Land Rover will be showcasing their most eco-friendly sport utility vehicle, the Land Rover Evoque during the Paris 2010 Motor Show on September 30th. However, some early information has already leaked out.

• Luxurious coupe design with a compact and more efficient footprint than other Range Rover models
• Targeting a new group of customers for the Range Rover brand
• Bold exterior is an evolution of Range Rover design language
• Strong, clean interior architecture with a contemporary and sporting feel
• Premium cabin with the high quality materials expected from a Range Rover.
• Available with full sized glass panoramic roof flooding the interior with natural light
• Use of efficient powertrain and advanced lightweight materials
• Smaller – at a 171 inches (434cm) it is 17 inches (432mm) shorter and 7 inches (178mm) lower than Range Rover Sport models
• Permanent all-wheel drive combined with turbocharged four-cylinder engine and an updated six-speed auto transmission deliver excellent perforrmance and fuel economy
• All-new 240 bhp 2.0-litre Si4 turbocharged engine combining six-cylinder refinement and performance with four-cylinder fuel economy
• All-new chassis specification delivers dynamic and agile handling across varied terrain, with optional Adaptive Dynamics featuring MagneRide™
• All-weather, all-surface capability with Land Rover Terrain Response®
• An extensive suite of Range Rover technologies including Bluetooth® audio streaming and optional Surround camera system
• To be sold in 160 countries worldwide, with deliveries from Fall 2011

With their new EcoBoost Si4 engine, the Evoque promises to be as fuel efficient as a 4-cylinder on the highway or in the city. With a release set for next Fall… I know what I’ll be saving for! No word on price yet though.

[ Links: Hello Evoque, Land Rover Evoque ]

Despite those ever-present AT&T complaints of wireless network congestion, the company (well, all wireless carriers) are continually looking for new ways to connect people their 3G networks, be they e-readers or electric cars. AT&T has announced that they’ve struck a deal with Nissan to bring HSDPA 3G connectivity to the new electric Nissan Leaf.

The 3G connectivity not only allows users to access in-car media, but it’s closely tied to the car’s recharging systems, informing you of the nearest recharging stations and allowing users to monitor their battery levels remotely. Given Nissan plans to sell the LEAF worldwide, they chose AT&T because of their support of the GSM standard.

Link to the original article…

A University of Southern California team has produced flexible transparent carbon atom films that may have great potential for a brand new variety of solar cells. Inside a paper recently published in the journal ACS Nano, researchers stated that organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells have been proposed as a method to obtain low price energy due to their ease of manufacture, light-weight, and compatibility with flexible substrates.

This work shows that graphene, an extremely conductive and highly transparent type of carbon made up of atoms-thick sheets of carbon atoms, has high possibility to fill this role. While graphene’s existence has been known for many years, it has only been studied extensively since 2004 due to the impracticality of manufacturing it in high quality and in quantity.

The University of Southern California team has produced graphene/polymer sheets ranging in sizes nearly 150 square centimeters that in turn may be used to create dense arrays of flexible organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells. These organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices convert solar radiation to electricity, although not as efficiently as silicon cells.

The energy provided by sunlight on a sunny day is about 1,000 watts per meter square, for every 1,000 watts of sunlight that hits a square meter part of the standard silicon solar cell, 14 watts of electricity will be generated, Organic solar cells are less efficient; their conversion rate for that same 1,000 watts of sunlight in the graphene-based solar cell would be only 1.3 watts.

But what graphene organic photovoltaic (OPV) lack in efficiency, can potentially be compensated by its lower price and, greater physical flexibility. Researchers think it may eventually be possible to cover with inexpensive solar cell layers extensive areas like newspapers, magazines or power generating clothing. In the meanwhile Prof. Ruoff and his colleagues of the mechanical engineering department at the University of Texas at Austin, are studying the basic science in the introduction of graphene-based ultracapacitors for usage in electronics and other fields.

Prof. Ruoff says batteries are relatively slow, they can store energy but require sometime to charge up, and then they distribute energy slowly, over time. Ultracapacitors can be charged very quickly, in seconds, and discharge quickly, but, today, they can’t store very much electrical energy. The introduction of stable and cheaper ultracapacitors should be a key step in using wind or solar-generated power, especially if researchers will find ways to enable capacitors to store energy longer, which is not yet possible.

