AutoblogGreen

With the threat of a President Bush veto looming overhead, Congressional Democrats are letting the ban on offshore drilling expire next week. The hot button topic has been debated since Mr. Bush lifted the presidential ban back in July, leaving only House Democrats to stand between big oil and U.S. shorelines. Democrats countered that the environment was more important than expensive gasoline, and although Dems have a majority in both the House and Senate, they don't have enough votes to trump a veto.

House GOP leader John Boehner of Ohio calls the move "a victory for Americans," but it's likely most environmentalists aren't in much of a celebratory mood right now. Mainstream America, however, will likely welcome any news that could lead to relief at the pump. And although any drilling could take years to come to fruition, the knowledge that America's vast offshore reserves will eventually enter the fossil fuel fray could help calm the volatile market. Whether cheaper gasoline is coming or not, the shift away from gas-gobbling SUVs and trucks looks to be a permanent one. Here's to hoping that by the time the drills are ready to pump crude, protesters will have a far larger choice of EVs to take to the rally.

[Source: Yahoo]

Click above image for a gallery of the 5-door Yaris

With the soaring cost of fuel and an increased awareness of global warming, more and more people are looking at hybrids as a way of saving a buck and the environment at the same time. The king of all hybrids is the Toyota Prius, which comprises the lion's share of all hybrid sales. It'll net you 48 mpg in the city and 45 mpg on the highway, and when you're done with your hybrid hatch, you can sell it with minimal depreciation. The Prius has a lot going for it, but does it have the lowest cost of ownership? It would, if not for another member of the Toyota lineup.

IntelliChoice figures total cost of ownership over a five-year period by balancing depreciation, insurance, financing, maintenance and repairs, and fuel costs. While the Prius delivers $2,000 in fuel savings over that period of time and very high residual value, the Yaris beat out the Prius in cost of ownership by a rather large $1,300. The reason? There are a few, really, including the Yaris' bargain basement starting price of $13,945, which is much lower than the $22,220 it takes to get you into a Prius. Then there is the fact that the Yaris also gets solid fuel economy, with city/highway numbers of 29/35. Financing $22k is also a lot tougher on the wallet then a meager $14k.

The Yaris may have won the cost of ownership battle, the Prius is still winning the war. Prius sales are killing Yaris sales, and while the Prius is no beauty queen, the Yaris is just as homely while also having far less interior room.

[Source: Automobile Mag]

There has been a US ban on offshore oil drilling for the past 27 years, and George Bush Sr. signed off on an executive order echoing the ban in 1990. Originally, the ban was agreed upon to protect the beaches and tourism economies of coastal towns, and now global warming has been added into the mix.

With one stroke of the mighty pen, George Jr. has undone his father's order by lifting the ban on offshore drilling, but the move means nothing unless Congress also lifts its separate ban. The Bush Administration is trying to put pressure on Congress to throw out its ban, but so far the Democrat-controlled Congress isn't budging. Sen. Barbara Boxer called the move "something you'd expect from an oil company CEO, not the president of the United States."

President Bush has made no bones about his desire to drill for the billions of barrels of oil believed to be hidden beneath our coastlines, and with gas prices at $4.25 per gallon, much of America is on his side. The price of gas is now right up there with the war in Iraq and the economy as the top concern of Americans, so the Congress could be in a similar spot as the Republican controlled Congress was when it backed the Iraq war back in 2006. Many non-coastal Americans are more concerned about being able to afford fuel than they are about terrific views off the coast of Maine or beaches in south Florida. Instead our environment will have to be the rationale for Congress to uphold the ban. Will the Congress bow to public and political pressure and allow drilling, or will they risk re-election and do the right thing for the environment? Only time will tell.

[Source: Detroit News]

Delivery services like DHL are very efficient operations that get your package from point A to point B at the lowest possible cost, but the company's mega-fleet spews CO₂ by the truckload. In the Asia Pacific region, DHL has started Gogreen Express to give environmentally conscious shippers the ability to choose carbon-neutral package delivery. Using Gogreen Express is as simple as paying an additional three percent fee on top of the cost of the overall bill. DHL then invests the money into green projects like vehicle technology, solar panels and reforestation. It's definitely not electric-powered delivery vehicles, but at least it's a start. There is no word at this time whether the option will be offered here in the U.S.

