LA Auto Show Design Challenge entrants reveal Youthmobile 2030 designs And you thought the Aptera looks futuristic...		CAFE credits for EVs - will we repeat the E85 system? It's not a rule yet, but people are already calling shenanigans.
	BP prepares output of new biofuels - algae diesel and butanol - starting in 2010 Remember, it's all about the energy not the oil.	Other news: Plug-in vehicles will get special license plate in Ontario next year Toyota's long hybrid patent fight with Paice continues in court Renault partnering with L'Oréal on Zoe Z.E electric spa concept [w/VIDEO]

	Smart Fortwo: World's Most Fuel Efficient Drift Car? The iconic city car will get tested in a scene in Night and Day, starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz.		SAM begins rebirth as Re-Volt in Poland Funny-looking doesn't begin to describe.
	Chrysler to outfit Fiat 500-approved dealers with specific showroom "salons" Do they think they'll need that much help selling this thing to Americans?	Other news: Perennial wishes: Auto industry execs calling for higher gas tax yet again BusinessWeek: Prius one of the 50 Ugliest Cars of the Past 50 Yearsl Rendered racing fantasy: 1-Liter Racing surfs to the future

	STUDY: Lots of local, green electricity possible for most of the U.S. Cost is an issue, but energy independence is totally possible.		Driving for Economy: Suzuki Alto gets 117 mpg in Global Green Challenge An easy throttle makes the difference.
	Toyota to launch battery electric vehicle in 2012, fuel cell in 2015 Nothing specific was announced, but we won't be surprised if Toyota's BEV looks like a city car.	Other news: Motorcycle Industry Council: Two-wheelers are green Nissan Leaf heading south of the border to Mexico Cityl Fisker picks large distributor for European Karma sales, nearing UAW deal

	Editorial: Henderson's fuel cell 10X cost comments are out of context Why the cost of the Volt and the Equinox should not be compared directly.		REPORT: Mini's future models roadmapped; big, small, efficient and diesel (maybe) Oil-burning Minis in the U.S.? Under consideration, but don't hold your breath.
	Rumormill: Piaggio working on electric Moto Guzzi? It seems possible.	Other news: REPORT: Toyota plans to trim trucks, focus on hybrids, improve quality Cheap electric car conversions could come from lead acids + supercapacitor Ferrari reportedly confirms all-wheel drive hybrid system

NASCAR has already gone solar and wants to help you (not themselves) use less fuel, but the cold hard reality is that those ovals are being made in cars that get around five miles per gallon. Not exactly hybrid SUV territory there. So, to reduce the amount of fossil fuels used in each race, race organizers are looking at maybe – just maybe – using alternative fuels in some of the cars.

Before NASCAR gets that ca-razy, though, there are other ways the series might use fewer resources. At least NASCAR's first director of green innovation, Mike Lynch, makes it clear that, "We're not attempting to take any high ground. [...] This is a pragmatic approach to green, and what we're doing now is just the beginning."

Part of the problem is that NASCAR fans don't want to give up what they've become accustomed to. Lee White, president of Toyota Racing Development, told USAToday that, "Doubling fuel mileage means half the horsepower, and putting fans in the stands requires a show." Driver Sam Hornish, Jr. adds, "No one is going to come watch us run battery-powered cars. I don't see anyone making enough electric power to go 200 mph."

Driver Brian Vickers is also more than willing to take the let's-all-do-something-but-you-go-first approach. He said, "Do our cars need to be more fuel efficient? Absolutely. But I think as a whole there's a lot bigger low-hanging fruit we can go after as a sport. There are a lot of fans that come to these races, and there's a lot we don't recycle that we could."

Some of that low-hanging fruit are carbon offsets, possibly replacing carburetors with (gasp!) fuel injection and finally Coke's race-side display that "highlight(s) its recycling businesses and has placed more than 2,600 recycling bins at a dozen tracks that have collected more than 65,000 pounds of recyclable material." When you have such a history of going in circles, maybe progress isn't your forte.

[Source: USAToday via Domestic Fuel]
Photo by pocketwiley. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

	GM CEO: electric cars require teamwork; hydrogen cars 10x more expensive than Volt "We can't carry the load ourselves. GM can't. No way," says Fritz.		Aptera officially resubmits application for DOE loan Now that it's a car, it's time to get building.
	Ford dismisses battery swaps Exchanges don't make sense, says the Blue Oval's Nancy Gioia.	Other news: Mission (sorta) Accomplished: Shocking Barack Tour ends [w/VIDEO] 5 mpg = green in NASCAR Eating his words: Michael Pollan retracts Hummer-vegan/Prius-meat-eater comment

The wild things have left the movie theaters and are headed toward Las Vegas. Destination? SEMA. Case in point, the Rally Fighter. Local Motors, the company that plans to build the offroadster, is attempting an industry first: dipping into the collective wisdom of the Internet (we're not sure if "wisdom" is the right word there, but whatever) to crowdsource the design and specifications of their first vehicle. Intended to be an eco-minded Baja-capable daily driver, the Rally Fighter uses a BMW 335d powerplant to achieve 36 mpg on the highway and 30 mpg off-road. Why is decent fuel economy important? Local Motors' CEO Jay Rogers fought in the Iraq war as a Marine and "saw the oil problem with his own eyes," says the company's PR.

According to company officials, the Rally Fighter left Wareham, Massachusetts yesterday in order to make it to SEMA for its unveiling on November 3. For more on Local Motors' microfactory and crowdsourcing processes, you can check out a video of Rogers after the jump. You don't often hear an automotive CEO compare his company to Build-A-Bear, but you can in this case.



[Source: Local Motors]

Read more →

	Greenlings: How does weight affect a vehicle's efficiency? How much is that junk in your trunk costing you?		Vroom for everyone: Local Motors unveiling crowdsourced Rally Fighter at SEMA The wild things have left the movie theaters and are headed to SEMA.
	REPORT: Tesla gets creative $28 million tax incentive in California CA cozys up to the Model S.	Other news: Report: General Motors delays Cruze launch by three months Megacity will be BMW's first to use carbon fiber "on a large scale" Electric motorcycle revolution means business not-as-usual

	Joe Biden reveals Fisker's future plans: sedan, coupe and crossover in the works Project Nina just got a lot more interesting.		GM-Volt founder stranded, learns why EVs take so long to bring to market Read the fine print.
	PEV 2009: 1916 Woods Dual Power Model 44 Coupe hybrid on display The specifications are only slightly worse than a potential 2016 model.	Other news: Fanciful rendering of Audi Avatar shows what ultralights could be like in 2032 Bright Automotive announces eSolutions, army plug-in hybrid contract Axon Automotive unveils plug-in hybrid

	Production Aptera 2e leaked again on forum Still immediately recognizable, but more refined now.		Tesla Roadster runs 313 miles on a charge in Global Green Challenge It wasnt' fast, but it was far.
	Officially, Official: Fisker buys GM's Wilmington Delaware plant Project Nina gets a home.	Other news: REPORT: Generation Y will "redefine" automotive market, trends green and big REPORT: Toyota develops its own flower species for cleaner air at Prius plant Mercedes GL350 BlueTec wins best SUV at Texas Truck Rodeo