That new car smell is not good for you

As environment-friendly Martha Stewart might know, that new car smell is not a good thing.

In fact, inhaling the fumes from your new car can be toxic and are created from a literal soup of chemicals such as arsenic and formaldehyde, which can take years to completely be “out-gassed” from your new car’s interior materials.

In fact, Americans spend so much time in their cars, the “out-gassing” of so-called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from new car interiors and new car seat parts like the steering wheel, dashboard, seats and carpets are a big concern as these are known contributors to acute and long-term health problems.

Unfortunately, with the auto industry slowdown on the minds of car execs and politicians, combating indoor air pollution in new cars is not getting much play. Interestingly, automakers in Europe and Japan are serious about making their cars less toxic, especially for those who suffer from environmental allergies.

So, can America’s Big Three really take on yet another eco challenge in a market focused mostly on fuel efficiency and lowering carbon dioxide emissions? Some American automakers are already making strides to clean up chemical emissions inside their cars.

General Motor’s vehicles, in fact, showed a 27 percent improvement in cleaning up indoor air pollution, so says findings from The Ecology Center’s annual HealthyCar.org study.

Using portable X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) technology, The Ecology Center tests almost 300 new cars and car seats for toxic chemicals like bromine, chlorine, lead and heavy metals. These chemicals have been linked to health issues such as birth defects, liver toxicity, cancer, allergies and impaired learning.

XRF is the dominate technology used to quickly screen products for harmful chemicals,” said Jeff Gearhart, director of the Ecology Center’s Clean Car Campaign. XRF is used by the Food and Drug Administration, Homeland Security, Consumer Products Safety Commission and many leading companies to screen harmful chemicals in consumer products.

“We still see far too many vehicles that are very chemical intensive,” Gearhart said. “The good news is within every vehicle class, we have vehicles we rank that have minimal use of these chemicals.”

Some of the least toxic New cars found in the Ecology Center study are:
Porsche 911
Honda Accord
Dodge Caliber
Saturn Astra XR
Dodge Charger
Toyota Tacoma
Acura RDX

The study found the following New Car models are the most toxic:
Suzuki Forenza
Suzuki Reno
Lincoln Mark LT
Mitsubishi Eclipse
BMW 128i

For consumers thinking about buying a new car or car set, you can visit HealthyCar.org and search the findings by model or compare models.

But is the testing really valid?

Officials at Chrysler, which received low or moderate ratings from the Ecology Center for all of their 2008 models, disputed the findings. “This information is meaningless, however, because the entire study was poorly designed and executed,” said Max Gates, Chrysler’s safety and regulatory communications spokesperson.

Basically, Gates said, the study did not measure chemicals in the air of the passenger compartments tested. “Rather, the test only determined the compounds contained in the materials used to assemble the vehicle. There is no way to determine how much, if any, of those compounds becomes airborne.”

Gates called the Ecology Center’s annual report a “scare tactic,” which amounts to alarming the public “with no data to support any claims of risk.”

To reduce indoor air pollution in all of its vehicles, Gates noted Chrysler has been evaluating passenger compartment air quality regularly and “consistently screens materials and products, including new products, for their effects on air quality.”

“Chrysler is just plain ignorant of the science,” retorted The Ecology Center’s Gearhart. “All recent studies, including ours, have found vehicles to be the most universally contaminated environment that we spend in.” Gearhart also claimed that dozens of peer review studies show these chemicals are “ubiquitous in dust and air in our homes, offices and cars and are building up in our actual bodies.”

Allergy-sensitive cars

In Europe, allergy-tested vehicles are all the rage. Surprisingly, Ford Motor Company is one of Europe’s leaders in helping make car interiors free of allergens and chemicals. In fact, Ford has more than 100 materials and components tested for their allergy-causing potential by an independent lab based in Germany.

“Additionally, all components likely to have direct and prolonged skin contact such as steering wheel and seat covers, floor mats and seat belts are also dermatologically tested,” said Adrian Schmitz, Ford of Europe’s communications and public affairs director.

Schmitz also said Ford avoids or tries to reduce the use of allergy-provoking substances such as latex, chrome or nickel. Ford of Europe’s allergy-sensitive models - such as its all-new Kuga crossover - are equipped with a high-performance pollen filter, which was also tested by the same independent German lab, TUV.

“The filter effectively prevents pollen, a particular concern for allergy sufferers, from entering the vehicle’s interior,” Schmitz said.

Ford offers seven allergy-sensitive models in Europe including the Ka, Focus, C-MAX, S-MAX, Galaxy and Mondeo. These Ford vehicles are the first in the world to have passed these stringent TÜV standards. And earlier this year, Ford became the first car manufacturer to receive the European Centre for Allergy Research Foundations seal of quality.

In Japan, Toyota Motor Company says it is also minimizing the negative effects vehicles have on drivers and passengers. “We strive to reduce the concentration of potentially harmful chemicals, such as volatile organic compounds, in our vehicle manufacturing,” said Bill Kwong, Toyota’s product communications manager based in Torrance, California.

Kwong says Toyota’s American-built vehicles have been asked to meet voluntary vehicle volatile organic chemical (VOC) standards set by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association by 2011. “We are currently developing low VOC technologies that will ensure our compliance with these regulations,” Kwong added.

For example, Kwong, said Toyota has worked with its materials suppliers to reduce aldehydes by developing a grade of polyacetal that reduces formaldehyde emissions by 80 percent.

“In addition, we are developing new tape systems to reduce toluene emissions. The new technology reduces the level of toluene emitted by more than 90 percent,” he said. Toluene can affect the nervous system, causing weakness, confusion, fatigue, vision and hearing loss, nausea and memory loss.

Neutralizing that new car smell

So, what if you bought a new car and that new car smell is making you worry about possible health concerns or bothering your allergy-sensitive nose?

Brookstone carries an inexpensive ($35) ionic auto air purifier. But does it really work? I tried one out recently in one of my bad-smelling road test cars. Amazingly, the Brookstone ionic air purifier truly did “neutralize” that toxic car smell.

The purifier easily plugs right into your car’s cigarette lighter socket and even includes a built-in socket so you can still charge your phone, MP3 player or personal navigation system. The fit-in-your-hand system works by emitting negatively-charged ions to help remove bad odors, smoke and other airborne pollutants.