[Source: Times of India]

Diesel engines have been widely accepted in Europe for decades, mainly because the oil-burners are much more efficient than their gasoline-powered counterparts. Here in the U.S., however, the loud and smelly performance of diesels in the '70s and '80s has left a bad taste that obviously hasn't gone away. Oklahoma City NBC affiliate KFOR quotes a study by a "well respected" market research firm that says car buyers here in the states still aren't ready for diesel engines.

When given the choice of hybrids, diesels, hydrogen fuel cells, and biofuels, only six percent of those surveyed thought diesel was a viable fuel source for the future. Furthermore, the same people in the study were under the impression that gasoline-powered cars achieved better fuel economy than diesels. Almost half also thought that diesels were still loud and odorous.

The good news is that the American public has yet to see the diesel marketing campaigns from VW, Honda, Mercedes, and others. If that bearded guy can sell 50 million tubs of Oxy Clean, we're pretty sure our nation's auto consumers will give diesel another chance, especially if it comes with the promise of 50 mpg.

[Source: KFOR]

Just last week the Autoblog team showed you how to cook ham and potatoes in your engine bay, and now a group of inventive Iranians have created a device that can cook burgers with your tail pipe. The device was created for the Dining in 2015 competition, and it uses the hot gases from your exhaust to heat up your favorite beef, chicken, or veggie patty without wasting any natural gas or electricity. The clam shell device completely separates the engine's noxious gas from your burger, too. Unfortunately, in an effort to protect your future meal from the elements, it doesn't look like there's a good place for the grease to escape from your beef burger. The end result is likely a fatty yet eco-friendly feast, unless you go veggie, which helps save the world and your arteries. All the Exhaustburger needs is an endorsement from George Foreman and Al Gore, and the meat-heating device will end up dangling from every car in the U.S., unless it's a Tesla.

[Source: TreeHugger]

Toyota has been on a roll with hybrids lately, with the 170,000 units sold in 2006 expected to be easily eclipsed this year by 80,000 units or more. The Prius is the obvious hybrid sales leader, but the Highlander came in at a surprising 2nd place last year, with 31,000 units sold. That number should only go up with the introduction of the 2008 Highlander Hybrid, which is expected to arrive in dealerships at the end of September. We had a chance to take Toyota's battery-assisted CUV for a spin during the vehicle's unveiling in Dearborn, Michigan, and we found a vehicle that was spacious and clever on the inside and better looking outside (that was easy).

Of course the single aspect of the hybrid version of the Highlander that intrigues us the most is the powertrain, and from our standpoint Toyota has done a good job of integrating their battery technology into this seven-seat CUV. $3 per gallon gasoline has placed fuel economy at the top of everybody's mind right now, and the 2008 Highlander Hybrid has upped the ante, if only slightly. Using the EPA's new fuel economy calculations, the 08 model achieves 27mpg in the city and 25mpg on the highway. Those numbers are exactly the same for 07, but the new EPA numbers are stiffer, and account for aggressive driving and the use of air conditioners. What's impressive is that Toyota managed better fuel economy on a larger CUV that weighs 300lb more than the vehicle it replaces, while working with the same 3.3L V6 paired to essentially the same battery pack.

The 2008 Highlander Hybrid comes with plenty of great standard features like backup assist with a dash-mounted 3.5 inch screen, 19' rims, seven air bags, and stability control. The hybrid can also tow 3500lbs while boasting SULEV emissions. Also standard are and EV mode that can go 1-2 miles at speeds under 25mph while using only the battery. Another fuel-saving technology is Toyota's Econ mode, which helps achieve better gas mileage by governing the amount of throttle that can be used at any time. Click through to read our driving impressions of the 2008 Highlander Hybrid.