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By Team Planet Green IN Travel & Outdoors 1 hour ago
Planet Green, soon to be named Destination America, and National Park Foundation (NPF), the official charity of America’s national parks, have partnered to spotlight the country’s natural marvels during NATIONAL PARK WEEK. + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Travel & Outdoors 4 days ago
It's National Parks Week on Planet Green, and we're celebrating! Take a look at our top online features exploring the splendor of our nation's natural majesty, then tune in April 23 - 27 on TV for a fantastic programming lineup capturing the preserved wilds of our country. + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Travel & Outdoors Apr 4
Take a look at our Q&A where we answer questions about what's in store for Planet Green. + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Travel & Outdoors Jul 2 2011
As the summer heats up, chocolate lovers across the country will be celebrating the season with a favorite BBQ treat: s’mores. These delicious snacks with graham crackers, toasted marshmallows and chocolate bring joy and happiness to children especially, but they may be linked to the exploitation of children in West Africa. The good news is that just as you can make your s’mores with marshmallows toasted just to your liking, you can also cook yours up with chocolate that reflects your values. + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Travel & Outdoors Apr 23 2011
In the wake of the Deepwater Horizon blowout last year, BP repeatedly misled the public about how much oil was spewing into the Gulf of Mexico. Now, as we mark the one-year anniversary of the blowout, company executives would like us to believe that the spill has been cleaned up and the Gulf of Mexico is back to normal. + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Travel & Outdoors Feb 11 2011
Belfast shipyard Harland and Wolff, most famous for its construction of the RMS Titanic, is rekindling its ties to the ill-fated ocean liner with a $3 million project to restore the Nomadic, the ferry that transported passengers for the Titanic’s maiden voyage. + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Nov 8 2010
Anyone who's ever tried to start a car on a cold winter morning, cranking the ignition several times before the internal combustion engine finally chugs to life, knows that their car's battery doesn't perform as well when it's cold as it does when its warm. So when it's cold out, what does that mean for electric cars? + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Nov 8 2010
For better or worse, we've come to rely on our motor vehicles as long-distance conveyances. Even though the average trip by car in the United States is around 10 miles, we want our cars and trucks to be able to take us the 120 miles to Grandma's house for the two or three times a year we actually need to. How will electric cars get us there? + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Nov 5 2010
Cars are dangerous machines. They kill more than 30,000 people per year in the United States alone. What makes them dangerous is their size, their weight, their speed, their momentum and -- perhaps most frighteningly -- they have a tank full of gasoline, a substance that can potentially catch fire and explode. Will electric cars be any more safe? + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Nov 5 2010
In the beginning, your main problem in keeping your electric car well-maintained is going to be finding a mechanic who knows how to do it. But when it comes to more regular maintenance, are electric cars going to require more or less maintenance than gasoline-powered cars? + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Nov 4 2010
One of the first things you learn in Cars 101 is that you need fuel, air and spark to bring a car's engine to life. It's practically a mantra. With electric cars, we have to toss all that out the window. + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Nov 4 2010
In the beginning, long before electric cars were considered cool by mainstream auto snobs, the category was something of an automotive freak show. Throughout the last decade, though, small companies have sprung up to cater specifically to the market that exists for electric car parts. + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Nov 4 2010
The electric car is sure to figure prominently in any conversation about green vehicles. But the subject raises lots of questions. Are electric cars more environmentally friendly than traditional gas-powered vehicles or alternatives like cars that run on hydrogen? And why are electric cars so expensive? We're going to answer these questions, and more, right now. + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Nov 3 2010
More and more, the future of the automobile is looking to be an electric one. That sounds great for the environmentalist crowd, but what about the horsepower-loving, speed-worshipping petrol heads? Will the electric future get to include those drivers who like to go fast? + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Nov 2 2010
For about as long as cars have been around, the thing to say when a powerful car rolls by has been: "How much horsepower are you running?" But now that we're moving to an age of electric vehicles, that may change to "How many kilowatts does that baby have?" + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Nov 2 2010