Plus, studies show negative ions are good for reducing stress and calming nerves, something you definitely need when driving on America’s traffic-congested streets and highways.

[via]cnn

6 things never to tell a car salesman

When you're shopping for new wheels, there are certain things you should keep to yourself.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- In a car-buying transaction, even the nicest, most honest car salesman has interests that are very different from yours.

He's paid to sell you what his dealership has at as large a profit as possible. The better he does that, the more he, and the dealereship, make.

You, on the other hand, want the best car you can get at the best price you can get.

Welcome to capitalism. At some point, you have to negotiate those conflicting interests. As in all negotiations, there are certain things you definitely shouldn't let slip.

Working with Phil Reed, consumer advice editor at Edmunds.com, we boiled down the six things you least want to say when you're shopping for a car.

1. I love, love, love this car
Even if a car has your heartstrings in a white-knuckled stranglehold, never let on. Stay calm and pretend you're looking over a microwave oven.

By admitting that you're smitten, you've given a salesman - and the sales manager and everyone else in the process - the combination to your personal safe.

The salesman will, of course, sympathize and want to help you out. But he'll tell you the sales manager, you see, well... That's a really hot car and we had someone in here just the other day and... He just won't take less than...

They know you're not about to walk away. Bottom line: Cars you're not in love with are usually a lot cheaper.

2. I need to get a car by tomorrow
If there's anything worse than being in love, it's being in desperate need. Letting on that you need a set of wheels immediately is, basically, telling the salesman "I won't be thinking too much about any of this."

He knows you won't be looking too closely at the particulars of the deal and you aren't likely to drive across town to try to get a better price.

It also means you're more likely to accept whatever he shows you from the dealership's inventory even if it doesn't exactly suit you. In other words, you may be presenting yourself as an opportunity to unload a bit of slow-moving inventory.

Even if you really do need a car quickly, act like you have a month to decide. But you would consider buying today if you found a car that really pleases you at a price you like.

3. I need a monthly payment of...
It's understandable that many car shoppers are "payment shoppers." Most of us have no idea how much car we can afford except by looking at how much it would cost us each month.

But saying "I want a payment of less than $350 a month" is like going into a box store and asking for a two-inch box. You'll notice that some dimensions are missing. You could end up with a box that's 12 feet long.

Almost any given monthly payment is possible provided the loan is long enough and the downpayment is big enough. Over the course of, say, seven years, $350 a month can add up to a lot more than $350 a month for three or four years.

To understand how much car you can really afford, you need more than a monthly payment figure. Know what monthly payment you want, for how long and how much you want to pay up front. You also need a fairly good idea of what your trade-in is worth.

To keep it really simple, just figure out what price you can afford for the car -based on your monthly budget and trade-in value - and negotiate that one big number. Talk about downpayment and monthly payment and negotiate the value of your trade-in after that.

4. My trade-in's outside
A salesperson will usually want to know, early on, if you have a vehicle to trade in. If you tell him that you do and that it's parked, conveniently, right outside, he'll ask you for the keys.

That way the used car manager can assess its value while you're negotiating. It'll save time.

Well, he has a point there. But consider the downsides. You've just handed the salesperson your car keys and he's given them off to someone else.

Guess what's going to happen if you reach an impasse in the negotiations and decide it's time to leave. You'll have to ask for you car keys back. And, odds are good, they will have been misplaced.

You'll be negotiating a while longer.

5. I don't know anything about leasing
Even if you're never going to lease a car, you need to know about leasing, if only to know exactly why you're never going to lease a car.

That's because there's a good chance someone will try to sell you on the idea. And they might be right. It could be a good choice for you. But it probably isn't.

First of all, leasing makes sense only for people who know - really know - they will not be keeping a car for more than a few years.

Beyond that, you need to understand the terminology and costs of leasing beyond the monthly payments, the number salesperson will focus on. You need to know how many miles are included in the lease and if there's additional money you need to pay up front or at the close of the lease.

6. My credit's a little spotty
Many people underestimate their own credit rating - and they're the people who are big moneymakers for car dealers. Part of the interest you pay is shared with the dealership, so they might be pleased to confirm your belief that you don't qualify for a low interest rate.

To make sure you're getting the best financing deal, secure your own financing before you start shopping. Having another loan in place - one you can use if you don't like what the dealership is offering - gives you negotiating power. It also lets you know exactly what you qualify for.

In most cases, a dealership's finance office - working with a manufacturer-affiliated auto financing company - should be able to get you a more-than-competitive rate.

copy : cnn

10 Beautiful Roads

Hi readers, one of my mates has forwarded me an email of the “Ten Beautiful Roads”. I got know idea where it is located? So I added a number on each pictures, if any of you know the name of the place, please leave at the comment. Continue reading for the remaining 9 roads.

Electric bicycles: 10 reasons you should try one

Electric bicycles are coming of age. If the last one you rode was heavier than a fridge-freezer, fizzled out after a few miles and sported an astronomical price tag, you're in for a pleasant surprise with today's modern machines. Here are 10 good reasons for jumping on an electric bike today.

1. They're better value than scooters

Compared to a push bicycle, electric bicycles look expensive: they're generally twice the price of normal bikes with a similar spec. But because of the range and speed electric cycling offers, a fairer comparison is with electric scooters and mopeds. A poor-performing electric scooter, like the StreetScoota, will cost you £1,000. A top-of-the-range nippy electric bike such as the Wisper 905se, on the other hand, will set you back just £1,200.

But what about the running costs? They're tiny. The Electric Transport Shop, one of the UK's most popular electric bike retailers, reckons a full charge for most electric bikes will set you back 5p. Even if you ride 10 miles every day for 365 days a year, you'll only pay £9.10 each year. That's cheaper than a peak day Travelcard (Zones 1-6) in London. For full greenie points, make sure you're on a green electricity tariff.


2. There's a style for everyone

As you can see from the three models above, electrics come in all shapes and sizes. I've been riding the trio on loan from the Electric Transport Shop, and found there really is a design for everyone. Take the best-selling Windsor, pictured above right. A step-through model -- the modern parlance for "lady's bike" -- it costs a relatively affordable £600.

