The dream of a silent, sustainable car is here at last. The ZENN, which stands for Zero Emission, No Noise, is destined to revolutionize the way we think about driving, offering for the first time a viable and relatively cheap alternative to petroleum-based vehicles. Earthtimes reports:

Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, ZENN Motor Company is dedicated to producing zero-emission transportation solutions for global markets, including the revolutionary ZENN, the perfect vehicle for urban commuters, fleets (such as resorts, gated communities, airports, college and business campuses, municipalities, parks and more), the environmentally conscious driver, and consumers who just want to save money. The ZENN is sold through a growing network of retailers across the United States.

The potential commercialization of the Electrical Energy Storage Units being developed by ZENN Motor Company strategic partner, EEStor Inc., in future ZENN vehicles will allow them to go as far and as fast as a traditional car at a fraction of the cost. Moreover, the ZENN electric vehicles will potentially have all of the benefits of an internal combustion vehicle without the harmful emissions, sensitivity to escalating gas prices, or noise pollution. This environmentally friendly alternative will help make the widespread concerns about oil dependency a thing of the past.

Sound amazing? We think so too.

Labels: hybrids, PSFK, Transportation

Many a New York evening did I utter the words "I need to go to Brooklyn by way of the Manhattan bridge" after I night of adult beverages and good tunes. So, as a nod to my roots, I was very glad to read that New York City’s entire taxi fleet will be converted to gas-electric hybrids by 2012, CNN reports.

Per Environmental Leader: Mayor Bloomberg will begin a cycle of replacement that will see 20 percent replaced each year until all of the city’s approximately 13,000 taxis are hybrids in 2012.

The vehicles approved for use on city streets include four SUVs - the Toyota Highlander, Lexus RX 400H, Ford Escape and Saturn VUE Green Line - and four four-door sedans - the Toyota Prius, Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Honda Civic.

I wonder if they'll change the color?

Labels: hybrids, NYC, Transportation