For New York City dwellers, fleets of yellow cabs are as part of the scenery as the skyscrapers. For many people living there, taking a cab is a common form of transportation.

If you’ve hailed a cab there recently, you may have noticed an increasing number of hybrid taxis honking their horns as of late.

The city of New York has a goal in which the entire taxi cab fleet will become hybrids by 2012. So far, they’ve doubled the number of hybrid taxis and expect to meet their goal.  So, with 15% of their fleet made up of taxis, they’re doing pretty well, but San Francisco is right there with them. San Francisco boasts 14% of their taxi fleet as being hybrid, while only 1% of Chicago’s fleet is going hybrid. One of Denver’s taxi companies is made up of 10% hybrids as well. …read more of Hybrid Taxis: We’re Almost There here

As gas prices start to drop, the alternative fuel buzz seems to go down with it, making green fuel advocates a bit exasperated.

When gas is $4 a gallon, even the biggest SUV fans are looking for a biodiesel station or checking out hybrid prices.  With current prices down to a remarkable $1.91 for regular gas, everyone seems content with fossil fuels once more.

While I enjoy the lower prices as much as the next person, part of me wishes they would go up again to spur the alternative fuel urgency that was so pervasive this time last year.

Perhaps we all need a gentle reminder that it’s not about the gas prices, it’s about the fuel and what we’re doing to the environment to get it. …read more of Keep Thinking Green! here

Going on vacation soon?  How about a spring break road trip?  Next time you find yourself renting a car, check out some green car options.

Now increasingly common, companies like Hertz and Enterprise are beginning to expand their fleets with cars that have better gas mileage, use alternative fuel, and/or hybrid cars.

Though Hertz seems to have led the way with their 2006 launch of their “green collection,” Enterprise more than doubles Hertz in their collection of hybrid vehicles. …read more of Renting a Car? Zoom Away in a Green Rental Car here

Subaru has always had a “green” reputation, mostly created by the people who drive them.  The Subaru Outback is generally driven by the outdoorsy type that doesn’t feel the need to own a gas guzzling SUV just to get up to the mountains.  And Dave Matthews drives one, so hey, it’s gotta be green, right?

But where are all the hybrids, the hydrogen-powered vehicles, the biodiesel-ready cars?

There have been rumors and speculation about Subaru producing an alternative fuel car, but actually having them available to the public seems a ways off still.  According to Drive magazine, the Subaru R1e, the first electric car produced by the manufacturers is still in testing.

The car uses lithium-ion battery technology, has a 50 mile range, and an estimated 10-year lifespan.  …read more of Subaru Focuses Green Efforts Towards Production, Not Fancy Hybrids here

The Toyota Prius was the first alternative vehicle to become part of the mainstream.  They are everywhere–there are three on my block alone!  In fact, they are so mainstream now that Prius drivers have a bit of a stereotype—the Whole Foods shopper with the designer reusable bag, listening to NPR while sipping their Starbucks… you get the picture (hey, nothing wrong with that).

Japan automakers are definitely getting this alternative vehicle thing right.  Along with Honda, Toyota has become a leader in offering green cars.  In the summer of 2008, Toyota’s Vice President talked about Toyota’s future in alternative cars: “Because of the many obstacles that must be overcome because of alternative energy source, more than one type of vehicle will have to be used to obtain the sustainable mobility society, and because in each region, the energy situation is different.”  No automakers have made such a claim—that multiple alternative fuel sources will be needed to meet the energy needs of our world.  Other manufactures seem to be making alternative sources out of a need to compete rather than out of an understanding of fixing our energy crisis.

So what does alternatives does Toyota have to offer the consumer? …read more of Toyota Offers up Alternative Options here