Although two female friends loved the Windsor for the sit-up-and-beg riding position and the slight boost it offered, a third female rider hated the weight, and it didn't float my boat. Compared to my normal push bike, it was heavier to lug through the house, slower on the flat and harder up hills because its lowest gear just isn't very low. Still, I can see how it'd at low speeds and short distances, it could be attractive, since it does give a gentle but tangible assist when you start off.

3. Great for commuting by train

If you fancy cutting the journey time on both sides of your rail commute, folding bicycles are a great option. And an electric folder is even more attractive if you're surrounded by hills or don't want to sweat en route to work.

I've been testing the GreenEdge Silverado, pictured above. This is a powerful bike that zooms you up steep hills. I went up Primrose Hill in London at 13mph, which is fast for such an incline. It's also easy to fold in under 30 seconds and you can wheel the bike once it's folded, which is handy.

There are some niggles. One is the weight -- carrying this on buses and trains is no mean feat, as it clocks in at 19kg. Then there's the fact you can't roll it backwards when folded, which can be a pain on public transport. Some riders have said the gearing is too low, but I found it fine for a folder.

4. Style

Riding an electric bike doesn't have to involve a run-in with the cool police. Many models are just as hip and sleek as trendy conventional bikes. Take the Wisper 905se City above, for example. I didn't want to give it back.

The joy of the Wisper is that it's very, very powerful. I whizzed up hills in fourth or fifth gear rather than the first gear I'd use on my push bike. It climbed a steep 1 in 11 hill without the need for any pedalling. In other words, this is an electric bike where -- if you want -- you really don't have to cycle. Obviously, add your pedal power and you increase your speed and extend the battery range.

5. You can recharge at your desk

Most electric bicycles take between two and five hours to charge fully, and will then run for anywhere between 15 and 30 miles before the battery runs out. On a dead battery, you can pedal like you're on a normal -- albeit rather heavy -- bike.

So it pays to keep the battery topped up. One good way to keep your bike charged for free is to power it at work. Almost all electric bikes have a removable battery, meaning you can lock your bike outside and plug in the battery under your desk. Provided your bosses don't ban mobile phone chargers like Ryanair, you should be fine.

6. Hills

Living in an insanely hilly area like Bath or Crystal Palace is a fair reason for not cycling. But electric bikes make hills a realistic proposition. Some models, such as the Wisper, have motors so powerful you don't even need to pedal.

Choose your bike carefully, and ensure you get one with a powerful motor if you're going to tackle steep gradients. Cheaper and slower bikes like the Windsor mean you'll still be pedalling and puffing while climbing hills.

7. 25mph is a reality

By law, electric bicycle motors are limited to 15mph. But that doesn't mean you can't go faster by pedalling simultaneously. With a powerful bike, casual cyclists will find it possible to reach speeds of 25mph on the flat, or 30mph at a push.

The net result for you: a quicker journey and more thrills. Some cyclists would argue that your ride will be safer, too, because you're travelling at a speed closer to most motor vehicles.

8. No sweat

This is one of the greatest things about electric bicycles. Whether you arrive at work simply by gently pedalling or letting the electric motor do all the work, electrics hold out the promise of sweat-free commuting. Riding the Wisper, for example, I cycled a 7.3 mile journey in under 45 minutes without breaking sweat.

9. They're getting lighter

There's no getting round one bummer about electrics: they are heavier than normal push bikes. But as battery technology improves and the makers pick better frames, weights are slowly dropping below 20kg. Most normal push bikes weigh less than 15kg.

10. Traffic light starts are always easy

As any cyclist knows, stopping unexpectedly at traffic lights in a high gear is annoying. When you start off, you're in an impossibly hard and slow gear: not good if you're in busy traffic with a queue of bikers behind you.
But electric bikes mean you're always in the right gear -- you can simply use the electric motor to get up to speed. Out of the three bikes I rode for this article, the Wisper was easily the best for assisted starts. Faster starts also feel safer, as you're quicker to get away from traffic.

10 Best Tailgating options for a rocking alfresco party

If you’ve lived in an American neighborhood, then you’d be well versed with the ritual of tailgate party. Doesn’t matter if the air is warm or cool, you can simply gear up for the most engaging alfresco celebration with an array of superior tailgating products up on the market. Station up in any parking lot or your own driveway or simply anyplace out in open to be sure of fun, food and entertainment! Traditionally tailgating involves the consumption of alcoholic beverages and the grilling various mouth watering snacks. However these days, tailgating folks can indulge with high-tech options like large LCDs, satellite TVs, home theater systems and much more. We have rolled out a list of most luxurious tailgater stuff for hosting the best Tailgate party.

With this award winning Tailgating Grill from Grill-n-Chill line, grilling would be fun again! The stainless steel grill will keep you entertained with its built-in AM / FM / CD player along with its 180 watt JBL marine stereo and two marine speakers while you grill on its 24,000 BTU burning grill. The hi-tech grill also features a 60 quart insulated cooler, complete automotive hook-ups and push-bButton electronic ignition. The SUV-portable feature makes it a perfect ‘Hitch and Go design’ too! The infrared grill sells for $3,000.

This Party-A-Cargo tow hitch mounted kegerator is meant for the party-animals on the move. This fully self-contained tailgating kegerator cargo can store up to 160 cans for your booze party needs and it also features a sound system so you can have a complete blast! The locking doors ensure nobody will steal your beer when you are not around. The Party-A-Cargo Ultimate features a Kegerator/Jockey Box, CD/stereo, 2 - 6″x9″ speakers, 10″ subwoofer, Sirius satellite radio, built-in battery charger and 12-volt power adapter for a cool $3,795 while the medium and the standard model goes for $3,395 and $2,895 respectively.

It’s like taking your kitchen with you wherever you go. For little less than $10,000, the FG-900 attaches to the back of any vehicle with a standard 2″ ball. It’s comes complete with 4-way standard flat trailer connector light hook up. Boasting of 6 Burners with 99,000 BTU, it has space for two insulated stainless steel beverage or meat storage compartments with drain. While the more affordable FG-800 ($6,000) houses 5 Burners with 79,000 BTU. Grilling at tailgates, camping, or picnics has never been easier or better.