Even with their current storage capacity, the graphene devices could provide quick energy when needed in certain situations on the ecological way. They could be used, for instance, to absorb heat generated in braking an automobile or train, and store it for a short time, and then employ it for the electrical needs of the vehicle (i.e. starting the automobile or acceleration).

About the writer – Sophia H. Walker writes for the solar battery charger blog, her personal hobby weblog dedicated to tips to help individuals save electricity using solar energy for small gadgets.

GM is earning even more cool points with me. They just announced that 4,400 Chevrolet owners are eligible for free home charging stations.

The first buyers of the Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle with extended-range capability will be eligible for one of 4,400 free home charging stations. The program will provide Volt owners with a 240-volt charge station from either ECOtality, Inc. or Coulomb Technologies. In many cases, it will include the cost of home installation. The projects are made possible with a grant of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds from the Transportation Electrification Initiative administered by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

“Many owners will plug their Volt into a normal 120-volt electrical outlet, charge overnight and drive to work in the morning using only battery power,” said Tony DiSalle, Product and Marketing Director for the Chevrolet Volt. “For Volt owners who want to install a faster 240-volt charge station, we expect the Department of Energy project to save $1,000 and $2,000.”

GM is the only manufacturer working with both DOE partners: The EV Project from ECOtality and ChargePoint America project from Coulomb Technologies.

[ Links: GM Volt, The EV Project, ChargePoint America ]

In an effort to lessen their carbon imprint and continue to expand their network(s), Verizon has ordered 576 Chevrolet Silverado Truck Hybrids. Doesn’t sound like much, but it’s the biggest order so far for any hybrid truck in the US for their fleet so far. I hope the trend continues.

As part of the greening of its fleet, Verizon has purchased 576 Chevrolet Silverado Two-Mode Hybrid full-size pickups that deliver the city fuel economy of a four-cylinder sedan.

The unique two-mode Silverado blends an internal combustion engine with battery-powered electric motors to offer customers the advanced technology needed to reduce fuel consumption by up to 40 percent over a conventional full-size pickup — an EPA estimated 21 MPG city and 22 MPG highway, best of any full-size pickup.

“When Verizon first approached us about environmentally friendly and fuel-efficient vehicles for their urban drivers, we knew the Silverado Hybrid was the perfect fit because of its outstanding city and highway MPG ratings,” said Brian Small, GM Fleet and Commercial Operation general manager. “Immediately the team went to work to meet Verizon’s ambitious July delivery deadline.”

GM’s two-mode system enables the Silverado to launch and drive up to 30 mph on electricity alone, and allows the Vortec 6.0L V-8 engine to operate in its more economical V-4 mode for longer periods. This technology is the only hybrid system capable of being used in full-size trucks, which further emphasizes Chevrolet’s full-size truck leadership.

Good to see GM stay in the news in a positive manner – anything would have been better than last year – and it’s great to see Verizon thinking of the environment as well.

[ Links: GM, GM Silverado Hybrid Verizon Order ]

Partnering with Google Earth, General Motors (GM) has produced an application for the education of K-12 students that, once downloaded, will show and educate children using the proven Google Earth technology to accurately show you where in the world people are using renewable energy.

As a responsible corporate citizen, we know it’s important to give back to society. And, as an automaker in these times, we are often on the leading edge of technology development that will help to reduce the impact our products have on the environment. We think it’s important to pass on the lessons and knowledge we’ve learned from working on these issues to the young students today who will be tomorrow’s leaders and problem solvers.

General Motors has really embraced the renewable energy push that will hopefully lead them from being a bailed out, broken and nearly bankrupt company back to a company that employs technology and overall “know-how” to get themselves back into the forefront of innovation once again and supply the next generation with information that will help shape their educational and career opportunities.

Keep up the good work GM. The application is a free download.

[ Links: GM, GM Education ]

Of all of the things that vodka could ever claim to be, I never thought I’d see “green” and “eco-friendly” in the same sentence as vodka. Green, sure… just add lime or food coloring. But eco-friendly? Never. That is until 360 Vodka that is.

Quadruple distilled through a highly energy efficient process, with every bushel of grain being fully utilized and nothing to waste. 360 is also five times filtered and produced at a facility that has improved its eco-footprint measurably over the past 5 years.

The “green” packaging that surrounds 360 Vodka is the utmost in eco. Our Eco-Audit details the environmental benefits of the packaging.

The packaging alone saves 193 fully grown trees, 82,766 gallons of water, 9,255 pounds of solid waste, 139 million BTU of energy and 18,052 pounds of greenhouse gases.

