Top 2010 green cars listed by Kelley Blue Boo.kelley blue book used cars
As customary in April, Kelley Blue Book has released the Top Green Cars of 2010. In order to make the Top Green Cars list, the 10 cars chosen have to meet specific criteria in order to be considered.
The annual list specifies each of the vehicles offer good fuel economy, CO2 emissions which are better than others in the same vehicle class, and at the same time be able to put forward safety and comfort. In essence the car has to be 'green' and still be an overall satisfying car to drive.
The cars are listed in order of "in order of combined EPA-estimated fuel economy" (kbb.com). Since the criteria specifies that the cars must offer both good mileage to the gallon and decreased CO2 emissions, both of these factors are taken into consideration when making the rank.
And now for the drum roll please….the top 10 Green Cars of 2010 as listed by Kelley Blue Book.
1. 2010 Toyota Prius
Topping this year's green list is the Toyota Prius. At a whopping 50 mpg on average, this car is described as "the biggest, most powerful iteration yet, it's also the most fuel efficient" (kbb.com). This model has lots of high tech options that brings futuristic cars into reality with voice activated navigation and a solar-powered ventilation system. Seems like the earlier problems with this vehicle have not affected its green status.
2. 2010 Honda Insight (Hybrid)
Honda has two nods in 2010 (see #7). This vehicle is highly integrated with technology features that allow for strong convenience to get the best of both worlds. At 41 mpg on average, it is hard to deny this car is pretty efficient when compared to many other cars.
3. 2010 Ford Fusion (Hybrid)
The Fusion gets 39 mpg on average (41 city, 36 highway) and according to Kelley gets points not only for efficiency, but because it manages to include all of the features in conventional cars of its type.
4. 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI
Volkswagen Golf TDI is new to Kelley's green list this year according to Fox (myfoxdc.com). At an average of 34 mpg (30 city, 42 highway), seems to be a good choice.
5. 2010 MINI Cooper
For a small car, this vehicle seems to get a lot of attention. More and more of these seem to appear on the road all the time. It is no wonder, the Cooper gets an average of 32 mpg (37 on the highway) and is pretty efficient.
6. 2010 Ford Escape (Hybrid)
Looks like Ford gets two cars on the list this year. The Escape gets 32 mpg (34 city, 31 highway) and Kelley calls it "the most fuel-efficient SUV on the road today".
7. 2010 Honda Fit
This Honda gets an average of 31 mpg (28 city, 35 highway) and is a smaller sized vehicle that does well on efficiency, speed and even has cargo space.
8. 2010 BMW 335d
Averaging 27 mpg (36 on the highway), the BMW was chosen because this car features a six-cylinder diesel engine which provides both power and efficiency.
9. 2010 Toyota Highlander (Hybrid)
The Highlander averages 26 mpg. According to Kelley Blue Book this vehicle "is a green family favorite not just for its seven seats and superior fuel economy, but also for its standard all-wheel drive and demonstrated reliability" (kbb.com).
10. 2010 Chevrolet Tahoe (Hybrid)
The Tahoe averages 22 mpg. This larger SUV style vehicle is estimated to use about six gallons less than other vehicles in the same class.
The Green List is released by Kelley Blue Book annually. Click here to compare this year's list to Kelley's 2009 Green List.
According to reports JetBlue Airways is celebrating its 10th birthday with a $10 one-day fare sale. Yes, its one-day fare sale on flights from New York to the airline’s original 10 destinations. The report says passengers must book their flights on JetBlue’s website by 11:59 p.m. CST for travel Tuesday or Wednesday, March 9 or 10. One-day sale fare is the one of many monthly celebrations. This Thank You fare” promotion go from the airline’s home base at New York’s John F. Kennedy International airport to Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Tampa, West Palm Beach and Fort Myers, Florida; Buffalo and Rochester, California, New York; Oakland; Burlington, Vermont; and Salt Lake City, Utah.
They have made an announcement and according to it the airline plans to roll out a series of monthly deals. They are celebrating the beginning of its second decade with special fares, events and giveaways . Its also said that JetBlue will announce giveaways for New York-based customers on Twitter on Wednesday. In a statement the airline
’s chief commercial officer Robin Hayes said:
We are excited to kick things off in our own backyard with these $10 fares and Wednesday’s giveaway in New York.”