Happily, the answer is yes -- the batteries that power electric cars can be recycled. For decades, the few electric vehicles that were on the road were powered by lead-acid batteries. The latest models, with their lighter weight and longer range, use lithium-ion batteries. In either case, the batteries that power electric cars can be recycled. Here's how it works. + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Nov 1 2010
If you've looked into electric car ownership at all, you've probably seen the estimated charging times: about 8 hours at a 220-volt outlet, which is a workday or overnight. Not so bad, right? Until that day you need to drive a little extra…can rapid charging bail you out? + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Nov 1 2010
The latest in battery technology is lithium-ion, and it's being used in the electric cars and hybrid cars of the future. Lithium-ion batteries are lighter than previous battery technology and they hold a charge a lot longer, too. Does that make them green? + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Oct 31 2010
It's tough to get a new business off the ground. It's even tougher when you're trying to launch a new industry based on a new product that could alter the ways millions of people get around. Just ask any electric car maker; there are a handful of real challenges facing the electric car industry. + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Oct 30 2010
Growing things need help and encouragement; it's why you cover your tomato plants when frost is forecast and why you make sure your kids eat right and do well in school. The same principles apply to industry. New industries need help to grow. In order to help the electric car industry, the U.S. government has created a number of new programs. + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Oct 29 2010
or electric car manufacturers, it's an exciting proposition: The U.S. Government is asking for bids to supply the government's fleet of vehicles with 100 electric cars. Landing the contract could spur sales and prove to consumers that electric vehicles are practical enough for everyday use. Sounds like a win, but is it that easy? + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Oct 29 2010
Just like a gasoline-powered internal combustion engine, an electric car's motor generates power that drives the wheels to put things in motion. Unlike a gasoline engine, electric vehicles (EVs) deliver power a little differently. So does that mean "horsepower" can still be used to describe electric cars? + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Oct 28 2010
In the last five years, electric cars have gone from being a big joke to being the next big thing. A full lineup of extended-range vehicles will soon be available from a number of manufacturers, putting the electric car within reach of the average consumer. Does that mean they'll replace gasoline-powered cars anytime soon? + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Oct 28 2010
On the heels of range anxiety arises a new fear: grid anxiety. This is the worry that if everybody gets rid of their gasoline-powered cars and charges up their shiny new electric cars in garages across the land, the grid won't be able to handle it, and there'll be a huge blackout. Would that really happen? + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Oct 28 2010
These days, we have no shortage of things in our lives that cause worry and stress. Although electric cars will mean many great things for our planet, like zero emissions and a reduced dependence on fossil fuels, the truth is they're about to give you one more thing to worry about: range anxiety. + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Oct 27 2010
Compared to gasoline-powered cars, electric cars have higher up-front costs. So, while electric cars are cheaper to operate, it can feel like you need a rich uncle to help you buy your own electric car. As it turns out, you've got one: He's your Uncle Sam. + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Oct 27 2010
Nitrous oxide, the same stuff we call laughing gas, is 300 times more efficient than carbon dioxide when it comes to holding in solar energy like a blanket. And since the 1970s nitrous oxide has played an increasingly significant role in nudging the mercury higher. Electric vehicles seem like an ideal solution to the nitrous oxide problem. Are they? + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Work & Connect Oct 27 2010
The American Society for Engineering Education reaches out to students - minorities and young women in particular - to get them interested in engineering. + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Oct 26 2010
People who want to own an electric car face a dilemma. They can either convert their internal-combustion car, or buy a ready-made electric car from one of several manufacturers. But spending $35,000 to $40,000 for a brand-new battery-powered car seems impossible, even with state and federal tax credits. But is converting an existing gas-powered vehicle really a better option? + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Oct 26 2010
Electric vehicles have a long history of ups and downs in the United States. Since their debut in the late 1800s, EV's have been glorified and vilified by consumers and big industry alike, and more recently have been proclaimed as saviors of the Earth's environment. As with all emerging industries, there are a lot of popular misconceptions about electric cars. Let's debunk a few of those myths right now. + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Oct 25 2010
