Wendy Gordon, NRDC's Smarter Cities

Wendy Gordon, head of the NRDC’s green-living sites, returns to “Green is Good” to discuss the role transportation within the world’s cities plays in conservation. It’s no secret that gas in the U.S. is hovering around $4/gallon, so now is the time to investigate how best to move around while lessening oil demand and saving money.

The NRDC examined urban transportation in a new Smarter Cities study that identifies the 15 small, medium and large cities that are making eco-minded (and wallet-friendly) decisions to move their citizens around effectively. Beyond efficient city transportation infrastructure, Gordon provides a number of personal transportation tips that can make a major environmental difference.

“The smartest thing you can do is minimize your driving and bundle your trips,” Gordon explains. “Plan your trips so you only make right turns — right on red saves gas!”

Jim Motavalli, Author, 'High Voltage'

Jim Motavalli, an eco-author and green transportation expert, states that we are headed for “peak oil” — when oil demand soars above oil supply. His book, High Voltage, released in 2011, examines electric vehicles and how they will change our oil dependency.

Motavalli cites the expanding lineup of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric cars as a major accomplishment in green engineering. He also lists the hydrogen fuel cell car, expected to be on the market in 2015, as a paramount in eco-technology.

“It may take 30 years for the internal-combustion engine to disappear from the road,” Motavalli says. “It’s not going to be overnight that we transition, plus [the electric engine is] very much in its infancy right now. I think we’ll see a lot of improvement in the gas car, say as far as 80 miles a gallon, so that will remain a competitive technology.”

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Once BP’s Macondo well was finally sealed, oil no longer bubbled up to float on the water’s surface. But cleanup crews were left wondering what to do with the oil-soaked boom that had helped to contain the spill for so long. You certainly can’t dump that in the trash.

Late last year, General Motors decided that it would develop a process for recycling the used boom into new parts for its extended-range electric vehicle, the Chevy Volt.

To develop the recycling technique, GM partnered with several other companies: Heritage Environmental, which collected the used boom; Mobile Fluid Recovery, which eliminates the absorbed oil and water by spinning the booms at high speeds until they are dry; Lucent Polymers, which makes the material appropriate for plastic die-mold production; and GDC Corporation, which combines the plastic resin with other plastic compounds to make the car components.

The end product is a set of parts (25% boom material and 25% recycled tires) used to deflect air around the Volt’s radiator, according to MSNBC.

GM says that the oil boom recycling program will reuse 227 miles of boom material, saving 212,500 pounds of waste from the landfill. This will provide enough material to make the Volt’s air-deflecting baffles for one production year.

But what are we going to do with all these huge batteries when they start wearing down? Think about how hard it is to recycle the rechargeable batteries in your camera or remote control when they finally die — then multiply that by a thousand.

Thankfully, some automotive companies are already starting to think about this problem and have come up with an environmentally friendly solution.

This Chevy Volt battery could one day help to power homes. Photo by John F. Martin for General Motors.

General Motors (maker of the Chevy Volt) and electric company ABB Group have been working together since September 2010 to research the potential reuse of vehicle batteries for stationary power use. In Raleigh, NC, this past summer, the groups shared their progress in moving the concept from laboratory to pilot testing.

“Our tests so far have shown the viability of the GM-ABB solution in the laboratory, and they have provided valuable experience to overcome the technical challenges,” Pablo Rosenfeld, ABB’s Program Manager for Distributed Energy Storage Medium Voltage Power Products, said in late July. “We are making plans now for the next major step — testing a larger prototype on an actual electric distribution system.”

So far, neither company has provided further test results or an estimate of when these battery storage clusters could make it to the commercial market. One reason is that there simply aren’t enough spent EV batteries on the market to use for testing. The Chevy Volt has only been on the market for a year, and EV batteries last between eight and 10 years.

However, the companies are confident that when they have expired, EV batteries could be reclaimed and set up in clusters to provide energy storage space for the electrical grid. These battery clusters could either hold wind or solar energy during periods of low electric demand for use later or provide backup power in case of a grid disruption.