The ultimate self-contained Tailgating Trailer has it all including a 27″ LCD TV, satellite, DVD, generator, propane grill, hand washing sink with running water, beer on tap and even a toilet! Additional options are also available which includes a microwave, 2000 watt generator, 1200 watt inverter and much, much more!You can get your own one commissioned at Gameday Customs complete with all the high-tech goodies you can’t do without for just $13,900 exclusive of additional options.

This is the finest teardrop trailer available for a starting price of $12,500. Boasting of double sinks and water pump, it is also fitted with TV/DVD player, wine rack, 2-way ‘fridge and side tables with patio lights. The front wall, ceiling and closets are lined with aromatic cedar. Featuring overhead closets, it has space for an electric heater and reading lamp too.

These trailers come with a custom barbeque with propane tank for searing, roasting, steaming and smoking. Fitted with a stainless steel tap you can draw on Co2, for beer, margaritas or sodas. And to add more noise to your party, you can customize with AM/FM/CD stereo with two 6”x 9” speakers. Featuring a seating area that seats up to 8 persons with a retractable canopy, it also houses room for ice chests under both counters. For $17,000, you couldn’t hit a better tailgating deal.

Intending to throw a grand tailgate party? Then here’s the All Star Tailgating trailer. Featuring a 60″ LCD screen, this mighty 6 x 12 foot trailer has all the gears needed for a rocking party. To sum it all up in short, it packs three TVs, DVD/CD player, satellite recorder, satellite receiver, bar-b-que grill/smoker, refrigerator/freezer, video gaming system, two burner stove, single burner cooker, custom storage cabinet, Kegerator, soft drink and beer taps, 160 quart ice chest, 2800 watt generator, storage shelves. Ah and not to forget a port-a-potty to relive your self.

The latest in line for ultimate al-fresco celebrations is the Multimedia Trailer from Tailgating Innovations, which touts everything you need to be the superstar of the parking lot. Designed to work with a generator or near-by power source, the Multimedia trailer features four electrical outlets powered by 30amp electrical breaker box. It comes with a 47-inch flatscreen satellite TV, a Sony Bravia 5.1 surround home theater system, a tongue mounted Freedom gas grill with 180-degrees swing away arm, 1000 watt audio system and a prowling tiger.

With the All American Tailgater, all you need to do is to position the Tailgater where you want, get out your grill, open the bar, turn the TV on (with optional satellite) and you are ready to party! These trailers come with a full bar area which include a keg refrigerator, food refrigerator/freezer, microwave, sink, storage space for food and liquor, surround sound stereo system, 5 disc DVD/CD player, and TV. You can also opt for a bathroom, micro quiet ONAN generator, side bar liquor dispenser, grill storage, and table storage. They also come fitted with a 32-inch flatscreen TV for exterior bar and a 17-incher for the interior. The pricing for the 8′ x 16′ Tailgater Trailer and the 8′ x 24′ Toy Hauler trailer sits at $32,000 and $45,000 respectively.

Sporting a price tag of $250,000, it is supposed to be the most expensive tailgating vehicle. Christened as Carnivore, the ‘05 Chevy Silverado 2500HD was designed to be the last word in tailgating. Fitted with enough entertainment equipment to fill most people’s houses, it includes a total of 7 TV screens, a KVH satellite, and a refrigerated center console. The blazing flames job by Kolor Kreations/Alley Rat Custom Cycles splashed all over render a hot look. Don’t miss the flamed chrome polished grille with LED backlighting. It doesn’t get more extreme.

Invite family, friends and all near and dear ones to bond at the most happening out door jamboree! And with such luxurious tailgating options, you don’t need to worry about being hard-to-locate.

Looking for parking? Get online

The next time you plan to going shopping, it might be better to go online first to see if you have a parking space instead of going around in circles at the venue. Looking for parking is biggest pain after the money we spend on fuel, in fact in many cases that's where fuel is spent for most people. However that's not to say for the citizens of San Francisco. Around 6,000 wireless sensors from the San Francisco company Streetline will be fixed alongside as many parking spots, monitoring both parking availability and the volume and speed of passing traffic. The city hopes that displaying information from the sensors on Web maps, smart phones, and signs on the street will reduce the traffic and pollution caused by circling cars. Some parking garages also have signs that tell drivers where the available spaces are, but such systems generally rely on manual car counting, not sensors. In San Francisco, however, clusters of plastic-encased, networked sensors are embedded in the surface of the street. The main sensor in the cluster, which is commonly used to detect cars, is a magnetic one. Magnetic sensors detect when a large metal object locally disrupts Earth's magnetic field. One challenge with magnetic sensors is avoiding false positives.

SmartMesh and Streetline's technology combined gives the nodes an average lifespan of 10 years on only two AA batteries. There are others who feel that London's congestion charge is a better way to reduce the number of cars on busy city streets.

10 cycling tips for surviving London's streets

Whether you buy BoJo's claim that London's enjoying a "Summer of Cycling", there's no doubting the number of cyclists out this month and the cool cycle events coming soon. London Freewheel is the big event -- a chance to ride the capital's streets with tens of thousands of cyclists and without the fear of getting mowed down.

Most days, however, getting to work by bike can be a battle with the city's 78,000 peak time motorists. But if you're a new or aspiring cyclist, don't be put off. You can ride safely in London, and here are my ten tips to improve your odds. Please share your tips in the comments!

1. Always assume motorists will turn left without indicating

I've lost count of the number of times a car driving parallel to my right has tried to turn left without indicating. The classic scenario is when the car accelerates fast past you and then turns left without warning. Always, always ride on the assumption that this'll happen, and be ready to brake if necessary.

2. Watch out for other cyclists

Sadly, there's not much solidarity amongst London cyclists, meaning other cyclists are in my top five hazards to watch for. Keep a beady eye on other bikers: cyclists will jump red lights as you cross junctions, pull out without looking, ride too close to you as they overtake and generally behave unpredictably. London cyclists take a lot of risks, which is dangerous for the rest of us. I'm not immune from it. I hurt another cyclist in the only major road accident I've ever had, because I turned right without being able to see the oncoming cycle lane. I hate to say this, but assume the worst of your fellow cyclists.

3. Never undertake lorries and other HGVs

This is an obvious one, but never forget it: many of London's cyclist fatalities come from HGVs turning left on cyclists that they couldn't see. Being on the inside of a lorry is a bad place to be. Either overtake the lorry on the right-hand side, or slow down and let it get ahead of you.

