Pollution and car emissions are two very intertwined problems that many people are constantly upset about. Obviously in the past few years or decades cars have become much more environmentally friendly thanks to cleaner fuels and newer technology, but for many people this still isn’t enough. Fortunately today a group of state Governors formed a coalition to push for increased sales of non-polluting electric cars.

While it is not exactly possible to make all cars on the road completely pollution free, this coalition has the right idea. It is great news that there is finally an important government run group fighting for more electric or alternative fuel cars to hit the road in order to reduce emissions. Automotive emissions are always a big problem and these new electric cars are likely to be a big part of the future, hopefully government groups like this will be a step in the right direction.

At this point the coalition is simply trying to get the word out but they’re also fighting to lower the price of electric cars to make them more affordable. As a whole this is fantastic news because it will eventually make these cars cheaper and more affordable for everyone.

Margaret Dunning, 102, is on the road to higher education as she returns to college to finish her business degree.

A few days ago, Dunning had no thoughts of returning to school but this past Wednesday, she got a surprise and an offer she couldn’t refuse.

Following an article on Today.co about Dunning and her love affair with automobiles, the FRAM Group, which makes FRAM and Prestone auto products among others, decided to honor Dunning in a private ceremony and presented her with a lifetime supply of car-care products and fully paid tuition at the University of Michigan.

She has changed her own oil and spark plugs her whole life but it is tender care for a 1930 Packard Roadster 740 which she purchased in 1949 that brought her a modicum of fame. IN addition, Dunning also owns several other classic cars.

Dunning was raised on a dairy and potato farm just west of Detroit and a short distance from the family of Henry Ford. Driving is in her blood. She learned how on the family farm when she was 8, crashed her first vehicle into the barn at age 10 and earned her first official license at the ripe old age of 12. She graduated from high school in 1929 and began taking business classes at the University of Michigan. Back then, she drove a Packard to school but hid it in the woods. She could have been dismissed from school for the offense but no one found out and she was able to use it to return home on weekends.

The Great Depression hit hard and Dunning was forced to leave school to help her mother who was the owner of a bank. The family needed her help. She was able to forge a career in banking so leaving school didn’t have the same negative effect on her that it had on so many others.

She is excited about the new chapter in her life and is already making plans: what classes she’ll take, how she’ll get to and from campus and how to put her scholarship to its best use. Dunning thinks she can finish up her degree in about a year.

Google has been developing their self driving cars for quite some time now and while they’ve been having relative success with the program the idea of a driverless car was doomed from the start due to legal issues. Fortunately today the program might have gotten the support it so desperately needed in the form of legal support in California. Driverless cars could be the future of transportation and the good news is that municipalities around the country are slowly beginning to implement laws that would make it legal for Google and others to operate these cars.

Driverless cars will supposedly be nearly perfect when it comes to crashes and accidents and the good news is that this will save countless lives and thousands of dollars for millions of Americans. California is the first state pushing for legalization of this so that testing can begin and Google is at the forefront of the legal battle. If driverless cars are actually legalized it will open the world to testing and development from Google that will rapidly increase the rate at which these cars are being created. Google hasn’t publicly commented on the new developments but in the past Google has expressed strong concern with the laws banning autonomous cars. It might still be a few months before anything comes out of these legal proceedings but it is still great news for the automotive and tech industry alike.

LG and GM Partner to Create Efficient Electric Cars-- Source:Wall Street Journal

General Motors and LG are both very well respected companies in their own right but today the two announced that they will be working together on an upcoming project. The project is, of course, a vehicle that will be designed by GM but LG will have significant input in terms of power and battery technology. Thanks to new technology from LG, GM is hoping to create some highly efficient cars.

At this time the project is still in early development but LG and GM say that this ongoing partnership could help bring incredibly efficient electric vehicles. Of course LG is not new to the automotive game as they already supply GM with power plants for numerous electric or hybrid vehicles that are currently available.

The fact that two major companies like this are finally willing to work together on a major efficiency project such as this is very good news according to environmental analysts. Without help from major corporations it would be nearly impossible to ever have truly efficient vehicles; the hope is that GM and LG together will be the match made in heaven needed to create the newest wave of efficient cars. At this time GM and LG have not announced a possible reveal date for upcoming cars but given the rate at which the electric car market is expanding it seems likely that GM and LG will both be working quickly to get something ready for the market as soon as they can.

Chicago Starts Green Taxi Project

Just last week Chicago Mayor Richard Daley officially announced Chicago’s revolutionary new “green taxi” project. As the name implies the project is aimed at making taxis more environmentally friendly and it seems Chicago is already heading in the right direction with what they’re planning.

The basis of the project currently is that taxi drivers or taxi companies will be given tax credits and other special deals or rewards for participating. In order to participate taxi companies must operate a certain percentage of their taxis with either a hybrid electric system or other alternative fuels that are better for the environment.

Obviously Chicago hopes that this will lead to an increase in the number of hybrid taxis on the streets in the crowded city. No word yet on exact details have been announced regarding which cab companies are already on board with the project but city analysts say many of the largest taxi cab companies will likely get involved in the near future.

Chicago is not the first city to encourage taxi companies to become greener but few have offered the level of support Chicago is offering. Chicago will reportedly be giving cab companies over $2000 to purchase a hybrid vehicle rather than gas vehicle. The city will also be giving as much as $14,000 to companies which convert existing cabs to a greener fuel like natural gas or propane. In the next year or two analysts say there will likely be a significant increase in greener taxis thanks to this project.