What’s Good for the Environment can be Great for Business

I enjoy learning about how I can help the environment and staying up to date on which green businesses are playing a role in this revolution. My understanding of why everyone needs to contribute to this solution continues to branch out in many new directions as well. From reducing to reusing to recycling, this century's eco-friendly innovators have helped pave the way for a growing awareness about environmental concerns that is sweeping the globe. Here are some examples of how green businesses are helping create a cleaner and safer environment. Plastic Reduction

The most basic way people can start helping clean up the environment is bringing their own bags to the grocery store. Instead of choosing between paper and plastic bags, both of which create a strain on the environment, bringing your own cloth bag is reusable, reducing the need to cut down trees and drill for oil, which is where plastic products come from. Several U.S. cities such as San…

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A Tesla in Norway? King of the Road for 1/2 Price.

In the United States, a @TeslaMotors will run you $70,000 or so. But Norway is an ideal market for Tesla because of the country’s embrace of electric vehicles, the fact that it’s a wealthy country and because the government heavily taxes gasoline-burning luxury cars. Because the Model S is electric, Tesla can take advantage of a Norwegian tax regime that makes the Model S the least expensive luxury sedan in the market. At half the total price of comparable luxury cars like the Porsche Panamera S or the Audi S6, a Model S bought in Norway is a bargain. No tax for EVs Free Charging Free Parking No Tolls World traveler Rick Steves explains in this video from Norway this week.

As a percentage of total market share, electric cars are more popular in Norway than anywhere else in the world. So it’s no wonder Tesla Motors Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) made the country the focus of its global expansion plans early on.

It’…

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100% Electric Vehicles & Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle Sales Have Record Month

Originally published on EV Obsession. As you can see in the table above, 100% electric cars, plug-in hybrid electric cars (PHEVs), and conventional hybrid electric cars continue to do better and better. 100% electrics were up 457.48% in August 2013 compared to August 2012. And they were up 515.51% January through August 2013 compared to January through August 2012. PHEVs are also up considerably, as are conventional hybrids. The increases for each of the above (compared to 2012) are quite similar to the increases we saw in July. August was clearly the best month ever for 100% electric sales in the US, as well as PHEV sales. It’s also the best month I’ve seen for conventional hybrid vehicle sales, but I haven’t been tracking those long enough to know if it was indeed the country’s best month ever in that category. Who Are The Big Movers & Shakers? Not much has changed as regards the leaders in EV and hybrid sales. The Tesla Model S continues to do exception…
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Why Americans Aren’t Buying more EVs

Are we worried we'll be stalled on the side of the rode with a juiceless ride? Do we balk at the sound of a quiet car? Maybe we're afraid we'll miss the smell of burned petrol. Here's a new study that shows why more Americans are not plugging in and jumping on the EV bandwagon. Nino Marchetti for Earthtechling Are we as Americans so addicted to our gas guzzling vehicles that we are unwilling to consider the benefits of more environmentally friendly forms of transportation, such as electric cars, unless it can be proven to us in a dollars and sense kind of way? That’s one take away to be considered from a recent global survey of electric vehicle opinions by research firm GfK. In its study, GfK found only 36 percent of Americans think highly of electric vehicles, which ranks us a little above China only amongst six national markets looked at. Those who outrank us in terms of “very or mainly favorable opinion” were Japan (82%), Russia (72%), Spain (65%) and France (61%). …
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Driverless Electric Shuttle debuts in Singapore (VIDEO)

My dream of one day being a shuttle driver in Singapore may now be in the gutter…but this video does show that all is not lost–especially if you’re on this 100% electric, 100% driverless shuttle.

by Jo Borrás for CleanTechnica.

One of my favorite things about St. Augustine are the tourist trolleys that shuttle people around the historic sites and let you learn the history of that old city without worrying too much about the traffic, pedestrians, drunken pub-crawlers, etc. Despite cutting down on the number of rental cars, the trolleys aren’t nearly as clean as they can be. The ones I experienced were Ford V8-powered machines, or else not-so-clean diesels with train bodies. So, how do we get the benefits of a downtown trolley without so much combustion? Singapore has the answer: an electric shuttle that drives itself called the Navia.

Here’s a quick video, from Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, that …

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GM Drops Sticker Price For Chevy Volt For 2014

Nino Marchetti for Earthtechling General Motors is set to debut the 2014 Chevrolet Volt, and with the new model year of what’s noted as being the best selling plug-in vehicle in America comes a price drop. The extended range electric vehicle will start for $34,995 which, with a federal tax credit of up to $7,500, could drop the starting price to $27,495 before one applies other price reductions such as green vehicle rebates in select states. GM is looking to broaden the vehicle’s exposure to price-sensitive prospective buyers, especially in regards to trying to make the Volt competitive against lower cost gas-powered sedans. Those who pony up for the car will be joining those, according to the automaker, who, when charging regularly, drive 900 miles between fill-ups and visit the gas station about once a month. The 2014 Volt will continue to provide owners with [a] fuel economy of 98 MPGe (electric) and 35 city/40 highway on gasoline power without any need to change thei…
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