Modes

Can the $7.00 for a pillow and blanket kit now being offered by Jet Blue make up for the increased fuel costs? Will customers pay for it? Read on!

How many cars does the US Government own and run?? 642,233?? Couldn't be or could it?  More.

At time when car sharing is becoming more popular, even companies like Zipcar are having their parking challenges. Read how they are solving these issues.  More.

Zipcar was an early player in this space.  Are they finally seeing more competition in their space? Are the "big car rental players" catching on? See for yourself!

How can you use the natural resources in your community to address transportation needs?  See what one small community is doing to address this. More.

 Americans’ longtime romance with the automobile is being severely tested, and in some cases dashed entirely, now that every trip gives rise to worries about how much a fill-up costs, guilt over how much damage the exhaust is contributing to the destruction of the planet, and self-consciousness about the image a full-size behemoth conveys today about its driver.News of wrenching dislocations in the car industry arrive daily: automobile sales are at a 10-year low. Ford is converting factories from making high-profit trucks to subcompacts like the unlovely Fiesta. General Motors is trying to convince investors that it is not at the precipice of bankruptcy.Beyond the bad economic news may lurk a less remarked shift in Americans’ psyches: a change in the role the automobile occupies in people’s emotional lives and self-image. For decades, automakers pitched cars as sex symbols, as extensions of drivers’ freedom or affluence or eye for beauty. Even if that pitch is inverted — if hybrids or minicars become the most desirable wheels, bespeaking a driver’s thriftiness or environmental sensitivity — is it really possible to be passionate about a compromise? Find out.

With the price of gas steadily rising and parking in Paris a chronic headache, some drivers are delighted by the new project. Others, though, see it as a step backward, fearing it would produce more traffic and dependence on cars in an already congested city.The program, called Autolib’, is expected to begin in late 2009 or early 2010 with a fleet of 4,000 electric cars, 2,000 within Paris and 2,000 in the suburbs.Car sharing is a growing trend in many countries, with private companies like Zipcar flourishing in cities in the United States and elsewhere. Autolib’, however, will be run by the city of Paris. For More.

Europeans are far ahead of North Americans in eco-awareness, and it’s most evident at auto shows. This year’s British International Motor Show, July 23 to August 3, is a perfect example. Read on.