The average automobile owner doesn't have a gasoline pump in the driveway or garage. If you've got a car with a gasoline engine, you're likely in the habit of fueling at a nearby gas station when you're running low. Electric cars, though, are changing the game. Finally, you can "fuel up" just by plugging in at home or on the go. The challenge, though, is whether you can do that just by finding the nearest outlet. + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Oct 25 2010
Did you ever think of your car as being part of your social network? Perhaps you could get a text message when you're low on fuel, or log in to a Web site to see how efficiently your car ran last week. What if these were standard features on every car? Some of these features (and more) are coming with the new generation of electric cars. + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Oct 22 2010
When you're researching vehicles to find the perfect ride, you'll undoubtedly check factors such as performance, cost and reliability. For many car buyers, resale value is another important consideration. When it comes to electric vehicles (EVs), that last point is a difficult one to determine. + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Oct 22 2010
The basic argument in favor of tax incentives for electric cars is that developing new battery technology is very expensive, but applying federal funds will help defray those EV start-up costs and help car companies to increase production. But will those buying incentives actually hurt the electric car industry? + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Oct 21 2010
The growth of zero-emissions vehicles has always been a David vs. Goliath story. Virtually everyone except for the big oil companies seems to agree that electric cars are the future, but challenges related to battery technology, infrastructure and affordability have combined to keep them down. Is it finally time for a comeback? + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Oct 21 2010
Lanthanides might sound like the name of an ancient Greek philosopher. But it’s the term for a row of 15 elements, atomic numbers 57 to 71 on the Periodic Table. Even though they're obscure, they're an important part of building electric cars. So what happens if we run out? + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Oct 20 2010
One paradigm of 21st century life is that each new generation of gadgets is dramatically lighter, smaller, and more energy-efficient and powerful than the old ones we drop off at the recycling center. That’s been true of just about everything from PCs to mobile phones to washing machines. But it hasn't been true for cars. Where will electric cars fit in? + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Oct 20 2010
The automobile is one of those inventions that can be credited to many different inventors. The first "horseless carriages," as these vehicles were known as in the 18th and 19th centuries, were propelled by steam, which was the high-tech propulsion method of its day. However, the idea of making a carriage that was driven by electricity originated with a Scottish inventor named Robert Anderson + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Oct 19 2010
Wireless electric charging, via a method known as electromagnetic induction, is all around us -- do you have a rechargeable electric toothbrush? While it's pretty neat in your toothbrush, it'd be really neat with an electric car. So, when is it going to happen? + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Fashion & Beauty Oct 19 2010
Project Green Search is the search for the next green "it girl". The competition is part of an ongoing campaign aimed at inspiring people to align their careers with their environmental, social and humanitarian ethics. Do you have what it takes? There's only one way to find out... + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Oct 19 2010
Electric cars, unlike cars that use internal combustion engines, emit no polluting gases or particles from the tailpipe. But that doesn't mean that using (and charging) an electric car isn't responsible for greenhouse gas emissions, unless you can charge it up with green electricity. Here's how. + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Oct 18 2010
One of the major obstacles to people buying electric cars on a large scale is figuring out how to replenish the cars' batteries away from home. Lots of methods have been developed, but electric cars still face a real quandary: Finding a standard way for all the different models to charge their batteries up when they're on the go. + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Oct 18 2010
Can you imagine being stuck in the same traffic jam for 20 hours straight? In a snowstorm? How about 10 days straight? It's really happened before! With all-electric cars poised to become a big part of personal transportation, consumers and transportation planners alike will want to know: Can they survive major traffic jams? + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Oct 15 2010
Electric cars are still new enough on the scene that there are still many questions being asked about the viability of the technology: Is it safe? Will it last long, and work well? One of the biggest questions of all: Does extreme weather affect electric cars? + READ MORE
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By Team Planet Green IN Tech & Transport Oct 13 2010
We all know solar panels are a great way to generate renewable power, but where to put them? While it's a common sight to see them on the rooftops of homes and buildings, some engineers are experimenting with putting solar panels on roads -- or rather, making roads out of solar panels. What would that do for electric cars? + READ MORE
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