Plug In Singapore - November 2009

A good friend of mine is holding an event in November focused on electric vehicle infrastructure, technologies and information. The event has some great speakers, both government and private and will be the first EV show in Singapore. Plug-In Singapore provides a platform and meeting place for local and global thought leaders from the Electric, Hybrid, and Alternative Fuels Vehicle and Infrastructure support ecosystem to define actionable frameworks for next generation clean transportation solutions in Asia Pacific.

You can see more at http://www.cleantechagency.com/plugin-sg/overview.html

Five of the best: environmentally-friendly, safe cars

We all like to be green, but that shouldn't come at the expense of our safety. Thankfully the latest Euro NCAP test results have just been announced and with two hybrids among the top performers it seems you can save the environment and be around to enjoy it should you be unlucky enough to crash. We all want to be green when we're driving, but to do so typically it's best to be small and light. That goes against conventional thinking that bigger and heavier is best in an accident. Modern cars are supremely engineered for crashworthiness, meaning even some of the greenest cars your money can buy will help save you in the event of a collision. Euro NCAP tests cars for safety and has just announced its latest results. Among them are two hybrids, proving green cars can be safe too. Here's five of the best cars you can buy that protect not just you but the environment too.

Toyota Prius, Tough Toyota
Toyota's green darling is a tough performer in latest Euro NCAP tests.

Honda Insight, Hard Honda
Insight not just clean and green, it's a real star in Euro NCAP's crash tests.
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Renault Grand Scenic, Robust Renault
Carry more people and share the CO2 emissions among you with Renault's Grand Scenic.

VW Polo BlueMotion, Vice-less Volkswagen
Miniature Golf delivers big safety as well as excellent economy and emissions.
Read more

Skoda Yeti, Sturdy Skoda
A tough, capable off-roader that's commendably green too, the Yeti is worth hunting down.

Toyota to mass-produce plug-ins in 2012

Toyota Motor plans to start mass-producing plug-in hybrid cars in 2012, according a report.

The Japanese business newspaper Nikkei said on Saturday that the first year's production is expected to be about 20,000 to 30,000 cars.

Current Priuses use nickel metal hydride batteries, but for its plug-in vehicles Toyota plans to use lithium ion batteries developed and made through a joint venture with Panasonic.

The plug-in hybrid cars from Toyota will be able to go between 12 and 18 miles on a battery charge alone, according to the paper, which Reuters cited.

There will be a wave of plug-in electric sedans coming to market over the next two years. In addition to a plug-in Prius, Toyota is making an all-electric city car called the FT-EV, which is expected in 2012.

The highly anticipated 2011 Chevy Volt is scheduled to go into production in late 2010. Unlike a traditional hybrid, the Volt will run entirely off its batteries and use the internal combustion engine to charge the battery for rides longer than 40 miles.

Miley Cyrus the eco pop princess

Pop star Miley Cyrus traded in her sporty Porsche birthday present for an eco-friendly Toyota Prius , because she felt like a hypocrite behind the wheel of a gas guzzler.

The singer/actress was handed the keys to her mother's Porsche when she turned 16 in November, but now her father has bought her a green Prius -- and Cyrus couldn't be more relieved.


Speaking to Los Angeles DJ Ryan Seacrest on his breakfast show, she explained, "First of all, the Porsche is really hard to drive. ... This thing is really huge. "I'm really into the environment; I'm always telling people to get more into it and there are different ways to stay green and then I'm driving, like, this big ol' tank and I'm like, 'That could not be any more hypocritical."


But, after selling the sportscar to a family friend, Cyrus' dad Billy Ray decided to take his daughter car shopping -- and, at first, he wasn't sold on the idea of buying her a Prius.
Miley adds, "He thought it was a chick car, so he didn't like it that much, and it is a chick car."