President Barack Obama, seen above at the Washington Auto Show Tuesday, hailed the triumphant rebound of the U.S. auto industry. Obama sat inside a 2013 Ford C-Max Energi, which won this year’s Green Car Vision Award, among some gas guzzling trucks, SUVs and muscle cars made by General Motors, Chrysler and Ford.

“The U.S. auto industry is back,” Obama stated to reports, adding that it’s was worth remembering that there were some leaders “willing to let this industry die.” Clearly taking a shot at Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney. Even though Obama didn’t make a statement with Romney’s name, it was quite clear when he told reporters that “it’s good to remember the fact that there were some folks who were willing to let this industry die. Because of folks coming together we are now in a place where we can compete with any car company in the world.”

A spokeswoman for Romney, Andrea Saul, stated that Romney was “thrilled” to see the success of General Motors company but that it was “unfortunate that the government first attempted a bailout, which was precisely as unsuccessful as he predicted, cost taxpayers billions, and left the government improperly entangled in the private sector.”

Since the 2009 bailout GM officially regained its spot as the planet’s top-selling auto manufacturer in 2011. Let’s not forget that the U.S. taxpayers still own about one-third of General Motors equity after shelling out nearly $50-billion US to GM and more than $12-billion to Chrysler. Obama stands behind his decision saying “the fact that GM is back, number one, I think shows the kind of turnaround that’s possible when it comes to American manufacturing.”

Chalk up another win for Ford as they take home the Green Car Journal Green Car Vision award for the second year in a row at the Washington Auto Show. The Ford C-Max Energi has indeed been turning many heads and other still are awaiting the 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid that will become available this fall. However, how “Green” can a company be for developing vehicles that are not on the road yet?

Building hybrids with style is on the mind of many, but what about non-hybrids that are purely electric with zero emissions? While the Ford Focus electric is also a zero emission vehicle as opposed to the Hybrid C-Max, one tends to wonder how the C-Max Energi was able to win the award in the first place. Don’t get me wrong, Ford has done an amazing job with these two vehicles. The C-Max gets 40 miles to the gallon versus cars like the Tesla Model S getting 300 miles per charge. The C-Max has a greater range after fill-up, but you are still paying those high gasoline prices. Is it more cost effective to get the greater range? Perhaps on long road trips it could be, but for in town or perhaps the casual drive it could cost more as opposed to a completely electric vehicle. However, 40 MPG is a lot better than what most of us drive and depending on sticker prices, I might consider one.

The design of the C-Max is akin to a minivan without the size. It easily can fit several people with leg room for a comfortable drive. With a sleek, aerodynamic, and sexy design, I wouldn’t be surprised if these wind up being very popular. I can see the C-Max being perfect for family vacations, or families that travel around town together.

At any rate, with the variety of hybrids and electric cars available now, anyone can find something to help the environment and prolong our use of oil byproducts. By going to Ford’s website, you can reserve your Ford Focus electric car for 2012 and view the full specifications for the 2013 C-Max Energi.

2012 buyers of the Chevy Volt, a hybrid-electric vehicle introduced in 2010, will now be allowed to drive in the high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane in the state of California. Previously sold Chevy Volts did not qualify to receive the sticker required for this privilege. Recent adaptations made for the 2012 model will now allow new buyers to apply for one of these highly coveted spots.

Chevy dealers hope that this will further entice buyers to try out this new technology which, while energy efficient, is also expensive. Having an additional carrot to draw in customers is key, especially in a state such as California which tends to be more willing to adopt new green technology before the rest of the country or world. Even without access to the high occupancy vehicle lane, almost one fourth of all Chevy Volts sold last year were sold in the state of California.

As a car designed for commuting, access to the high occupancy vehicle lanes fits in well with the Chevy Volt’s market objectives. The car is designed to provide drivers with the ability to make it to and from work using electricity saved in batteries without requiring the back up gasoline engine to kick in at all. The goal is to provide users with the ability to use the car on a daily basis without ever having to refill the gas tank. Hopefully, the extra effort made by General Motors to get the Volt qualified for the high occupancy vehicle lanes will pay off as environmentally conscious commuters and carpoolers will have even more reason to give this new technology a chance. The Volt could prove to be part of the solution to the United State’s continuing reliance on both foreign and domestic sources of oil and it is fair to allow it this added incentive.

