When you think of green hotspots around the world, Arkansas is unlikely to feature on the list. However, students at Hendrix College in the state have firmly caught the green bug. Students and staff have been making huge strides towards green living by implementing geothermal heating in dorms and offering a major in environmental studies. Now, they are introducing electric cars on the grounds. Speaking about the decision to bring electric cars to the college, Mark Scott, director of media ... read more

 Continuing the theme from our earlier post on how the cash crisis could kill electric cars, it now appears that hybrid cars too could come under threat. CEO of Japan’s Nissan Motor and France’s Renault, Carlos Ghosn, warned that car manufacturers “can’t find the financing” for aggressive development of green cars during a speech at the LA Auto Show. He expects the recession in the motoring sector to last until 2010 and says car makers are struggling to divert ... read more

 The LA Auto Show may open to the public tomorrow, but there won’t be much home-grown talent on display on American soil. Whereas foreign competitors are busily launching a cluster of new vehicles and green cars at the annual showcase, such as the BMW Mini E, an electric two-seater, General Motors and Chrysler will be virtual no-shows at the event as they are not sending any senior executives or holding any Press conferences. Ford will be represented at the event but will face stiff ... read more

 With the US motoring industry in trouble, with General Motors, Ford and Chrysler all reeling from the effects of the credit crunch, Washington is weighing up a potential bailout - but there may be green strings attached. As car manufacturers in countries around the world, and particularly in Japan, have left the US auto industry behind in their development of green cars President-elect Barack Obama called for an end to a reliance on oil. Now with the automobile market shifting towards more ... read more

Following numerous tales of downturn and struggles within the U.S motor industry, the White House may finally be offering hope to car manufacturers.   “Congress will have a chance to meet next week, and if they decide to move forward with something additional [for carmakers], we will be able to listen to their ideas,” said Dana Perino, White House press secretary told the Financial Times. Meanwhile the America’s largest carmaker, General Motors (GM) woke to find their shares ... read more

 Whether a valid point or a sign of desperation the manager of struggling automaker Ford’s truck division, has launched a scathing attack on his competitors following Chrysler’s hybrid truck losses. The race is already on among manufacturers to produce green cars, and now GM and Chrysler are attempting to forge ahead with the creation of more fuel efficient trucks - with hybrid models being created. However, Ford, which creates the best-selling F150 truck, has thus far resisted ... read more

 As rumours swirl that General Motors (GM) is in talks with both Chrysler and Ford to secure some form of tie-up, the manufacturer is said to be campaigning hard to receive its share of the US “green” funds as soon as possible to help it complete a transition to become a manufacturer of green cars. The funds, which were approved by the US House of Representatives last month, have yet to be forthcoming and with GM in the middle of a cost-cutting, asset-shedding programme aimed at ... read more

 Earlier this week we informed you that Chrysler would be launching a brand new line of electric cars - and now the details of these vehicles have been released. The vehicles will come in three different formats - a sports car, an SUV and a mini-van, representing one each for its brands Dodge, Jeep and Chrysler. One electric-drive model will be produced in 2010 for consumers in North American markets and this will be released in European markets at a later date.  Here is a brief summary of ... read more

 Chrysler LLC is working on a brand new line of electric cars - and will be revealing them to dealers this week. The company had debuted three different electric drive concept cars at the Detroit Auto Show back in January. These included the Chrysler ecoVoyager Concept, which is an electric vehicle with a fuel cell range extender; the Jeep Renegade Concept, which is an electric with a BLUETEC diesel range extender; and the Dodge Zeo Concept, which is a battery electric vehicle that has a ... read more

 Green cars continue to be a central theme in this year’s US Presidential election campaigns and now the federal government has moved a step closer to granting the $25bn low-interest loans requested by the auto industry. According to reports in Reuters, Congressional Democratic leaders have articulated their support for the proposal and House of Representative Speaker Nancy Pelosi described the loans as “very important to our country”. The loans have been designed to help ... read more