According to Pablo Valencia, GM’s Senior Manager for Battery Life Cycle Management, 33 used Volt batteries could power 50 houses, with enough storage capacity to keep them all running for about four hours.

In fact, experts feel that recycling could become a lucrative side business for both battery and EV manufacturers, which is why General Electric is exploring the development of a battery leasing program for EV owners. GE could reclaim spent batteries and resell them to utility companies.

If you are aware of such nuances, then the good ol’ boys of the Motor City are doing a great job reinventing the car. They’re pushing environmentalism fringed with patriotism.

A stellar example: General Motors is crafting new rides fraught with recycled ideas, literally. This 103-year-old automaker is championing a newfound ideology with the all-new American car. The irony, of course, is that many parts of brand-new models are not new at all.

GM is finding new ways to use old things when making its next line of automobiles. The headline-grabbing Chevrolet Volt has been discussed, debated and marketed for its revolutionary part-electric, part-gasoline engine system. But GM is trying to prove its sustainable efforts go beyond just a power plug.

The GMC Terrain features a number of recycled materials, making it lighter and more fuel efficient. Photo courtesy of GMC.

In fact, GM took leftovers from one of America’s worst environmental disasters, the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and surprised the world by utilizing oil-soaked booms as auto parts for the Volt. According to an article from Wired:

About 100 miles of oil-drenched boom material used to contain the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico is being used to make plastic parts for the Chevrolet Volt. General Motors said it is recycling enough material used off the coast of Alabama and Louisiana to produce more than 100,000 pounds of plastic resin.

These booms are estimated to be used on the first year’s supply of 10,000 cars as deflectors that direct air around the radiator. According to Green Diary, the “deflectors constitute 25 percent plastic boom, 25 percent recycled tires, 25 percent packaging plastic and the remaining 25 percent are extracted from polymers and post-consumer recycled plastic.”

Please stop and take a minute to realize how monumental this is. One of America’s most iconic companies, which was all but dead a few years ago, is now fully revived and intensely using recycled material as a new manufacturing strategy — material that was crucial for stopping catastrophic environmental damage, no less!

OK, great, let’s continue.

The Chevy Volt might not be the right car for everyone, in which case GM is further utilizing recycled materials for various other models. The 2010 Buick LaCrosse features components in the headliner made from cardboard. The Chevrolet Equinox of the same year utilizes fibers from the kenaf plant in its headliner.

The GMC Terrain, however, might be the one most popularized for its recycled components, and for good reason. Auto Motto states that the use of recycled materials actually makes the Terrain more energy efficient and cost productive. Recycled materials are lighter, and thus require less fuel to transport. Here is what the article mentions about the Terrain:

Recycled textile insulation and plant fiber-reinforced ceiling liner act as a sound barrier from external noise. The air baffles are made using post-industrial scrap and mixing it with old tires while recycled plastic from bottles is used for the grille frame.

These aren’t your parent’s American-made autos. Today’s carmaker is dancing with conservation and efficiency when designing its new lines.

Gone are the days of “bigger is better,” where gasoline consumption was an afterthought. Today, GM is one car company taking a step in the right direction. The company is taking us down a path that weans consumption of resources and promotes more earth-friendly autos.

After all, you have another 7 billion people on this planet to share with, and companies like GM are starting to realize that.

Want to know more about GM’s sustainability efforts? Michael Robinson, GM’s Vice President of Environment, Energy, and Safety Policy, appeared on the Green is Good radio program in June 2011. Listen to the show here.

If you’re looking for a new ride this year, put the all-new 2012 Range Rover Evoque on the list of vehicles you must see. As the lightest and most fuel-efficient Range Rover ever, the Evoque shows that the company is serious about sustainability, as it addresses the growing consumer trend toward more environmentally friendly vehicles.

The Evoque was also just named 2012 Sport/Utility of the Year by Motor Trend.

“The Range Rover Evoque is a bold move into the fast-growing compact luxury SUV sector,” said Angus MacKenzie, Editor-in-Chief, Motor Trend. “Refined and capable both on and off the road, it artfully combines traditional Range Rover values with stunning state-of-the-moment design and impressive efficiency. The Evoque is a worthy winner of our award, and I have no doubt it will be a worldwide hit for Land Rover.”