He also said that:
February 11 marked the day of JetBlue’s 10th anniversary milestone, but as we enter our second decade we couldn’t think of a better way to pay tribute to 2010 than a monthly celebration with our crew members and our customers.”
Bloom Energy stock symbol - The Bloom Box energy fuel cell
An upcoming stock IPO has peaked the interest of many investors who have seen 60 Minutes' news report of the new technology called the Bloom Box. The Bloom energy fuel cell could be the technology of the future, as one company is hoping for. Many eager investors are now looking for the Bloom Energy stock symbol so they can get in on this hot new technology and clean energy play. The concept is to eventually replace power grids and give homes a clean, cheap energy source.
Formerly known as Ion America Corporation, the Bloom Energy Corp. officially incorporated in 2001. They're based out of Sunnyvale, California and create sold-oxide fuel cells capable of converting natural gas or other fuel into electricity. It's a clean energy system which also produces hydrogen in the process. A recent 60 Minutes news report called it a "power plant in a box", and they talked with one of the major minds behind the technology. The box can be held in one hand and is enough to power a European home. However most United States homes would require two boxes due to the amount of energy used. The box is made inexpensively as well as seen in the 60 Minutes report, with one of the included ingredients a baked version of beach sand, along with several other pieces of technology. Still, the technology has its skeptics despite the fact it has received backing from entrepreneurial investors and venture capitalists. The US government will likely thoroughly investigate the concept to see if it has merit and value.
Sonic boom is an impulsive noise similar to thunder. It is caused by an object moving faster than sound, about 750 miles per hour at sea level. An aircraft traveling through the atmosphere continuously produces air-pressure waves similar to the water waves caused by a ship's bow. When the aircraft exceeds the speed of sound, these pressure waves combine and form shock waves which travel forward from the generation or "release" point.
The sound heard on the ground as a "sonic boom" is the sudden onset and release of pressure after the buildup by the shock wave or "peak overpressure." The change in pressure caused by sonic boom is only a few pounds per square foot, about the same pressure change we experience on an elevator as it descends two or three floors, in a much shorter time period. It is the magnitude of this peak overpressure that describes a sonic boom.
Characteristics:
The energy range of sonic boom is concentrated in the 0.1 - 100 hertz frequency range that is considerably below that of subsonic aircraft, gunfire and most industrial noise. Duration of sonic boom is brief; less than a second, 100 milliseconds (.100 seconds) for most fighter- sized aircraft and 500 milliseconds for the space shuttle or Concorde jetliner. The intensity and width of a sonic boom path depends on the physical characteristics of the aircraft and how it is operated. In general, the greater an aircraft's altitude, the lower the overpressure on the ground. Greater altitude also increases the boom's lateral spread, exposing a wider area to the boom.
Overpressures in the sonic boom impact area, however, will not be uniform. Boom intensity is greatest directly under the flight path, progressively weakening with greater horizontal distance away from the aircraft flight track. Ground width of the boom exposure area is approximately one mile for each 1,000 feet of altitude; that is, an aircraft flying supersonic at 30,000 feet will create a lateral boom spread of about 30 miles. For steady supersonic flight, the boom is described as a carpet boom since it moves with the aircraft as it maintains supersonic speed and altitude. Some maneuvers, diving, acceleration or turning, can cause focusing of the boom.
Other maneuvers, such as deceleration and climbing, can reduce the strength of the shock. In some instances weather conditions can distort sonic booms.
Sonic Boom Refraction:
Depending on the aircraft's altitude, sonic booms reach the ground two to 60 seconds after flyover. However, not all booms are heard at ground level. The speed of sound at any altitude is a function of air temperature. A decrease or increase in temperature results in a corresponding decrease or increase in sound speed. Under standard atmospheric conditions, air temperature decreases with increased altitude.
For example, when sea-level temperature is 58 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature at 30,000 feet drops to minus 49 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature gradient helps bend the sound waves upward. Therefore, for a boom to reach the ground, the aircraft speed relative to the ground must be greater than the speed of sound at the ground. For example, the speed of sound at 30,000 feet is about 670 miles per hour, but an aircraft must travel at least 750 miles per hour (Mach 1.12, where Mach 1 equals the speed of sound) for a boom to be heard on the ground.