4. Keep your tyres pumped up

This tip helps you go faster as well as ride safer, so what's not to like? Soft tyres makes for poor cornering, which is bad news when cars are whizzing past you just feet away. If you don't have a pump at home, drop in occasionally at your local bike shop and pump up there.

5. Report pot holes

If you ride the same route day in, day out, it's in your self-interest to report pot holes. Some will just give you a nasty jolt in the groin, but the worst can send you flying. Report holes with Fill That Hole.

6. Take the back roads

If you can afford to add a few minutes to your daily ride, you'll enjoy a quieter and far safer cycle commute by taking the back roads. Check out TFL's Cycle Maps or Camden Cyclists' Google Map to find the best route down in your 'hood. Sometimes the back routes are faster too. My Herne Hill to Tate Modern daily commute is quicker via Portland Street rather than Walworth Road because it has far fewer traffic lights.

7. On narrow London streets, occupy the middle

A typical residential street in London has cars on both sides and barely enough room for two cars to pass. The upshot for you as a cyclist: anyone over-taking you in car will be way too close. Follow the London Cycle Campaign's advice and ride in the middle of your lane, making it clear to drivers behind that they'll just have to wait. You'll get the occasional beeping horn, but you'll be safer.

8. Don't give the finger

Sure, it's tempting. But from personal experience I can tell you it's always the wrong response to a driver cutting you up or somehow annoying you. One time I had a white van reverse after me after I gave him the finger for cutting me up; another time I almost crashed into a barrier because an SUV turned left on me without signalling. The advice here's simple: don't ever give the finger. As well as losing any moral high-ground, you're putting yourself in danger.

9. Ignore the cycle lane if it looks dangerous

This is a controversial one and I'm sure some riders will disagree. If a cycle lane looks dangerous to you -- taking you onto the pavement and then ejecting you back on the road at a busy point, say -- then ignore the lane and stick to the road. If you do end up in an accident because you ignored the cycle lane, the legal waters are a bit muddy (see here) but safety should be your priority, so do what looks safest.

10. Get a helmet already

The number of helmet-free cyclists on London's roads continues to amaze me, and I pine for the day when wearing a helmet becomes a legal necessity. In the meantime, although some people (like Mayer Hillman) argue that helmets make you less safe, I strongly recommend you wear one. If it's my head and the concrete versus my helmet and the concrete, I know which I'll choose every time.

For more cycle safety tips, check out the London Cycle Campaign's Cycle Sense pages. You can sign up for London Freewheel on its official site.

In-car video camera and GPS logger: Be your own Big Brother

The Car Camera Voyager Pro comes coupled with a GPS logger, and altogether the unit will keep recordings of your driving and track where you went. Depending on what you want to use it for, it could help in a world of ways. If you got in an accident, say, you'd have a video recording — not a 360 one, mind you — but at least enough that you'll have photographic evidence of what really happened if anyone involved isn't giving a straight recount of things.
If you have kids (or you're just paranoid), you'll also have a log of where your car's been so you can make sure your little ones don't get to enjoy their childhood. The Car Camera Voyager Pro can operate manually or automatically, and features a slick graphic user interface with Google Earth compatibility for a visual record or your trip. If only it could give directions, too, then you wouldn't have to buy anything else — just the Car Camera Voyager Pro for $450.

Less Than Thirsty Cars

I enjoy going to my favorite drinking hole for some drinks every evening. My car seems to be picking up the habit as well and is on its way to beat me at “who pays more for a thirst quencher.” We have seen the price of fuel shoot up and it will continue to rise further. Soon I will have to get myself a motorized skateboard for my daily evening rituals. Either that or look for a more fuel efficient car.


How much fuel your car drinks also depends on how you drive. So here are 10 fuel efficient cars that will help you save money on fuel, on one condition, that you do not drive like either one of the Schumacher brothers on the F1 tracks.








2008 Ford Focus

Performance
2.0L Duratec 16-valve 14 engine
5-speed manual transmission

Featuring also the new 2008 engine PZEV (Partial Zero Emission Vehicle) 2.0L Duratec 20E engine

EPA fuel economy
24 MPG city / 35 MPG highway – manual transmission
24 MPG city / 33 MPG highway – automatic transmission

2008 Honda Fit

Performance
109-hp, 1.5-Liter, 16-Valve SOHC VTEC® engine

EPA fuel economy
28 MPG city / 34 MPG highway - manual transmission
27 MPG city / 34 MPG highway – automatic base
27 MPG city / 33 MPG highway – automatic sport

Honda Civic

Performance
Civic Sedan - 140-hp, 1.8-liter, 16-valve SOHC i-VTEC® engine
Civic Hybrid Sedan - 1.3-Liter, 8-Valve, i-VTEC 4-Cylinder Engine

EPA fuel economy
26MPG city / 34 MPG highway – manual transmission
25 MPG city / 36 MPG highway – automatic transmission
49 MPG city, 45 MPG highway - hybrid.

2008 Mercedes-Benz E320 BLUETEC diesel
Performance
3.0L 24-valve V-6 diesel engine
210 hp @ 3,800 rpm

EPA fuel economy
23 MPG city / 32 MPG highway – 7-speed automatic


2008 MINI Cooper S Clubman

Performance
172 hp, 16-valve, light alloy engine, 1.6L

EPA fuel economy
28 MPG city / 37 MPG highway – manual transmission.
26 MPG city / 34 MPG highway – automatic transmission.





2007 Nissan Altima 2.5S



Performance
175-hp 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine

EPA fuel economy
23 MPG city / 32 MPG highway – manual transmission.
23 MPG city / 31 MPG highway – CVT automatic transmission.

Nissan Sentra

Performance
2.0-liter DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder engine
140 hp @ 5,100 rpm

EPA fuel economy
24 MPG city / 31 MPG highway - manual transmission
25 MPG city / 33 MPG highway - CVT automatic (Xtronic)





Toyota Camry Hybrid

Performance
2.4-liter DOHC 16-valve VVT-i 4-cyl. with 158 hp
EPA fuel economy
33 MPG city / 34 MPG highway









2009 Toyota Corolla (Look Out For This)

Performance
1.8-liter DOHC 16-valve dual independent VVT-i 4-cylinder 132 hp @ 6000 rpm
EPA fuel economy
26MPG city / 35 MPG highway – manual transmission27 MPG city / 35 MPG highway – automatic transmission.