Minimizing waste and recycling as much as possible is a key aspect of Land Rover’s commitment to reducing its environmental impact during the manufacturing process. The company recycles scrap metal, wooden packaging and cardboard whenever it can. It also requires its suppliers to use reusable packaging wherever possible.

As part of the efforts to reduce the Evoque’s environmental impact, Land Rover has focused on using more sustainable materials. For example:

• Each vehicle uses approximately 35 pounds (about 1,000 16.9-ounce plastic bottles) of recycled plastic in headliner, seat covers, center console, wheel arch liners, air cleaner, cooling fan and shroud, air ducting, side under trays, parcel shelf, engine cover and subwoofer box.
• There are 46 pounds of natural and renewable materials, such as leather, cotton, cardboard and rubber, in each Evoque. For example, leather is used extensively in the seat covers, instrument panel and door casings.
• There is Morzine trim fabric on the headlining and pillars that is entirely produced from recycled polyester sourced from recycled bottles and fibers. According to Land Rover, using recycled material results in a 66% lower energy demand and 54% reduced carbon footprint during production.
• The metal interior trim on the center console and dashboard is produced from recycled aluminum.
• 85% of the vehicle itself can be recycled, including the vehicle’s air ducting, the engine cover, subwoofer and parcel shelf.

For many people, EVs are still too expensive. Most don’t realize that it’s the advanced rechargeable battery that accounts for this high sticker price.

General Electric recently announced an interesting plan for eliminating this extra cost, and making EVs more accessible to the general public: a battery leasing program.

Not only would this battery leasing concept reduce the overall price of EVs, but it would also help bring down the price of ownership over time by eliminating the need to replace the batteries after eight to 10 years of use.

The largest U.S. conglomerate is just at the “thinking stage” of such a move, GE head of research and development efforts Mark Little recently said at an event at Nissan Motor Company’s research center near Detroit.

According to an upcoming report from EV Update, GE’s decision to dabble in EV battery leasing is part of a two-year collaborative research project between GE and Nissan that will help both companies gain a better understand of the energy demands of EVs and their owners, and to develop smart charging infrastructure for EVs.

Better Place

Per The Wall Street Journal, Nissan has already formed a venture with Japan-based trading house Sumitomo to recycle lithium-ion batteries from electric cars into energy storage devices for backup grid power. Of course, GE and Nissan aren’t the only companies to realize that the batteries themselves could be a roadblock to EV adoption.

Better Place, a Palo Alto, CA-based company, works with leading EV battery manufacturers to develop lithium-ion batteries that are high-performing, recyclable, environmentally friendly and safe. At the core of the company’s business model is the development of “battery switching stations” that employ an ingenious robotic system that switches fresh batteries for depleted ones, cools and charges batteries in inventory and ensures that each EV driver gets a fully charged battery each time the vehicle arrives at a Better Place station.

According to Better Place spokesperson Julie Mullins, the company is “evaluating both second-life applications for used batteries” and working with automakers, battery vendors and recyclers on “emerging technologies” for recovering and recycling most (95%) of the materials in batteries that are “no longer operational.”

The idea of battery leasing and swapping feels very similar to the car- and bike-sharing concepts that are sweeping the nation right now. Collaborative consumption is a great principle upon which to base new efforts in transportation, because it highlights access over ownership. When people know they can save money or eliminate waste by “borrowing” something instead of buying it, everyone wins.

You can see the step-by-step process for recycling EV batteries on the Tesla blog.

Regular oil changes keep cars and trucks running efficiently, saving you money on both gas and repairs. But regular oil changes also mean that you’ll be stuck with several quarts of dirty motor oil with nowhere to put it.

Used oil contains additives, contaminants, potentially carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic compounds and/or glycol from the cooling system, all of which are extremely toxic to the environment. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that about 185 million gallons of used motor oil are improperly disposed of by consumers each year.

Under no circumstances should motor oil ever be dumped on the ground or down the drain! Just 1 gallon of used oil can contaminate 1 million gallons of groundwater. Although it can’t be put back into automobiles, used motor oil can be re-refined and then used to make heating oil, asphalt and other lubricants.

