Updated 22 May, 2012, 6:10 pm IST

Yahoo! Autos Unveils Alternative Fuel Site

02 Nov, 2006, 1:36 pm IST | by Sharon Khare |

Yahoo! Autos, an automotive resource on the Internet, has announced the launch of the new Yahoo! Autos Green Center. The new Green Center provides consumers with the 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 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.

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.

Tags: Yahoo! , Yahoo! Autos , Yahoo! Autos Green Center