2008 Toyota Prius


Performance
1.5 liters (1497 cc)Aluminum double overhead cam (DOHC) 16-valve VVT-i 4-cylinder
EPA fuel economy
48MPG city / 45 MPG highway - hybrid.
A special thank you to all the brands / manufacturer of cars mentioned above for the use of their pictures.

EPA asks:Could you drive less?

To reduce pollution — not to mention cut our dependence on foreign oil — it would help if U.S. motorists drove less. So in it’s blog yesterday, EPA posed the question: What would convince you to change your driving habits?

A number of respondents said the predictable: They’d do it if their community offered better public transportation. But that, of course, begs the question: What is good public transit? I find a more powerful answer in a newspaper account today based on an AP-Yahoo News poll. It dovetails with what most of us have also been hearing on radio and TV news: that escalating gas prices have provoked a swift and dramatic change in the distances we drive.

Much as I hate to admit it, maybe we need far higher gas prices still.

I came from the Chicago metro area with ample public transportation options. Bus lines serve even backstreets and the outlying ‘burbs. Snaking through the bustling metropolis are various rail lines, including the subways, competing above-ground trains, and of course, the famed “L”. When I lived back there, I used them all, even occasionally to travel the 40 miles or so from my home back to college after holiday breaks (and it was a bargain: just 40 to 60 cents each way — which, I guess, also dates me).

But waiting at a bus stop in Chicago’s dicier south, near-north, and west-side neighborhoods could at times prove unnerving. I remember one instance waiting for a bus to rapid transit (the above-ground extension of the subway line) after my summer job as a temporary typist. I hadn’t given much thought to the trip beyond its bargain cost until I realized that about eight men up and down the street were staring at me, mouths almost agape. All in their 40s to 60s, they seemed to be telegraphing the same message: “Are you just plain stupid, girl? Don’t you know this ain’t no place for some head-in-a-book, not-watching-her-back college kid? We can’t be takin’ responsibility for your havin’ no street smarts.”

The men didn’t appear hostile and I felt no fear from them. But I did become concerned about their assessment that I had no reason to feel safe at this bus stop — and at 2 p.m. on a weekday, no less.

Most big cities are saddled with similar safety concerns. Even moving in transit, I’ve been groped on subways and repeatedly have encountered crafty old men who found surreptitious ways to make some sort of body contact on hot sweaty days. And then there were the leering youths who thought it fun to bully any female over the age of 12.

Is it any wonder many women — and seniors of either gender — feel safer in their cars?

When I moved to the DC area, I found public-transportation routing comparable to what had been available back home. But in contrast to Chicago, the timetables offered slim pickings. An 8-mile trip that might take 15 minutes by car could run 150 minutes by bus, depending on the day of the week and time. And forget Sundays. Most bus lines I frequented still don’t operate on that day.

DC’s Metro is clean, reliably air-conditioned, and modern, by old-city-subway standards. But unexplained hold ups frequently delay commutes. So these days, I more often drive my Prius the nine miles to work and halve my commute time. The out-of-pocket cost between the two options has been a wash.

Until recently, that is. Now that gas prices have been weekly creeping upwards, my gas-sipping hybrid is becoming a pain-in-the-pocketbook to refill. I only do it every few weeks, but what used to cost $18 now exceeds $40. The only thing that gives me some satisfaction is knowing that many gas-guzzling-SUV drivers may be dropping $90 or more at the pump.

I’ve taken to combining trips for errands and riding the Metro more. No one’s forced these changes on me. Household economics has triggered these behavioral adaptations.

I — and you — would probably have made such changes a lot sooner if it weren’t for America’s substantial economic subsidies to preserve the motorists’ way of life. Gas-pump prices still fail to account for the full costs of our fuels: heightened foreign security, accelerated global warming, declining forests, and costlier health care as people increasingly suffer respiratory and heart disease triggered by breathing smoggy, particulate-laden air.

Paying more at the pump — not to oil companies but in taxes that can be recycled back into the development of alternative-energy sources — will prompt us all to buy energy-efficient vehicles and to use them sparingly.

And if such a paradigm shift also catalyzes a cycling renaissance, so much the better. Our bodies will thank us for that as well.

The Mini Cooper USB drive

This 1:48 scale replica Mini Cooper USB drive has a light up headlights when you shove them to you USB port. You can’t get your luggage in but you can store images, songs and videos in. No words on pricing and the capacities, it will be available in vavolo.com coming August. More pictures after the break.


[via Technabob Techeblog]

Party-A-CarGo slaps a kegorator on the back of your truck

So you've got an SUV or a truck that's impossible to sell due to the insanely high gas prices. What're you to do? I say you should just accept that you won't be getting rid of that vehicle for a while and adapt. Why not turn it into a portable party machine?
The Party-A-CarGo is a kegorator and sound system that attaches to the tow hitch of your truck, giving you the ability to stop in traffic and pour yourself a frosty beer. You'll be the king of tailgate parties before sports games or concerts, and you can even just back the truck up to your backyard to make it party central. Sure, the $3,000 it costs could be put towards gas or, even better, a new hybrid, neither of those things will help you meet girls.

PartyaCarGo, via Boing Boing Gadgets

Car, Truck or SUV: Which Is Safer?

Carly Scissors wanted a new Jeep Wrangler because she thought it "looked cool." Her parents decided to buy it for her because they believed an SUV would give the 19-year-old student the best line of defense in a serious accident. "If you're going to have your daughter driving around, you want her in something safe," explains stepfather Elliott Milstein, president of a small Michigan pharmaceuticals company. "And we'd read all the reports in the papers saying you're more likely to survive an accident being in a truck."

The Milstein family is by no means unique. Millions of American motorists are trading in their sedans, coupes and station wagons for minivans, pickups and sport utility vehicles. While style, utility and versatility are among the advantages that light trucks offer, for many buyers, safety is the major selling point.

But are sport utility vehicles really as safe as they seem? That's become the centerpiece of a debate that's growing even faster than the SUV market itself. To critics, they're "killer trucks." Yet others cite the same data to make their case that sport utes are among the safest things on wheels. As is common when an issue becomes so polarized, the real answer is somewhere in between.

