Hybrid Car Review

Yahoo is launching a new alternative fuel automotive site. The new site is focused on social media (i.e. forums and other interactive social media) and alternative fuel autos such as hybrids, E85, biodiesel, etc...

Press Release follows:

Las Vegas, NV - Nov. 1, 2006 - Yahoo! Autos, one of the most comprehensive automotive resources on the Internet, today announced the launch of the new Yahoo! Autos Green Center http://autos.yahoo.com/green_center. The new Green Center provides consumers with the most comprehensive, unbiased source of information, resources and community about alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs), including hybrid, flex fuel/E85, bio-diesel, compressed natural gas and others. The Green Center brings together industry information from expert partners as well as consumer-generated content from Yahoo!’s leading social media properties, Yahoo! Answers, del.icio.us and Yahoo! Groups.

Yahoo! Autos, in partnership with Environmental Defense, the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to cost-effective solutions to society’s most urgent environmental problems, has also developed a proprietary Green Rating which determines the environmental impact of any vehicle on a scale of 1-100. The Green Rating factors in tailpipe pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, fuel economy and the manufacturing process to give consumers a quick way to gauge the environmental friendliness of a car. Users can also quickly access the green rating through a new shortcut in Yahoo! Search by typing any vehicle model name plus "green rating."

"Yahoo! Autos new Green Center is at the confluence of two large, growing trends - green going mainstream, and the explosion of social media on the Web," said Jennifer Dulski, general manager, Yahoo! Autos. "According to a Yahoo! survey, one in every two people is interested in learning more about alternative fuel vehicles, which signals clear consumer demand for a product like the Green Center."

The new Green Center allows users to:

- Research the pros and cons of available alternative fuel technologies

- Access federal and state incentive programs and alternative fuel station locations.

- Tap into the knowledge and experience of current AFV owners and other interested buyers through Yahoo! Answers, del.icio.us and Yahoo! Groups.

- Watch expert video reviews of alternative fuel vehicles.

- Find the latest news about alternative fuel technology

- View any vehicle’s Green Rating, or compare any two vehicles’ environmental impact using a gas mileage impact calculator.

New Survey Shows Green is Not Just a Fad

In a recent Yahoo! survey, respondents indicated strong concern for the environment as well as high interest in AFVs. The survey was fielded in Oct. 2006 to a random sample of nearly 1,000 people on the Yahoo! network.

- 78 percent of respondents believe we need to act now in order to save the environment for future generations.

- 85 percent of people believe the U.S. is too dependent on foreign oil.

- 76 percent believe AFVs can help lower U.S. energy consumption.

- 54 percent of people surveyed are interested in learning more about AFVs

- 42 percent of respondents plan to purchase an AFV within two years

- The top three reasons people are interested in purchasing an AFV are to do their part to save the environment (77%), to lessen country’s dependence on foreign oil (67%), and to save money on their gas bills (67%).

Yahoo! Uses Alternative Fuels

In a demonstration of the viability of alternative fuels, Yahoo! Autos, along with Orange County Rod & Custom, will attempt to set a land speed record with a custom built, grease-powered vehicle. On Nov 12, 2006 at the Southern California Timing Association sanctioned event at the El Mirage Dry Lake bed, Yahoo! Autos will attempt to pilot a six cylinder, 3500 hp, twin turbo, grease-fueled diesel to a new land speed record.

Additionally, to help balance its carbon-footprint, Yahoo! has converted its employee commuter shuttles that travel from San Francisco to its Sunnyvale and Santa Clara campuses to run on bio-diesel, significantly reducing harmful emissions.

About Yahoo! Autos

Yahoo! Autos (http://autos.yahoo.com) is one of the most comprehensive sources of automotive information on the Internet, delivering resources for researching, buying, maintaining and communicating with others about vehicle decisions and purchases. Now, with the launch of the Yahoo! Autos Green Center, consumers have a one-stop resource and forum for all their automotive and alternative fuel concerns, including the latest news on alternative fuel vehicles, what others are saying about them and how your next automotive purchase can be an environmentally-friendly one. Yahoo! Autos also is the home to one of the leading enthusiast community sites, Yahoo! Autos Custom (http://autos.yahoo.com/custom), bringing together the entire automotive specialty equipment industry and consumers, delivering powerful online community tools that enable enthusiasts to gather inspiration, share ideas and find parts and service online.