Author: Jerry James Stone

According to the Nikkei report, Toyota will finally release a minivan based upon its popular Prius platform come 2011. Rumor of the vehicle has been circling the web for over a year now. If it’s true–which I kind of think it is–this new vehicle will be the first to don the Prius family nameplate.

Earlier this year, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Toyota made it known that a Prius family was in the works during the unveiling of its FT-CH concept. The FT-CH is Yaris-sized Prius which means a hybrid minivan would easily balance out the line up. (more…)

Snail mail is getting a big push from Congress to go electric and I’m not talking about e-mail. The United States Postal Service (USPS) wants to electrify its fleet and Zap motors might just to do the trick. This week, the California-based company announced they are engineering an all-electric truck prototype for the mail delivery service.

Full details are still unclear but U.S. Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey will tour the Zap EV facility next week “to learn more about how this federal program is creating local jobs.” The truck will not be the Xebra pictured above but a “conversion of a gasoline postal truck to run on electricity.” (more…)

Come 2011, Tesla Motors plans to stop selling its famed roadster. Why? Because no one will build it.

Deep within the Securities and Exchange Commission paperwork Tesla filed ahead of its IPO was the announcement. The two-seater–and its souped up Roadster Sport sibling–will end production next year. If there is a replacement, it won’t be available until 2013…at the earliest.

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Eating dogs and cats–which is an age-old delicacy in China–could soon be against the law.

It’s the nation’s first law against such animal abuse. Currently, dog and cat meat is viewed as promoting bodily warmth. But if the law passes, people who eat either animal could face fines of up to $730 or 15 days in jail. Organizations involved the practice would face fines up to 100-times as much.

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Efficiency enthusiast Allert Jacobs converted his brand new Honda motorbike into a streamliner capable of reaching 214 mpg.

Jacobs was already getting 114 mpg with his Honda Innova, but knew some aerodynamic mods could get him so much more. Aerodynamics hugely impact fuel consumption. In fact, a typical car burns 50-percent of its fuel just overcoming the air resistance of going 40 mph! For a typical motorbike, this is just 20 mph.

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Back in June, Tesla Motors announced a $465 million loan from the U.S. Department of Energy. That deal is now official…every tax paying American is now an investor in Tesla.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said. “We are honored that the US government selected Tesla to be among the first companies to participate in this visionary program. This loan will allow us to further accelerate the production of affordable, fuel-efficient electric vehicles.”

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According to AutoblogGreen, ousted Tesla co-founder Martin Eberhard has confirmed he is indeed working on Volkswagen of America’s EV lineup.

The rumor was first reported back in March of 2009 by a Tesla employee who remains anonymous. Since then, Eberhard’s defamation/breach of contract suit against the company has ended. The dispute was with Tesla’s major financial backer and current CEO, Elon Musk.

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According to chief chassis engineer for Honda’s CR-Z, the much-hyped hybrid was heavily influenced by the Lotus Elise.

Terukazu Torikai said–via YouTube subtitles–that the basic concept for the CR-Z was to be fun to drive. In fact, the car was not only inspired by Lotus. The MINI Cooper and Volkswagen’s Scirocco also played a part in its design. I’m just happy we’ve moved past the original Insight (fugly).

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Porsche will not build hybrid versions of the 911 and Boxster, according to CEO Michael Macht.

While the company will make a hybrid Cayenne, they have no interest in altering their sports car lineup. Enthusiasts can now breathe a sigh of relief. The Cayenne SUV and the 4-door Panamera have been a sore subject amongst Porsche purists.

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Scientists have found that Killer Whales in the North Atlantic Ocean differ in both diet and genetic makeup. In fact, they’re in the process of splitting into two different species all together.

Researchers examined the teeth of 62 whale skeletons, some that were hundreds of years old. They found that “type 1″ whales had longer teeth with significant wear in comparison to “type 2.” Type 2 whales fed on a combination of seals and fish. But type 1 whales stuck to dolphins and smaller whales, like that of Antarctic orcas.

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