If you perform your oil changes at home, follow these steps to ensure that that your old oil gets recycled properly.

1. During the oil change, collect the used motor oil in a clean container with a tight-fitting lid.
2. Keep it out of reach of children and pets while waiting to take it to a recycling facility. Always clearly label the container as “used motor oil” so it is not accidentally used in lawn mowers or other vehicles.
3. Search for local motor oil recycling facilities on 1-800-RECYCLING.com. Pay attention to special times or requirements for hazardous waste recycling at your local facility.
4. Keep in mind that some oil-change businesses, such as Jiffy Lube, act as designated used-oil collection center. If no municipal motor oil recycling program exists in your area, check with one of these businesses to see if they’ll accept it.

Oil is not the first thing that comes to mind when discussing recycling and environmental protection. We’re also not naïve enough to claim the industry has “gone green.” But at Valvoline, we are not only constantly seeking ways to protect engines, but we are also searching for new ways (big and small) to lessen our environmental impact. That is why the introduction of NextGen motor oil is so exciting.

Thom Smith, Vice President of Branded Lubricant Technology, Valvoline

NextGen is a true breakthrough: “Better-than-new” motor oil made of 50% recycled oil that is great for engines and better for the environment.

A better starting point

Many people don’t realize used motor oil is actually a better starting point for building new base oil, as it has significantly less contaminants and more usable oil molecules than crude oil. In fact, used (or recycled) oil has 75% usable lubricating molecules per volume versus 15% per volume for crude oil. What’s more, since base oil doesn’t completely wear out (it simply gets dirty), used oil can be re-refined into new base oil for engine lubricants.

The evolution of recycled oil

NextGen motor oil is the culmination of years of research, technology and innovation from Valvoline scientists coupled with industry improvements in the oil re-refining process. In the past, recycled oil often meant passing used product through an acid clay treatment (think pouring coffee through a filter), a process that removed some contaminants but failed to deliver a product worthy of demanding drivers and their engines. We’ve come a long way since then. Today’s re-refining technology uses the same technical processes used for crude oil refining.

The added benefit of NextGen motor oil is that we combine these high-quality recycled base stocks with Valvoline’s award-winning additive chemistry to create new motor oil that exceeds API specifications and matches Valvoline’s more stringent standards.

Reduced environmental impact

The process of using new base oil created from recycling (as opposed to digging for and refining virgin crude) reduces environmental impact. Compared to regular oils, oil in NextGen uses 57% less fossil fuels, emits 48% less harmful and acidic emissions and has 28% less global warming impact. Since oil recycling uses fewer resources, NextGen is better for the environment. And that makes it “better-than-new” oil.

Why motor oil recycling matters and what we can do (Hint: Do M.O.R.E.)

NextGen motor oil represents an opportunity that extends far beyond individual vehicle engines. American cars and trucks consume more than 3 billion quarts of motor oil each year, of which an estimated 200 million gallons are improperly disposed.

One gallon of improperly disposed oil can contaminate up to 1 million gallons of drinking water. The practice of recycling motor oil and adopting recycled oil is a tremendous opportunity to conserve and replenish a precious resource.

If every American switched to NextGen recycled motor oil, it would save 400 million gallons of crude oil. That’s enough barrels to stretch from New York to Los Angeles and back — every year.

Valvoline is challenging Americans to help shine a brighter light on this critical issue. Let’s Do M.O.R.E. (Motor Oil Recycling Education) allows consumers to show their commitment to closing the loop by recycling oil and using recycled oil products.

For each person who joins, Valvoline will donate $1 to Keep America Beautiful to help protect and preserve our community environments (up to a maximum of $250,000).

Yes, in some ways it’s just an oil change, but it can be a bit more now with NextGen. We think that’s a good thing.

To find out more about NextGen and motor oil recycling, including where to find NextGen motor oil at retail locations or at the more than 800 Valvoline Instant Oil Change centers offering it as a green option, visit nextgenmotoroil.com.

Thom Smith is Vice President of Branded Lubricant Technology for Valvoline. He worked extensively on the development and testing of NextGen motor oil prior to its launch in March 2011.

