Green Car Journal named Volkswagen’s 2009 Jetta TDI as the “Green Car of the Year” at the Los Angeles Auto Show, making it the first clean-diesel vehicle to win the prize.

The Jetta TDI gets 41 miles per gallon on the highway, according to Environmental Protection Agency estimates. The sedan has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $21,990 and a SportWagen version is available starting at $23,590.

The Jetta bested four other finalists for the Green Car of the Year award: the Smart Fortwo, the Ford Fusion Hybrid, the BMW 335d and the Saturn Vue 2 Mode Hybrid.

Billionaire T. Boone Pickens is betting big on compressed natural gas. He’s put $58 million into touting his “Pickens Plan” in TV ads, YouTube videos, town hall meetings and media interviews to get people talking about boosting wind power for electricity and using the nation’s natural gas supply for the next auto fuel.  So far the publicity is working.

After years of a relatively low profile in the alternative fuel discussion, compressed natural gas or “CNG” vehicles are now at the forefront of a national debate. Multiple congressional bills aim to expand the use of natural gas vehicles, proposing new research programs, tax incentives for automakers and changes in fueling station requirements.

PRO: Natural gas industry executives say CNG is a cleaner alternative to gasoline (producing 23% less greenhouse gas than diesel vehicles and 30% less than gasoline vehicles). And thanks to new drilling technology, unprecedented amounts of natural gas can be obtained domestically and at far cheaper prices — about $1.50 a gallon. Nice!

CON: One of the biggest challenges for CNG vehicles is a lack of fueling stations. There are only 1,200 natural gas stations in the nation, compared with more than 100,000 gas stations.

That should soon change as Pickens is building 35 to 40 filling stations across the country and last month purchased a Toronto company called FuelMaker. Sounds great!!

VW plans to release super-efficient vehicle in 2010

That’s right - 2010. Motor Authority reported late last year that Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn confirmed that the VW L1 could potentially hit the market in 2010. Fuel consumption is reported to be around 1L/100km, which translates into 235 miles per gallon. 

The 0.3L one-cylinder engine would reach a top speed of 75 mph according to EcoGeek. A highway vehicle that gets over 200 mpg? This sounds too good to be true.The obvious drawback to this vehicle is styling. Another interesting thing to note: this two-seater is different than most because the passenger sits behind the driver.

Are you willing to sacrifice styling for fuel efficiency? The savings can be tremendous as you could already imagine. Suppose your current vehicle gets 26 mpg highway and you drive an average of 12,000 miles per year. Let’s also say gas will remain at $4.00 throughout the year. You will spend approximately $1848 on gas per year, but if you drive the VW L1 you only spend $208 per year - that’s a savings of $1600!

2010 is still a couple years away so you have some time to think about your next vehicle purchase.

Benz To Get New Charge

Mercedes Benz has announced that the new S400 BlueHybrid, set to go on sale in Europe mid-2009, will be using a lithium-ion battery. The S400 BlueHybrid will be the first production hybrid to use the lithium-ion technology. It will be powered by a 3.5 Liter V6 engine combined with an electric motor, which is good for 299 hp and 277 lb ft of torque. It hits 0-62 in 7.3 seconds, while still maintaining a low emissions level and 29.7 average mpg.

The S400 will be followed up with a S300 Bluetec Hybrid. The S300’s powertrain will be a combination of a twinturbocharged four cylinder diesel engine and an electric motor. The result is a 221 hp 413 lb-ft torque car capable of 43.6 mpg. As of now theres no date set for the diesel’s release.

Boasting greater efficiency and durability than existing nickel-metal hydride batteries, as used by Toyota and its luxury brand, Lexus, in its extensive lineup of hybrids, lithium-ion technology has long been established in laptop computers, mobile telephones and small power tools. However, the concern over its longevity and extensive heat build up in large applications, such as those required for modern-day passenger cars, has proven to be a major stumbling block for carmakers. Mercedes-Benz claims to have overcome these problems by integrating the lithium-ion batteries directly into the cooling system of the car to allow them to operate at an optimum temperature of between 59 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

A Word From ImportsGuy: This is a big advancement in hybrid technology, as it paves the way for more efficent and durable hybrid models. The only apparent drawback is that Mercedes is only going to be offering this with the S-class models. And that means if you don’t have deep pockets you may not see this technology till years down the road.

Green BMW To Roll Out At Geneva 

BMW has announced they will reveal the X5 diesel/hybrid, dubbed Vision, at the Geneva auto show. With the X5 Vision being designed to silence the critics of big SUVs, the Vision claims to be as economical and clean as a modern sedan. The X5 Vision will be powered by a twin turbo 2.0 liter common rail diesel engine, paired with a 15 kilowatt electric motor. The diesel is rated at 204 hp and 295 tq, while the electric motor produces 155 lb ft of torque.

BMW states the X5 hybrid will get 36.2 mpg and produces 172 g/km of CO2, 6mpg better than the most efficient X5 on the market. All-wheel drive and a eight-speed automatic will be standard. The Vision will also be equipped with a roof mounted solar panel that will generate power when the car is stationary. The X5 is the latest installment in BMW’s Efficient Dynamics program, which highlights the reduction in consumption and CO2 emissions.

The Stunning 2007 Mercedes-Benz ML320 CDI Outlawed

Driving the 2007 Mercedes-Benz ML320 CDI in California is illegal. It happens to be powered by a diesel engine, and though its emissions technology is sophisticated enough to clear the regulatory hurdles erected by legislators in 45 of 50 states, California is notoriously tough (as are Maine, Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont). No matter that the SUV’s turbocharged V-6 power plant contributes less to global warming than any gas engine out there, or that the nationwide introduction last fall of ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel has nixed the blue-smoke spew associated with such cars. What were they thinking? Diesel?! Why!?

25 of the Most Frustrating Traffic Jams

You might have heard that your commute is killing you. What’s really taking a toll on your health is the polluted air you’re breathing, lengthy traffic delays and dodging accidents to and from work. Even as the stress mounts, we put up with it, since most of us can’t afford to or don’t want to live near our offices. To figure out which region is faring worst, Forbes Magazine  looked at three issues facing the country’s 25 largest metropolitan areas.

1. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
2. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta
3. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana
4. Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown
5. Washington- Arlington- Alexandria
6. Detroit-Warren- Livonia
7. Chicago- Naperville- Joliet
8. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
9. San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos
10. St. Louis

For The Complete List

California Demands Strict Auto Emission Rules

Officials from California demanded on Tuesday that federal regulators allow the state to impose the strictest automobile and light truck emissions rules in the nation. They said that new regulations were needed to lessen the threat of global warming and threatened to sue if the government did not allow them to go forward. California’s attorney general, Jerry Brown, told an Environmental Protection Agency panel that the proposed standards on greenhouse gases were the most comprehensive effort in the nation’s history to address issues experts attribute to the gradual warming of the planet, including melting ice caps, rising sea levels and rampant wildfires. A representative of the auto industry warned that adopting the new California standards would be “counterproductive,” raising the price of cars, costing jobs and imposing inconsistent auto emissions standards around the country.

Eleven other states, including New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, have said they will adopt the California standards if the federal government approves them. Together they account for roughly 30% of the American population and 30% of the vehicles on the road. Tailpipe emissions from cars and trucks account for about a third of all the greenhouse gas production in the United States. California is seeking a waiver under the federal Clean Air Act to enact its own emissions standards with a goal of reducing greenhouse gas production from vehicles by 30% by 2016.