1.6L diesel-powered MINI Cooper D is not available in North America, but fuel system supplier Bosch has added one to its promotional fleet and recently loaned it to us. The aptly-named MINI is indeed a small car and the gas-engined versions offered in the US have been flying off lots at a record pace in recent months. Through the first six months of 2008, MINI sales in the U.S. are up 34 percent compared to last year. Follow the jump to see how the MINI Cooper D rates compared to the regular Cooper.


All Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

As our readers know, Milan created a pollution tax system (called EcoPass) to stop highly-polluting cars from driving inside a section of the city center. One month after its introduction, la Reppublica has published a very encouraging article (in Italian) that details all the positive things the measure has brought for the Milanese. The article is very thorough, speaking about lots of indicators, but we'll just highlight the most important ones.

First of all, traffic figures are down by 22.7 percent, or by 26.7 percent if you exclude public transport vehicles (buses and taxis). This had the side benefit of increasing the average speed of the vehicles that do remain by 11.3 percent. The figures for the subway train lines (Metropolitana) went also up, with more people (9.1 percent more) using it to access the city center.

The highest reduction in car usage came from the most polluting cars (those under the Euro I, II and III norms), which have to face higher prices to access the zone: the number of these cars dropped by 40 percent.

Maybe the most remarkable figure is the measurement of the quantity of certain pollutants. Pm10 (particulates under 10 micrograms) were down by 26 percent, NOx was down by 21 percent and ammonia by 40 percent.

Lastly, the Comune (city hall) also got 2.5 million EUR of additional income.

Cities such as London, Toronto, Singapore and Stockholm have similar measures. Other places, such as Berlin, Cologne and Hannover, have decided to completely ban the most polluting cars.

[Source: La Repubblica (h/t to Karl-Uwe for the tip) - Link is in Italian]

Owning a polluting car has become expensive for drivers in Milan. With the new year, a new rule by Milan's City Council is charging cars a fee based on the EU's pollution levels. With this measure, the City Hall expects to drastically reduce the smog levels in the city center by almost a third which is a big deal, as Milan is considered one of Europe's 10 most polluted cities. The plan is expected to last for one year and won't affect mopeds, motorbikes, alternative fuel vehicles (LPG, CNG, hybrids or electrics), gasoline engines falling under Euro III or IV rules or diesels under Euro IV with a DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter).

The scheme, called "Ecopass", is based on five levels depending on the vehicle engine. It will cost anywhere between two and 10 EUR to drive in the center, a designated area of about 8 km² (3 sq mi), pictured above. Cameras at 43 electric gates will monitor traffic and violators will be hit with fines that start at 70 EUR. The City Hall expects to generate 24 million EUR revenue which will be used for buses, bicycle paths and green vehicles.

With this charge, Milan is joining cities such as London, Toronto, Singapore and Stockholm, which all have similar measures. Other places, such as Berlin, Cologne and Hannover, have decided to completely ban the most polluting cars.

[Source: Reuters and Ecomilano, h/t to Karl-Uwe for the tip]

When the government taxes you, you know you got its attention.

In what must be a mixed blessing to German supporters of alternative fuels, the German government has reached an agreement to impose a 9 eurocents (about 11.4 U.S. cents) tax per litre of biodiesel. A 15 eurocents (19.1 cents) per litre tax will be imposed on blended fuels. Vegetable oil will continue to remain tax-free.

The agreement was reached after strong debate between the conservative and Social Democrat parties. Previously, biodiesel had been exempt from taxation. But with rising fuel prices, many Germans switched from regular diesel, which is a source of revenue for the government. Biodiesel consumption nearly doubled from 2004 to 2005.

[Source: Reuters via Planet Ark]