The following is a guest post by Ezra Drissman of GreenCareersGuide

The Department of Energy recently announced plans to give loans to car companies in order to retool to make cleaner, greener cars. With billions now available, these car companies will undoubtedly create more green jobs.

In order to appreciate how much this will affect the green landscape, you must understand where the money is going. The three car companies receiving loans are: Ford, Nissan and Tesla.

Ford, which has long had a stated commitment to environmental practices, boasts the 2010 Hybrid Fusion. The company will receive roughly $5.9 billion in loans, which reportedly will be used to change some of their manufacturing plants around to make more hybrid cars. Tesla Motors is receiving $465 million. The innovative startup makes an all-electric car with a battery that can travel over 200 miles on a single charge (it’s also wicked fast). Nissan received 1.6 billion.

Why are clean cars so vital to the green job movement? Imagine turning tens of thousands of car manufacturing jobs into green jobs.

Instead of having manufacturers make dirty gas guzzlers, they can make more hybrid electric and dedicated electric cars. Starting immediately, the loan money will go to directly to hire workers to retool for the clean car industry.

By 2012 not only will many jobs be created, it will also put a good amount of clean cars on our highways. There will likely be a lot more money available to car companies soon, as Chrysler and GM slowly emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Source (article): THEDAILYGREEN

Source (picture): HUFFINGTONPOST

Holly, Orlando

Honda Element

I met Chris Plaisance through a friend who recommended him highly for used vehicle purchases and I understand why. From the very first visit I felt comfortable with having Chris be my personal shopper for the vehicle I was looking for, a Honda Element. He had already taken the time to look into the type of vehicle I was interested in and noted the differences between the models, vehicle value and past sales prices. His search to find the right Element for me was not an easy one, as they are not readily available. But being patient was well worth the wait, I now have an almost brand new Element at a price that I was very pleased with. In addition, he had a buyer for my other vehicle in less than a week! And no hassles with paperwork- buying or selling, everything was done quickly and professionally right at his office. I appreciate how easy Chris made the process for me and I’ll be calling on him for any future vehicle needs as well as recommending PVB and VechicleSpa services to others.

Though it’s been around in one form or another for decades, Bentley’s huge flagship Arnage/Azure is soon to be retired. The 2009 Bentley Azure T, launched at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show, is the model line’s swan song—and with a 5.2-second 0-to-60-mph time and a 179-mph top speed, the three-ton ragtop represents a helluva way to go out.

But Bentley won’t be without a flagship for long. The ultra-lux market “is our heartland,” said Stuart McCullough, board member for sales and marketing, during an interview at the L.A. show. He went on to say that the Arnage replacement will have an “attitude toward craftsmanship and longevity.” We take that to mean it will have classic styling and a palatial, extremely lavish interior that does not strive so hard to look modern as its market rival, the Rolls-Royce Phantom.

At the same time, we should also expect the new car to utilize more space-age materials such as the advanced lightweight-polymer seat tracks rendered through rapid prototyping that are found in the $400K Brooklands coupe and the new Azure T.

Finally, the new flagship will also be a torque monster, just like its predecessors. McCullough said that the company focuses on “performance delivery”—i.e. forceful acceleration through extremely high low-end torque. “Our engineers are obsessed with low-end torque.” Good. So are we.

Bentley to Focus on Individualization in the Future

Without getting any more specific about that car, McCullough did give us an idea of what we can expect from Bentley as a brand. “We would like to take coachbuilding further.” He referenced Bentley’s history back in the 1920s and 1930s of selling a chassis and engine to a customer, who would then have input on the design of the body and interior that would be fitted around them. Of course, this initiative will have to work within today’s much stricter regulatory framework in terms of safety and emissions, he said. Bentley is already renowned, however, for its Mulliner custom-build program that includes long-wheelbase versions of the Arnage, armored cars, and purpose-built vehicles built for royalty, so if there’s any company experienced enough to know how far it can push the envelope, it’s Bentley.

Also—surprisingly—another Bentley insider at the show also said that the company is preparing a plan to reduce emissions of its cars “to Prius levels.” We’ll hear about this plan in early 2009, likely at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, at which point we’ll see to what extent that might be an exaggeration.

Arnage Replacement to Have it All

The Arnage replacement, then, should embody all of the above: classic styling, a high level of customizability, and torque for days, with a nod to the environment tossed in for good measure. Bentley has released an official teaser image shown here, all but confirming its pledge to “classic styling,” with sheet metal sculpting reminiscent of the current Arnage. It will face more competition than ever, including not just the Phantom, but also the next-generation Maybach as well as the next Lagonda, which will be sold through Aston Martin dealer channels but is expected to share much with the Maybach. Expect to see a debut of the new Bentley later this summer.

As for derivatives of the popular Continental lineup, such as a rumored Continental “lightweight,” McCullough has no comment other than “anything is possible.”

Source (article): CARANDDRIVER

Source (picture): ETHANOLPLUG