The 2013 Chevy Malibu Eco

Perhaps Heraclitus said it best: The only constant is change. One of the most recent and notable iterations of this ancient Grecian’s philosophy is taking place in today’s auto market. General Motors is an automaker that has embraced the sign of the times and, as any successful business must do, has altered its product to best suit the market. And today’s market is one calling for gas-conserving, greener vehicles to help mitigate the destructive results of such a petroleum-dependent industry.

What follows is a Q & A session with GM’s own Vice President of Environment, Energy, and Safety Policy, Michael Robinson. These questions, and Robinson’s answers, illustrate GM’s commitment to creating a company (and line of automobiles) better suited for an eco-friendly driving culture.

Michael J. Robinson, Vice President of Environment, Energy and Safety Policy, General Motors Company

1-800-RECYCLING: The Chevrolet Volt is the current crown jewel of the GM eco-friendly family. It also carved itself a unique niche in the line of new-age, “green” cars by being designed to accommodate all types of drivers (100% battery powered for most daily commuting needs; longer-range gas engine for longer trips). Based on the success of the Volt, what are GM’s future plans for further developments of green vehicles?
Michael Robinson: We’re pursuing several options to best meet the needs of customers around the world — from gasoline, diesel and biofuels, to electrically driven vehicles like hybrids, plug-in hybrids, electric vehicles with extended range and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. We’re working on improving the fuel efficiency of our entire product lineup to provide our customers with the world’s best cars and trucks.

It’s important to note that you have to put people in a vehicle that not only satisfies the energy issues, but also provides a positive, fun driving experience. People want to love their car and not feel like they’re sacrificing anything to drive it.

Basically, in this automotive revolution we’re in, a lot of solutions are being explored. But one thing is certain: Nobody wins if we produce products customers don’t buy. At GM, we’re looking at what customers want and marrying technologies that help them get it.

1-800-RECYCLING: GM makes a compelling argument about having one of the most fuel-efficient vehicle lines available, but with skyrocketing gas prices and the continued trouble with petroleum-based fuel, is efficiency enough to mitigate the negative impacts (financially and environmentally) of the status quo?
MR: Although most customers say fuel economy is important, they still balance gas costs with other attributes, including functionality, comfort, performance, style and safety. Because of this, we offer high-efficiency products in most high-volume vehicle segments, with more coming to the market each year.

We’re focusing on what we can improve: the efficiency of our gasoline-fueled engines and implementation of advanced technologies. It’s through these actions that we will create more sustainable transportation.

We recently launched the Chevy Volt, and we’ve also begun testing battery electric vehicles in several regions around the world.

We offer 19 models that can run on E85 — more than any other automaker. More than 5.5 million of the 8 million flex-fuel vehicles on the road in North America are GM cars and trucks.

In 2010, we began offering a natural gas fuel package for our full-size vans and the redesigned 6.6-liter Duramax diesel V8 in the Chevy Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD are now factory certified for use with B20 biodiesel.

General Motors is a leader in the development of hydrogen fuel cells and our Project Driveway demonstration fleet of over 100 Chevy Equinoxes has accumulated over 1.4 million real-world miles running on hydrogen.

1-800-RECYCLING: When discussing the fuel efficiency of GM vehicles, the GM website states, “Over the next year, eAssist will be available on the 2012 Buick Regal and 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco and will be the standard powertrain on the 2012 Buick Lacrosse.” What is eAssist, and how will this further evolve the automobile?
MR: eAssist is a new mild-hybrid powertrain that when paired with our existing engines enhances the fuel efficiency by up to 25% and reduces the emissions. eAssist consists of a belt-driven 15-kilowatt electric motor-generator and an advanced lithium ion battery to provide automatic stop-start capability to eliminate most idling, electric torque assist and regenerative braking. On the full-size LaCrosse, the standard eAssist powertrain gets a best-in-class estimated 25 mpg city and 37 mpg highway.

1-800-RECYCLING: GM’s blog features a wealth of information about vehicles, but also features substantial information about other ways GM encourages recycling, conservation and other eco-friendly activities. Can you explain some successful green programs and why is it important to showcase such unrelated activities on the blog?
MR: We have a culture of sustainability at GM, and we’re being more proactive about communicating what we’re doing. We focus on several areas: energy efficiency, resource preservation, waste reduction and greener vehicles. This blog highlights progress we’re making.