Well, it certainly looks cool, but by calling it a pick-up – are the marketers at Smart trying too hard to win over a truck-crazed American market who are allergic to electric vehicles? The Smart For-Us concept features a 75-horsepower electric motor and a 17.6 kW/h lithium ion battery pack (more than the Chevy Volt.)

Smart claims that this little zoomer can get from zero to 60 times in five seconds and that it will have a top speed of 80 mph, along with a battery that will charge to almost full from almost empty within a few hours. Calling it a pick-up is ambitious, but for a SmartCar – the 11.6 cubic feet of space in this model is more than we expected.

The car was revealed at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit’s Cobo Center. In the most recent press release by the company, the CEO – Annette Winkler said “We at smart love pickups – if they are small on the outside, large on the inside, very safe and extremely comfortable. With the smart for-us, a petrol station is no longer needed.”

This vehicle cannot possibly replace the more traditional idea of a pick-up truck, and you won’t be seeing these little EV’s working a farm anytime soon, but for use by urban dwellers, the Smart For-Us pickup could be perfect for around town use. As usual, we look forward to seeing what this innovative company does next.

In Ottawa, Canada, a Mike Nemat is fighting with his condominium complex about charging his electric car, a Chevy Volt. The residents of the complex split the electric bill for the whole complex, so they do not want all the owners to have to pay for his car. He is arguing that charging the car only costs around $1 a night to charge. In addition to that, many of the other condo owners do not care if he charges his car. Most of them are pleased to have an environmentally friendly car at their condo complex.

The problem that condos, or for that matter most places, are having with people plugging in their electric vehicles is they do not know how much it actually costs to charge an all-electric vehicle. In the case of the condo association, they are asking that the owner of the Volt pay to install a meter outlet for his vehicle. This will cost around $3000, which does not make much financial sense for the Volt owner. There are many other cases where people are traveling, and they cannot find a place that will allow them to plug in their car.

The reality is that a hybrid-electric car, such as a Chevy Volt, will cost between $20 – $30 per month in electricity charges. Condo managers, as well as the general public, need to find out the true costs of charging these vehicles before they declare it is not allowed. Electric cars are much better for our environment than gas cars, but unfortunately, buying one is very expensive. People who purchase electric cars should be allowed to charge them, instead they are faced with ignorance. Therefore, people who purchase electric vehicles need to do their homework before they make the purchase. They need to make certain they will have a place to plug the car in.

Checkout this CBC article to see a video with Mike explaining the details.

Heather Peters, a former litigation lawyer, feels that she’s a groundbreaker, and hopes others will follow her by filing small claims lawsuits against Honda for deceptive advertising on Honda Civic Hybrid vehicles. Honda advertised on window stickers that vehicles would get 42 mpg., when the actual mileage was more like 32 mpg.

Heather owns a 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid and chose not to sign onto a lawsuit filed and settled out of court in 2009. She has until February 11, 2012 to sign onto that lawsuit, if the suit she’s filed is not successful. Filing her small claims lawsuit in a Torrance, CA court, she’s claiming that the settlement in the previous lawsuit isn’t nearly enough. Ms. Peters is seeking $10,000 in damages that she hopes to receive from her private small claims suit.

A Honda representative didn’t show up to the first court date. When he did show up to the second date, he brought along a stack of paperwork for the courts consideration. The paperwork consisted of testimonials from satisfied Honda Hybrid owners, which was dismissed by the judge. While some Honda owners are happy with their mileage, many are not, and Heather hopes that others will follow and file their own lawsuits against Honda.

The Honda representative, Neil Schmidt, claimed at first that Heather didn’t follow the recommended service guidelines for her vehicle, which resulted in her experiencing lower mileage. Then he claimed that Honda used results from EPA testing that showed that 42 mpg was possible, but that lower numbers were also experienced. Honda chose to go with the higher number on window stickers to appeal to those influenced by “the green revolution,” which motivated them to buy a Honda Hybrid.

A software update was made to 2006-2008 Hybrid vehicles. Some believe that the update caused the lower gas mileage. The update was to extend the life of the battery, effectively causing the cars to rely more on gasoline.

Heather Peters has been using the internet to rally other Hybrid owners to follow her. A decision is expected in the case in the next week.

California air pollution has kept law makers and particularly Mary Nichols, chair of the California Air Resource Board, very busy. As we all know, air pollution has been a growing problem, but it seems they have finally found a solution to move in the right direction. Something that many believe will greatly reduce air pollution. The Advanced Clean Cars Proposal will guarantee 15% of all vehicles sold will be fully electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, or hydrogen fuel vehicles by 2025.