Down and Dirty Data

According to 2005 statistics collected by Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), very large sport utility vehicles, like the Dodge Durnago and the Chevrolet Suburban, have the lowest death rates on the road—about 24 occupants killed for every million registered vehicles no more than three years old. At the other end of the spectrum are mini cars, such as the Mini Cooper or the Toyota Yaris. As a group, they average 144 deaths per million registered vehicles. Midsize SUVs, including the Honda Pilot or Nissan Pathfinder, average 57 deaths, while midsize cars, like the Ford Fusion and Honda Accord, run as high as 70 deaths per million vehicles. Average things out and you are, on the whole, safer in an SUV than you are in a passenger car—their death rate ratio is 47 per million compared to 86. (2005 is the most recent year available. Remember that statistics fluctuate over time, and these could change.)

The biggest problem with SUVs, however, is that in a crash, they have a higher risk of rolling over than cars. Not surprising, when you consider the potentially troublesome combination of a short wheelbase and a high center of gravity. In 2004, 62 percent of SUV occupants killed were involved in rollovers according IIHS. That rate drops to 23 percent in cars. Although there are a number of factors-like age and experience of the drivers-that influence these stats, the biggest advantage SUVs have is their size and weight.

But how does this effect other smaller, lighter cars on the roads?

Crash Facts: Call Me Incompatible

It takes only an elementary understanding of the laws of physics to recognize that "when big runs into little, big tends to win," as Ford Motor Co. safety specialist Ernie Grush says. It's a concept automotive experts have dubbed "compatibility."

Smash an 18-wheeler into a subcompact and there's no contest. Obviously, the odds also are stacked in favor of a Chevrolet Suburban slamming into the side of a Chevy Cavalier. "You are always at a disadvantage in a small, light vehicle, no matter what type of crash," said Russ Radar of the IIHS. On the whole, when an SUV and a passenger-car collide, the car occupants are about one and a half time more likely to suffer fatal injuries than if they collide with another car.

Side impacts are about the most deadly vehicle-to-vehicle collision. Accordingly, side-impact survivability has been the most recent focus of automotive safety engineers. Today's automobiles are designed with a lot of crush space that will fold up like an accordion—in a frontal or rear-end collision—helping absorb much of the crash energy. When you're hit in the side, however, there's simply not much room to "ride-down," or absorb the impact forces. So run a full-size passenger car into the side of a small one, and you're still 20 times more likely to die if you're sitting inside the car that's being hit.

Weight and Stiffness: A Geometry Lesson

Just how serious a problem is the car-truck imbalance on our roads? According to the most recent NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) numbers, 57 percent of fatal crashes involve only one vehicle. However, when there is a second vehicle involved and it's a matter of big vs. small, small vehicles just don't have the material to absorb the energy of a crash, therefore it's easier for their passengers to get hurt; while utes might be more likely to rollover, their greater mass provides passengers with greater protection in multi-vehicle accidents.

Of course, all safety experts--from the government, insurance companies and the automakers--agree that we could slash highway fatalities by getting everyone to buckle up.

That said, one can't dismiss the compatibility issue entirely. "Weight has a big effect," says Priya Prassad, one of Ford's top safety researchers, as do factors such as vehicle stiffness and geometry.

Geometry refers to the fact that light trucks tend to ride higher than cars and usually have longer front and rear overhangs (the amount of vehicle between axle and bumper). So when a large SUV, such as the Ford Excursion TK, T-bones a small car, it's not uncommon for the SUV's bumper and hood to penetrate into the car's passenger compartment-something that can result in fatal head injuries. And even in frontal accidents, high-riding trucks often "over-ride," or climb on top of, the car they're hitting.

As for stiffness, while cars combine body and chassis in a relatively yielding unibody package, most trucks mount their bodies on rigid steel frames. That's useful when you're designing a vehicle for rough off-roading or to haul a heavy trailer. But in an accident, a truck's stiff frame rails can knife into the vehicle it hits, something Adrian Hobbs, of Britain's government-funded Transportation Research Laboratories, calls the "fork effect."

The challenge, industry officials counter, is to address compatibility issues without trading off the utility and versatility that SUV and other light-truck owners value. It's also essential, stresses GM's safety expert Tom Lange, that "you don't do anything that will compromise the safety of light-truck occupants in order to improve the safety of someone in the car they might hit."

Crossovers: Is It a Car or a Truck?

In recent years, automakers have introduced a new type of vehicle that addresses rollover, compatibility and other issues, like fuel economy, that give SUVs a bad name. Enter the crossover SUV: a car-truck hybrid that despite their SUV-looking bodies, rides on passenger-car chassis, creating a lower center of gravity and better aligning it's front-end with other cars. Research from IIHS shows that the fatality risk is 20 to 40 percent lower for car occupants in crashes with SUVs with lower front-ends than traditional models.

These crossovers, which include the Buick Rendezvous, Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Edge or Honda CR-V, offer several advantages besides compatibility. First, there's a car-like ride with the cargo space of an SUV. And with rising fuel costs, the more important attribute to many drivers may be that they're often more fuel-efficient; since they're modeled partly after a car, they weigh less.

New Standards: Safety Sells

Other steps are being taken that would have a far greater reach in making the roads safer. More and more auto-manufactures are choosing to offer safer side airbags to improve protection of vehicle occupants in side-impact crashes-the most deadly type of crash. When a car is struck by a larger vechile, the passanger's heads are especially vulnerable, therefore airbags that protect the entire upper-body (head, chest and torso) have shown to reduce driver deaths in cars struck on the driver's side by an estimated 37 percent, according to the IIHS. About four out of every five new cars and SUVs offer side airbags that protect the head.

The newest proposed safety standard, FMVSS 126, which is expected to be enacted in the next few months, specifically addresses the rollover issue: It would require electronic stability control (ESC) on all passenger cars, trucks and multipurpose vehicles. An extension of antilock break systems, ESC senses how well a vehicle is responding to steering input to the driver. If the tires start to slip or if the vehicle moves is a direction other than where it's being steered, the system kicks in to help the driver regain control. ESC can break wheels individually or make other adjustments automatically, reducing the risk of rollovers in single-vehicle crashes involving cars by 70 percent while it lowers the same risk in SUVs by a whopping 80 percent.

