For many consumers, electric vehicle ownership has been a nonstarter for purely financial reasons. The math indicated that the money one saved in gas from an EV was usually outweighed by the car’s high initial price. But the math has been changing.
Green
Light Switch: Why You’ll Start Using LED Bulbs This Year
LED bulbs are already the go-to technology for illuminating cell phones, tablets and TVs. They haven’t become the standard in the lamps and lights in American households, however, largely because they’re so expensive. But as prices drop sharply, the upgrade to LED makes more and more sense.
Dumpster Diver Café? ‘Underground Restaurant’ to Feature Discarded Foods – And No Prices
The practice of “dumpster diving” has been featured in reality TV shows and parodied on “Portlandia.” This summer, foods salvaged from supermarket dumpsters will play a central role in a very unusual Boston-area café.
Buy an Electric Car, Get a Gas-Powered Car Free
A buy-one-get-one-free special on cars? Not exactly. To ease consumer concerns about the limited driving range of electric vehicles, two automakers are giving buyers free access to traditional gas-powered rental cars and loaners throughout the year.
North America Gets Its First Sustainable ‘Active Home’ — And It’s in the American Heartland
Over the weekend, an open house was held in the suburbs of St. Louis, Mo. OK, there were lots of open houses over the weekend in the region. But one in particular stood out, for it featured the first “active home” in North America.
Are Electric-Car Enthusiasts a Little Too Enthusiastic?
Some electric vehicle owners have over-the-top praise for their cars’ performance and practicality. Does that mean the vast majority of drivers on the road are stupid for not being EV early adopters?
6 Weird New Taxes You Might Have to Pay (If You’re Not Already)
Why is it that government officials seem inspired to reach the heights of creativity coming up with new taxes? Who knows. But their efforts could mean you’ll be paying new taxes on everything from bicycles to bowling, 2-by-4s to marijuana.
Turns Out You Won’t Get Rich Hunting Pythons in Florida’s Swamps
The Python Challenge sounded like a pretty bad idea. In reality, it was probably worse than most people imagined.
Virginia Is Worried Cars Are Becoming Too Fuel-Efficient
The average fuel economy of new vehicles rose 6% in 2012, and cars are expected to use less and less gas going forward. Isn’t that a good thing?
Lots of Goodies Were Stuffed into the Fiscal Cliff Deal
A host of special interests, from filmmakers to rum distillers, got tax breaks in last week’s fiscal cliff deal.
Is It Time to Declare the Nissan Leaf a Flop?
The headline for a recent Detroit News story has it that the “20,000 sales target [is] unlikely” for the Nissan Leaf. But “unlikely” is probably understating things. It appears as if Nissan won’t get halfway to its 20,000-Leaf …
