How's that green future lookin'?

Earlier this year, I spent a couple nights driving a Toyota Prius V, an admirably techie car offering terrific packaging with a ton of usable space inside, not to mention handy stuff such as sliding and reclining rear seats. Flipping through the logbook now, though, I see comments like “The Prius is slow, noisy and just devoid of anything that makes driving fun” and “I can't stand these regenerative brakes. They're like an on/off switch.” Well isn't that just great. Is this the future? Is this what we have to look forward to? This is the 23rd straight year we've done an Earth Day issue. Near as I can tell, we are still the only automotive-enthusiast magazine to do one annually. The idea has always been, and continues to be, to guide you—and our- selves, frankly—through the latest in the green-car world. Green-car world … What does that mean exactly? Clean cars such as hybrids and electrics? Automotive recycling? Alternative fuels? Yeah, it's all those things—and the definition changes every day. Green is the Tesla Model S, a fascinating electric luxury sedan that is beautiful to behold, shows a ton of promise, but alsorecently left senior online editor Rory Carroll stranded at his house for two days. (True, it's not Tesla's fault Carroll lives in Lansing, something like 90 miles from his cubicle, but that's a whole 'nother story.) Green are the ever-tougher regulations our beloved federal government will require automakers to meet down the road—54.5 mpg in 2025, anyone? Green is an entrepreneur such as Mike Doyle potentially hitting on something huge at North Star Biofuels out in Watsonville, Calif.—making some 300,000 gallons of biodiesel a week from animal fat and feedstock without using water or emitting any odor. Pink slime, indeed. Whether or not you can stand the sight of a Prius, it's tough to argue it isn't an interesting car from a technological standpoint. It's also hard to argue that green technology isn't fascinating. Think about it: Study the green auto scene, and you're literally looking at where the auto industry is headed. And where's that, you ask? Naturally, that depends on which automaker, government official or supplier you talk to. One thing most everyone agrees on is that weight saving will be a huge challenge in meeting the 54.5-mpg standard. Our Jayne O'Donnell, on the scene in D.C., says that according to a Department of Transportation analysis, every pound of weight savings will cost about a buck. O'Donnell points out that, generally speaking, future generations will be driving cars or light trucks made of some aluminum, composite or really high-strength steel combo. A high-efficiency three- or four-cylinder gas engine, a diesel or some kind of hybrid system will power it, likely mated to a CVT. Or maybe it will have a seven-, eight- or nine-speed transmission. It will have LED headlights, low-rolling resistance tires and stop/start technology. You get the idea. Will we have any fun at all? Two things about the car biz: The customer usually wins, and auto engineers are a smart bunch. Even now, according to the EPA, Corvettes, Mazdaspeed 3s and Porsche 911s all get an excellent 25-plus mpg on the highway. So I'm optimistic that no matter how much more regulated the industry becomes or how much gas prices rise, there will always be room for the enthusiast. The industry and the car companies we love will find ways to keep us engaged. If nothing else, customer demand will, well, demand it.  

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