It used to be said in the auto industry that "safety doesn't sell." Don't try to tell that to today's buyers. Safety has become one of the most important factors in the purchase decision, and while automakers once dragged their feet whenever a new government standard was enacted, the smarter manufacturers now move even faster than the government mandates. ESC is already standard on 40 percent of 2006 passenger vehicle models-all Audi, BWM, Infiniti, Mercedes and Porsche have it-and it is optional on another 40 percent. Most automakers plan to at least offer the system on all vehicles in the next few years. IIHS estimates that as many as 10,000 fatal crashed could be avoided each year if all vehicles had ESC.

In sum, because of more car-like designs and ESC, the sports utility vehicles of today are a much safer vehicle than those of five years ago. But all else being equal, bigger vehicles provide an added measure of protection in an accident. Says Adrian Lund, president of the IIHS, "The laws of physics work." So, if crashworthiness is your bottom line, SUVs do help put the odds in your favor.
via : popularmechanics

World's Most Powerful Electric Truck

Very Heavy Duty Electric Truck

Via Heavy-Duty Electric Truck Hauling Cargo Containers, AutoblogGreen

Out-of-Gas Emergency Calls in Texas up by 53% this Year

Now here’s a good one; according to Allstate Motor Club, the number of Texan drivers who have been stranded on the highway with an empty gas tank has risen 53% during the first five months of 2008 compared to last year. In all, from January through May 2008, 506 Texan drivers have called the motor club to deliver them gas. The worst month was by far May with a record 140 out-of-gas calls across the state!

"We can't directly correlate this rise in the number of people running out of gas to the rise in prices at the pump, but we know that consumers are trying hard to stretch their dollar and sometimes that means stretching fuel into fumes," said Evelyn Murphy, an Allstate Exclusive Agent in Austin. "Drivers should remember running out of gas on the highway can be a lot more than an inconvenience, it can be hazardous."

We can’t agree more. You’re better off paying a few more bucks at the petrol station than paying who knows what if knock on wood, something happens on the highway…

Pic: Carscoop

High School Students Invent Electric Motorcycle

With gas prices and global warming becoming more and more of an issue every day for average Americans, a group of talented high school students on the Experimental Vehicle Team from Saint Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights, Minn., has applied its ingenuity to develop, from scratch, a lithium-phosphate-ion-powered motorcycle that can travel at speeds of 60 miles an hour for 50+ miles before needing to be recharged.

Of course, they’ve also worked to address consumers' safety concerns by designing this commuter bike with "crush zones" formed by compressible materials, and other safety features to protect the driver by keeping their eco-conscious traveler inside the vehicle in a collision.

What's Next for the Electric Motorcycle?

The team was one of 16 high schools to receive an InvenTeams grant of up to $10K to identify a real-world problem and invent a practical solution to it, and is expected to show off the bike at MIT next week.

Afterwards they’re expected to invent a solar-charging station to make it truly carbon free. So congrats to these creative engineers in training for coming up with a terrific idea to help green the Planet!

Via: Press Release

Beijing Bans One Million Cars for Olympics, Sharply Raises Gas Prices

Despite ruling it out earlier, Beijing will ban one million vehicles from its streets for three months in an attempt to clear the air and roads ahead of August's "Green Olympics," officials announced yesterday. Though it was ruled out earlier, the ban, which launches on July 20, restricts cars with even and odd-numbered license plates on alternate days. The city, home to 3.29 million cars, will also compensate motorists for the restrictions by exempting them from taxes and road maintenance fees for three months, at a cost to the government of 1.3 billion yuan (US$186 million).

More expensive -- and more effective -- at cutting traffic will be the country's new gasoline prices, which rose by a record 17 percent yesterday. While the government will provide subsidies of $2.9 billion to help farmers and public transport operators cope with higher costs, and while heavily subsidized diesel and gasoline prices in China remain below $3 a gallon, many car owners -- and the emissions they generate -- will be feeling a US-like driving pinch:

"I am wondering whether I need to forget my new car and take the subway to work
as the cost of driving is too high," Zhu Hong, 28, who bought her car just two
months ago, told Reuters.

The cut in fuel subsidies came as a surprise. Some thought that concerns over social and economic impacts would delay a hike in the country's notoriously low gas prices until after the Olympics. But international demands -- China's subsidized gas prices were driving up prices everywhere else -- along with tight domestic supplies and political pressure to cut pollution and energy use, apparently motivated policy makers to act.

Car ownership in China is only around 3-4 percent, compared to 85 percent in the US. But car ownership is soaring every year, and if China keeps racing toward the US model, the results will not be pretty.

Back to the car ban: When officials tested the controls from August 17 to 20 last year, taking 1.3 million vehicles off the city roads each day, a haze lingered at least on some of those days. But officials said the ban cut emissions by 5,815 tons.

During a three-day 800,000 car ban during 2006's Sino-Africa summit, NASA satellites detected a cut in nitrogen oxide air pollution by about 40 percent.

Still, as we noted then, a car ban is a band-aid solution to the city's terrible traffic. With high demand for cars (1,300 new cars hit Beijing's roads every day), state-owned car companies, cheap cars and still cheap gas, officials face a long road to reducing the city's smog and traffic.

New, quality public transportation is crucial, and the city will add four new rail lines before the end of the year as part of a huge subway-building drive. But more effective would be a bigger cut in gas price subsidies, or permanent car restriction policies like the one that exists in Shanghai, where there are restrictions on the number of license plates available.

Better urban planning would help too. Currently Beijing is spreading like a pancake without a distinguishable center, a problem only exacerbated by cars and the roads that have been built to handle them. While it features great bike lanes, pedestrians face super-wide streets, inconvenient pedestrian bridges, and enormous distances.

Last year, Beijing said it was ruling out a car ban for the Olympics, focusing instead on public transportation so that "car owners will willingly give up driving."

To temper Beijing's driving boom -- and encourage exploration of alternative energy among other things -- the raise in fuel prices could be just the thing. As a report by China International Capital Corp. said, "After today's increase, there is still 60 percent room for China to further raise domestic fuel prices to move in line with the international levels..."

The Olympics are only three weeks long. What will Beijing do for the many weeks that follow?