As if I ever needed a reason to drink up, I think I found one. And yes, the vodka isn’t bad either; it’s crisp with no true aftertaste and tastes just as good chilled as it does with some organic orange juice. At prices starting at $19.99 for 750mL, it’s definitely worth a sip.

[ Links: 360 Vodka, BevMo ]

Case-Mate [ site here ] presented its wireless (inductive charging) Apple iPhone charging system titled Case-mate Hug during CES 2010. The Case-mate Hug consists of the Hug case and Hug charging pad which together will protect and wireless charge your Apple iPhone. The Hug portable charging pad transfer power wirelessly through a magnetic field to the Apple iPhone 3G or 3GS enclosed in the Hug case.

Priced at $89.99 with a delivery date TBA.

Link to the original article…

Macally [ site here ] has launched its bamboo-made laptop cooler EcoFan Pro. Equipped with two built-in USB fans, the EcoFan Pro is designed for up to 17-inch laptops.

It looks a lot like a picnic table to me. Suggested price is $39.99.

Link to the original article…

OeTZI3300, a play on the name given to Ötzi the Iceman [ Wikipedia ] that was carbon dated back to 3300 BC and was discovered once the ice started to melt due to “global warming” near the Austrian/Italian Alps and had on a pair of “interesting shoes”.

OeTZI300 produced the OTZ-1 as a type of active shoe that comes in either suede or leather that is also somewhat influenced on the aforementioned mummified “Iceman” shoes.

Inspired by the simple yet functional design of Oetzi’s shoes, our need to be environmentally responsible and promote the art of well being, OeTZI3300 is re-mastering the basic essentials from the past in a fresh and relevant way.

The OTZ1 is a crafted sneaker collection made with 1.8mm top grain napa leathers and oiled suedes, an insulating yet breathable stretch inner sock liner, and our cork footbed designed for comfort that gradually mold to the individual footscape. The antimicrobial cork footbed combined with our soft suede cover provides an unparalleled walking experience.

Available in European sizes 36 through 46 at prices starting at $135 USD.

[ OeTZI3300 ] [ OTZ-1 Low Suede ]

HP announced the launch of its eco-friendly ‘HP Designjet L25500 Printer’ in Korea market, which is designed for ease-of-use and available in 42- and 60-inch models. Especially the HP Designjet L25500 Printer utilizes HP’s Latex Printing Technologies to deliver unrivaled versatility for a wide range of large format applications. Offering print service providers with print durability comparable to eco-solvent inks, the HP Designjet L25500 enables users to significantly reduce the impact of printing on the environment, and increase customer value.

The new HP printer is the ideal solution for small and medium digital print and sign shops, as well as copy shops and photo labs.

Link to the original article…

Now here’s a little story for you. Once while waiting on a connecting flight from Atlanta to Oklahoma, I used my Apple iPhone to keep myself entertained for a bit. If you’ve played any iPhone game for an extended period of time, you know that it will drain your battery faster than just using it as a telephone. My plane arrives, I depart, I land in Oklahoma a few hours later, grab a rental car, plug in my car charger only to discover that the power socket (aka cigarette lighter) didn’t work. What’s worse, my iPhone had a depleted battery and was going to die.

I had packed up my HardCE iPower Case battery [ review here ], which at 2300mAh is about two times bigger than the internal Apple iPhone battery, charged and had enough juice to last me through my day with heavy usage, go back to the Hertz rental agency and get a car that worked just fine.

Story aside, HardCE [ site here ] has released an update to their iPower Case to now include solar cells too. Did I mention that while in Oklahoma, I turned about 4 shades darker… in the first hour!? A solar panel can slowly replenish the charge that’s being used and it’s a trend that finally is taking root in a lot of gadgets that require charges.

• for iPhone & iPhone3G/3GS
• Stylus/Camera Flash/Expand battery/Leather case 4 in 1
• Genuine leather
• 2300mAh Li-Polymer battery inside
• Removable cover
• Smart Power Control
• USB function
• With CE & FCC Certification
• Size: 125mm×63.5mm×22.5mm
• Packing Size: 175mm×110mm×35mm
• Net Weight: 98g

Comes in two flavors, iPower Basic with Solar Panel and the iPower Plus with Solar Panel that includes an usable stylus that simulates finger input and a LED light that doubles as a flash or flashlight and in a range of colors… including Orange.

[ HardCE ] [ Related: RTL Review HardCE iPower Case ]