For example, we strive to reduce energy use at our global facilities, and we’re one of the leading users of renewable energy in the manufacturing sector, deriving energy for manufacturing operations from solar, hydro and landfill gas resources. We just announced we’re building the largest photovoltaic solar array in southeast Michigan at our Volt factory.

Our Chevrolet Carbon-Reduction initiative is eliminating carbon dioxide from the air while also allowing us to connect with our customers in new ways. Over the next three to five years, we’re investing $40 million in clean-energy projects in communities across the U.S.

More than half of our facilities are landfill-free, recycling, reusing or converting to energy all wastes from daily operations. And we strive to reduce impact on habitats surrounding our facilities and have 15 programs around the world certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council.

Our people are hard at work finding new ways to reduce the impact of our facilities and our products. I’m proud to say these are the people who make up the new face of GM. They’re passionate and they’re doing some amazing stuff.

1-800-RECYCLING: Hybrid, biofuels, fuel cells and electric icons are all proudly displayed at the top of the GM website. Of course, hybrids are a common sight, but can you please explain GM’s green focus on biofuels, fuel cells and electric technologies; where they’ve developed from and how they’re being implemented into present and future vehicles?
MR: We’re working toward products that give people the driving experience they crave while reducing their petroleum dependence and carbon footprint. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer.

Whether it’s biofuels, fuel cells or electric, our engineers are developing advanced technologies that increase efficiency and ensure an enjoyable driving experience.

GM believes biofuels, especially E85 ethanol, are the most significant near-term solution to reduce dependence on petroleum and reduce the carbon footprint of driving. In comparison to gasoline, ethanol burns cleaner with greater efficiency, emitting less carbon dioxide and pollution into the air. We’re the global leader in FFV production. We’re also investing in companies to help increase the speed at which advanced biofuels like cellulosic ethanol enter the market. This ethanol can be made from a variety of innovative sources like agricultural and municipal solid waste, discarded plastics and old tires.

In October 2007, GM activated “Project Driveway,” the world’s largest fuel-cell vehicle demonstration. And deep experience and expertise in batteries, electric motors and power controls will ensure GM provides the best possible choices when it comes to vehicle electrification technologies.

1-800-RECYCLING: On April 13, 2011, the GM blog mentioned that the EcoCAR2 would be making an appearance in the near future. For those of us who were unaware, please explain the idea and importance of the EcoCAR project and how the EcoCAR 2 project will further enhance how eco-friendly our vehicles can be.
MR: EcoCAR 2: Plugging in to the Future, a three-year collegiate student engineering competition, challenges 16 universities across North America to reduce the environmental impact of vehicles without compromising real-world performance or safety. Established by the U.S. Department of Energy and GM, EcoCAR 2 succeeds EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge and builds on a proud 22-year history of DOE Advanced Technology Vehicle Competitions. Through EcoCAR 2, and the previous AVTCs, GM mentors, engineers and executives connect with the next generation of engineers that will help us bring to market advanced technologies. In the past, we have been very successful in recruiting many alumni of competitions like this one (90+ students from Challenge X and EcoCAR) and are hoping to have a similar outcome with this competition.

In year two (fall 2012), we will give each EcoCAR 2 team a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu to begin integrating their advanced technology powertrains and controls. These technologies are the very same approaches that the automotive industry is investigating, including plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles and extended-range electric vehicles.

1-800-RECYCLING: Vehicle use is largely tied into the issue of energy consumption and how older models of energy creation and consumption are outdated. How is GM thinking outside the car and working on producing a way of consuming energy (whether it be fuel or electricity) in cars or at facilities in a manner that does not negatively harm the environment?
MR: Every day, engineers and scientists at GM are working to develop new technologies that’ll help power sustainable, fuel-efficient vehicles. We were just recognized by The Patent Board, which ranked General Motors as the number-one innovator among 182 companies in its quarterly automotive and transportation industry scorecard. And, we received more clean-energy patents last year than any other organization, according to the Clean Energy Patent Growth Index of U.S. patents.