This law goes hand in hand with a federal proposal to increase the fuel efficiency of cars to 54.4 miles per gallon. The proposal from the California Air Resources Board will include cars, SUV’s and pickups. It also includes a plan to make sure there are plenty places to fill up all those new hydrogen fuel vehicles. I think this is a great idea. Even though many people have been pushing for a plan like this for over a decade now, I am just glad law makers are coming around. In fact several other states are likely to hop on the bandwagon. I can only hope they will all follow suit.

It is estimated that by doing this the average cost of a vehicle will go up by about $2,000-$3,000, but consumers will be saving around 25% on fuel. Consumers can look forward to saving $5,000 or more over the life of their vehicle. The Advanced Clean Cars Proposal will affect vehicles made from 2017 and later. The ARB expects to see a large decrease in air pollution between 2017 and 2025.

I think this is a big step forward for us nature lovers, and those who simply wish to preserve our earth for future generations. To quickly recap what this proposal is offering you get more miles per gallon on your car, save more money on gas, and we could possibly reduce air pollution by almost 20% by the year 2025. How can anyone argue against that? These laws will also put us, as a country in the forefront of helping create greener laws and a greener planet.

If you are looking for a fleet of electric SUVs, your search may be over soon. The Cincinnati-based Amp Electric has developed electric vehicle technology for use in one of America’s iconic SUVs. With production expected in the summer or fall of 2012, the Amp Electric Grand Cherokee will be introduced to fleet markets first. The electric vehicle technology has been fitted to the Jeep Grand Cherokee in an effort to offer another SUV option that is more eco-friendly.

As a new contender in the green vehicle market, Amp Electric has experienced little to no support from established automakers to offer this vehicle option. For starters, producing the Amp Electric Grand Cherokee requires buying Grand Cherokees from Jeep and refitting them with electric components. This leaves behind mechanical components that Chrysler is not interested in reclaiming. To date, Amp Electric does not have a glider contract with Chrysler so that Amp Electric can purchase vehicles without and engine and transmission. However, this could become an option in the future.

So far, this vehicle is one the only major offering of an SUV that is totally electric. The Amp Electric Grand Cherokee is powered by 153 kW Remy AC motors. Though a supplier has yet to be determined, the current model features a 37.6 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion phosphate battery pack. The company boasts a zero to 60 time under 10 seconds and a range between 80 and 100 miles on a full charge.

Just like many new technologies, you will have to spend more to have among the first. Expect to pay around $50,000 for the 2WD version. A 4WD option will cost you about $2,000 more, but may be worth the expense for those jobs that require off-road ventures. These prices are about the same as SUVs with hybrid technology.

If you are interested in purchasing one of these green vehicles in the near future, your best bet is to be a fleet manager. Until the market proves stable and sustainable enough for individuals to purchase them, plan on otherwise watching them hum through your neighborhood. After this new offering has proven viable through mass purchasing in fleets, individual consumers are expected to have the opportunity to buy them as well.

Elon Musk, Tesla’s point man, has announced that the company’s electric crossover will be unveiled on Feb. 9 at the company’s design studio in Hawthorne, Calif.

People are pretty excited about the crossover EV, as it will feature seven-passenger seating, something that Tesla is not famous for. They say the Model X will be the perfect family vehicle, with tons of room. The powertrain and battery options are similar to Tesla Model S, so experts think that there will be some definite decrease in the battery range because of all that extra weight and drag.

Tesla expects to build 15,000 units per year at its Fremont, Calif., factory, and suggest that the production Model X will be available in 2014.

Tesla has over 2,000 Roadsters out on the pavement all over the world, and their Model S, their first sedan, goes on the market later this year.

Tremendous amounts of water is used in most manufacturing, and auto makers are right up there as main offenders when it comes to massive water use and waste. In fact, some studies suggest that every new car built require 40,000 gallons of water.

Auto giants Ford Motors recently announced some new goals for 2015. They say that since 2000, they have reduced water usage by 49% – a total savings of just about 10.5 billion gallons. Their new goal is to drop that another 30% by 2015.

“Water remains one of our top environmental priorities,” Sue Cischke, group vice president, Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering said in a statement from Ford, “and our aggressive reduction target helps ensure continued focus on this critical resource.”