Earthgarage Blog

SPOTLIGHT: Intro-Tech Automotive Windshield Sun Shade

Stacie Schwartz — Thu, 24 May 2012 21:24:02 +0000

Green your summer with this product!

Intro-Tech Automotive Windshield Sun Shade

On a hot sunny day, getting into your car can feel like stepping into a sauna. Instantly, you find yourself blasting the air conditioning in order to make the drive bearable. Using the air conditioning system will increase gas consumption, even more so on older vehicles. Reduce the interior temperature of your car when the sun is beating down on it by using a Intro-Tech windshield sun shade. This product will reflect light away from the car reducing heat transfer that will otherwise turn your car into an oven. Click here to purchase the product fromEarthgarage.com and find other products to keep your car cool this summer.

Earthgarage – Greener Car. Fatter Wallet.

SPOTLIGHT: 3D Waterless Car Wash

Stacie Schwartz — Thu, 24 May 2012 21:21:01 +0000

Green your summer with this product!

3D Waterless Car Wash

On a nice summer afternoon, washing the car at home in the driveway is a popular activity. While fun for the whole family, washing the car is an environmentally unfriendly task.

One wash uses more than 500 gallons of water! If 200 cars are being washed one summer afternoon, about 100,000 gallons of water are being wasted in just one day. In order to save water and ensure that the car is properly cleaned, try a waterless car wash product. 3D Waterless Car Wash is one of many biodegradable products on the market. This product will clean your car just as well as water and soap. It is also safe for the car and the environment. Click here to check out the products Earthgarage.com has to offer and purchase 3D waterless carwash.

Earthgarage – Greener Car. Fatter Wallet.

A White Car is a Greener Car

Bob Leonard — Wed, 23 May 2012 20:55:00 +0000

I always liked black cars but a cars of a lighter color is what makes it cool – literally, when it comes to reducing carbon emissions. Cars of a lighter hue, such as white or silver, stay cooler because they reflect up to 60% of sunlight.

Read full article here.

Win a Eco Touch Microfiber Towel – 5 Chances to Win!

Bob Leonard — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:00:01 +0000

Our friends at Eco Touch are giving us five 2-Pack super-soft microfiber towels for our latest promotion. That means you got five shots to win!

Eco Touch Microfiber Towels make car cleaning easier, without worrying about scratching or swirl marks. No more old t-shirts or abrasive towels. Plus you can feel good about not adding to the landfill – this microfiber towel can be reused up to 50 times.

Go to www.facebook.com/earthgarage
Earthgarage – Greener Car. Fatter Wallet.

NASCAR and EPA Partner on Environmental Initiatives

Bob Leonard — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:29:39 +0000

NASCAR and the EPA have signed a memorandum of understanding intended to raise racing fans’ awareness of environmentally friendly products and initiatives.

Under the agreement, NASCAR will use products that have earned EPA’s Design for the Environment (DfE) label at racing events. The DfE label tells consumers that, according to the EPA, the product performs well, is cost effective and safer for the environment. By using DfE products at racing events, EPA and NASCAR want to convey to fans that choosing DfE products is an easy thing to do to protect their families and the environment.

See full article here.

Earthgarage – Greener Car. Fatter Wallet.

A New Gasoline Engine that Beats Most Hybrids

Bob Leonard — Mon, 21 May 2012 14:24:12 +0000

Imagine combining the best attributes of gasoline and diesel engines into one system and reaping fuel economy numbers that rival today’s gasoline-electric hybrids like the Toyota Prius. Engineers have been dreaming this dream for years, but have been stymied by the problems such engines have to overcome.

See full article here.

Earthgarage – Greener Car. Fatter Wallet.

A Better Place… For Electric Vehicles

Justin Velella — Mon, 21 May 2012 02:30:27 +0000

In an earlier post I mentioned that electric vehicles alone are not the solution, but must be coupled with a new, clean-energy grid in order to maximize both efficiency and practicality. Fortunately, Shai Agassi, the CEO and founder of Better Place, a Palo Alto based company that developed a battery swap system for electric vehicles (EV), has turned this long-awaited dream into a reality.

The greatest hurdles for Agassi were the high costs of electric cars and the “range anxiety” that affect many potential buyers. According to the Associated Press article, “Electric car network gets first test in Israel,” Better Place addressed these concerns by eliminating the fixed battery. ”Instead, drivers can swap their depleted batteries for fully charged ones at a network of stations, receiving a full, 160-kilometer (100-mile) range in five minutes.” Essentially, you can be on your way with a fresh, fully-charged battery in the same time it would take to fill up a conventional automobile with gasoline. Currently, Better Place has four battery swap stations in place throughout central and northern Israel; however, 40 stations are expected to be operating across the country by the end of this year.

The Renault Fluence at a demonstration in Tel Aviv, Israel

French automaker, Renault, has started selling the Fluence Z.E., a model customized to use the Better Place swap stations. The Fluence Z.E. is priced at roughly $32,000; but considering the fact that this car was specifically designed to be operational within the Better Place network, thus creating a practical alternative to gasoline-powered vehicles, it’s a bargain. According the the AP article, “Better Place claims it can shave up to 20 percent off the annual cost of owning a car… Drivers buy access to the switching stations and charging spots through a monthly package ranging from under $300 to over $500, depending on mileage.” Considering that American households spent an average of $368.09 a month on gasoline in April, 2011, the financial benefits (and of course the environmental benefits) add up.

Earthgarage – Greener Car. Fatter Wallet.

Estimated household cost for retail gas in April, 2011 (source: CNN Money)

The company has plans to expand into Denmark and Australia later this year. As far as U.S. expansion is concerned, Better Place currently has small-scale projects in place in Hawaii and California. Having founded the company less than 5 years ago, Agassi has proven skeptics wrong and succeeded in incorporating a fundamental piece into the “green” puzzle. Hopefully, with time, we’ll all live in a Better Place.

Voith Introduces New Technology to Improve Fuel Economy on City Transit Buses

Bob Leonard — Sat, 19 May 2012 16:00:17 +0000

Voith has introduced its patented SensoTop technology for heavy-duty transit buses into the North American market. SensoTop is designed to optimize bus transmission gear-shifting to reduce fuel consumption, saving transit systems money. Read full article here. Earthgarage – Greener Car. … Continue reading →

Is it ethical to drive stick?

Bob Leonard — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:00:39 +0000

A car with a manual transmission is a lot more fun to drive but also got you better gas mileage. Those days may be over.

Read the full blog here.

Earthgarage – Greener Car. Fatter Wallet.

Alternative Fuels — Cars That Run on Natural Gas

Bob Leonard — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:14:57 +0000

In the world of alternative fuels, electric, hydrogen and even hybrid vehicles get most of the attention. Not many people are aware of another alternative automotive fuel that burns cleaner than gasoline, is found abundantly in the United States and is already in heavy use around the world: natural gas. Natural gas is by no means a new fuel; it’s been used to heat homes and cook food in gas stoves for more than a century. But only recently have automotive technicians begun exploring the possibility of using natural gas as an alternative to gasoline in automobiles here in the United States.

Read full article here.

Earthgarage – Greener Car. Fatter Wallet.