General Motors has many advanced research projects under way that are examining the interface between people, vehicles and the environment. We realize that reducing energy consumption goes well beyond just creating more efficient propulsion systems. GM has been a leader in the development of vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications for nearly two decades.

In 1997, GM led an intelligent highway demonstration test in Southern California that included autonomous vehicle platooning (multiple vehicles communicating with each other and the road to run autonomously in close proximity). In 2007, GM, in partnership with Carnegie Mellon University, won the DARPA urban challenge for autonomous vehicles and since then has also been developing the EN-V concept vehicles.

EN-V or Electric Networked Vehicle is a small-footprint personal urban mobility vehicle that is capable of fully autonomous operation. Using advanced sensing technologies and V2x communications, these vehicles can park themselves or be retrieved using a smartphone application and deliver passengers to their destination automatically. With their small physical footprint, zero-emissions operation and ability to automatically avoid collisions and congestion can help reduce that congestion and get travelers to their destinations quickly, safely and with the least impact on the environment.

1-800-RECYCLING: Vehicles like the Chevy Volt and the Toyota Prius are small, zippy cars that are getting all the attention for revolutionizing the automobile. But what about the truck and SUV lovers? Aside from increasing fuel efficiencies, will trucks and SUVs ever be able to compete on such eco-friendly grounds?
MR:Unlike many automakers, GM is a full-line manufacturer building everything from small city cars like the upcoming Chevy Spark to full-size heavy-duty pickup trucks. We are actively working to improve the efficiency of every one of these vehicles through new propulsion technologies, lighter-weight materials and better aerodynamics.

Customers typically buy full-size pickups and SUVs because they need the capabilities that only these vehicles can provide ranging from room for nine passengers in the Chevy Suburban to the ability to carry a payload of over 3,000 pounds or pull a 20,000-pound fifth-wheel trailer with a GMC Sierra HD. GM is already the only manufacturer to offer a strong hybrid system in its full-size pickups and SUVs and our Duramax diesel is the most efficient engine in its class. While these vehicles will get more efficient in the coming years, basic physics dictates that they will never be as thrifty as a Volt or a Cruze Eco.

Michael Robinson is Vice President of Environment, Energy and Safety Policy. Prior to his current position, he was Vice President and General Counsel of North America for General Motors Company and formerly held the same position for General Motors Corporation. Mr. Robinson joined General Motors in 1984 upon graduation from Villanova Law School and has held a number of positions on the General Motors Corporation legal staff.

Before assuming the NA General Counsel role in 2008, Robinson served as a practice area manager and then managing attorney responsible for a variety of regulatory functions including environmental issues, vehicle regulation issues (safety and vehicle emissions) and marketing and trade regulation issues. Prior to that, he was the corporate compliance officer and among other things led development of the General Motors Guidelines for Employee Conduct (“Winning with Integrity”). During the 1990s, he also provided counsel to General Motors leadership on matters involving lobbying and government ethics issues.

Mr. Robinson graduated with a B.A. in Political Science from the College of the Holy Cross in 1977 and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Air Force from 1977-1981 serving in Mississippi, Oklahoma and Alaska during those years. He received an M.A. in Political Science and International Relations from Oklahoma State University in 1980 and a J.D. from Villanova University in 1984.

Wendy Gordon

Wendy Gordon, head of the NRDC’s green-living sites, returns to “Green is Good” to discuss the role transportation within the world’s cities plays in conservation. It’s no secret that gas in the U.S. is hovering around $4/gallon, so now is the time to investigate how best to move around while lessening oil demand and saving money.

The NRDC examined urban transportation in a new Smarter Cities study that identifies the 15 small, medium and large cities that are making eco-minded (and wallet-friendly) decisions to move their citizens around effectively. Beyond efficient city transportation infrastructure, Gordon provides a number of personal transportation tips that can make a major environmental difference.

“The smartest thing you can do is minimize your driving and bundle your trips,” Gordon explains. “Plan your trips so you only make right turns — right on red saves gas!”

Jim Motavalli

Jim Motavalli, an eco-author and green transportation expert, states that we are headed for “peak oil” — when oil demand soars above oil supply. His new book, High Voltage, due this fall, examines electric vehicles and how they will change our oil dependency.

Motavalli cites the expanding lineup of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric cars as a major accomplishment in green engineering. He also lists the hydrogen fuel cell car, expected to be on the market in 2015, as a paramount in eco-technology.

“It may take 30 years for the internal-combustion engine to disappear from the road,” Motavalli says. “It’s not going to be overnight that we transition, plus [the electric engine is] very much in its infancy right now. I think we’ll see a lot of improvement in the gas car, say as far as 80 miles a gallon, so that will remain a competitive technology.”

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The Toyota Entune is a mobile app, so you can download it to applicable cell phones and access the apps right from your phone. Through touch screen or voice commands via the built-in Entune screen, you can browse through Bing, iheartradio, Pandora, MovieTickets.com, OpenTable and sports, stocks, traffic, news, weather and fuel prices.

Instead of driving from gas station to gas station to find the lowest prices, you can search right from your phone and get a straight shot to the cheapest fuel. The same convenience is at hand with OpenTable, which enables you to search restaurants from the road and even make a reservation from the driver’s seat.

In addition to helping drivers reduce pollution and conserve fuel, the Toyota Entune is a multimedia system that automatically upgrades itself. Because you can download apps from your phone and then connect to your car, the Entune isn’t a technology that will become obsolete anytime soon. It’s wirelessly upgradeable and requires no additional parts or devices.

The actual parts involved in producing the car’s interface are not well documented by the manufacturer, so it’s uncertain how recyclable the Entune is when the car reaches its end of life. At least there is some hope for recyclability with Verizon Wireless and AT&T Bluetooth phones you might be using with the Entune.

While the Entune has some eco-friendly perks, it might keep drivers in the car longer and therefore not offset the production and usage of the Entune. With so much hype about the functions included with this multimedia system, sustainability might have gone right out the window.

This was my answer when trying to search for any shred of green thinking on the official website of popular automaker, Dodge. When searching the word “green” and later “sustainability,” a whopping zero pages that even mention either word were to be found.

This seems strange. Times are such that companies are trying to out-conserve one another as the ever-evolving attempt to open people’s wallets takes on a green hue.

Is Dodge a greener carmaker than we're led to believe? Photo courtesy of Daimler Chrysler.

The Toyota Prius is a modern day icon of eco-friendliness. Nissan and Chevy are set to battle this winter over whose earth-saving commuter car will win out with their respective new electric models, the Leaf and the Volt. Even Ford is getting in the game by offering a new twist on the aged Fiesta, now in its sixth interpretation, with an impressive 40 mpg on the highway (29 mpg city). Lexus, BMW and nearly all others are promoting this gas-sipping feature or that plant-made fabric. So, what’s up with Dodge?

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” appears to be the mentality behind Dodge’s perpetual display of strength, grit and manliness in its TV commercials. I suppose this shouldn’t be surprising considering the company lexicon of “Hemi,” “Viper,” “Challenger” and “Charger” conjures memories of the muscle car glory days. Today, all of these manly iterations of the automobile continue to be seen on our highways, but a relatively eco-friendly surprise is apparent.

Of the entire 2010 line of Dodge models, the gas mileage will raise some eyebrows — in a good way. By make, the Dodge lineup is rated to get the following miles per gallon (highway): Caliber (31), Avenger (30), Charger (26), Challenger (25), Grand Caravan (25), Journey (25), Nitro (22), Ram 1500 Pickup (20), Dakota Pickup (20). All things considered, Dodge is producing some rather efficient vehicles without promoting anything green. In fact, even the iconic Dodge Viper, known for its sensual styling and white-knuckle specs, is rated with 22 mpg!

This all adds up to a carmaker unwilling to bend to market trends while still producing vehicles that can go toe to toe with brands that have a new, splashy, earth-saving image. Of course, there is still a lot of room for improvement (where’s the electric or hybrid model?), but all things considered, Dodge is staying in the game by promoting its unique brand and, albeit quietly, keeping pace with contemporary environmental standards.