Most football players get to practice in luxury sports cars, gas-guzzling Hummers and top of the line SUVs, but New York Giants linebacker Danny Clark has gone just about as far from the typical vehicle choice as he could. He gets around in a smart car.

At more than 6 feet tall and almost 250 pounds, the longtime linebacker isn’t an obvious choice for the tiny auto, but he’s an excellent example of how even big drivers can enjoy a small ride. Clark fits his fellow teammates in his smart car too, surprising them with the car’s relatively roomy interior and even inciting some jealousy (one teammate actually wants his own smart car, although he’s holding off out of fear that the others will think he’s a copycat).

Danny Clark didn’t always go for eco-friendly autos, in the past he tended more to the typical SUVs that fill the parking lots on practice days, but he decided to switch to the smart for environmental reasons, and recycles for the same purpose. Even Clark’s nickname (the “green giant”) works well for his new lifestyle choices. Click here to read more

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Toyota has been tying the image of plants to their Prius for a long time—there were the solar powered flowers they set up in U.S. cities to promote it, the billboards they created for the car out of plants, and the greenery-heavy print and TV ads (like the one pictured above). But now the company has taken their love of plants a step further and tapped real flowers to help reduce the C02 emissions of their Prius manufacturing plant in Toyota City, Japan (yes, that’s the real name).

The C02 combating flowers have been genetically engineered from the cherry sage and gardenia plants to improve the environmental impact of the Prius plant in two ways: First, by absorbing nitrogen oxides from the air and second, by creating water vapor, which—in theory—should cool the area around the factory. Unfortunately, few details are available on exactly how much positive effect these flowers can be expected to have and it’s not clear whether the genetic modification was a necessary step, as both the plants that have been modified had those properties to begin with (and probably could have been planted together). Click here to read more

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If you’re planning on cruising the 101 from Los Angeles to San Francisco, you can now go electric with the trip…provided you have a Tesla Roadster (priced at more than $100,000). It’s because of the EV charging corridor that’s been implemented along the 101 for that stretch and dubbed the “electric highway”, and while it’s current specifications seem to limit it as luxury for the rich, in time it could be a major selling feature for electric cars in California.

The “electric highway” is composed of five charging stations in Salinas, Atascadero, San Luis Obispo, Santa Maria and Goleta—all smaller towns along the way between the major cities of L.A. and San Francisco. The quick-charge stations (four of which are powered by traditional electricity and one which is powered by solar) were provided by Tesla using grants from the California Air Resources Board, and will be maintained by SolarCity and Rabobank (all but one of the stations are located at Rabobanks).

Tesla’s connection with the project has given them a leg up on EV competitors, as the stations currently only feature the Tesla high-powered charger and are therefore only compatible with the Tesla Roadsters, but SolarCity has made it clear that it will update the stations with universal plugs once they are available (most likely in about six months). The universal plugs would allow drivers of almost all electric cars, including the Mini E, Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt, to recharge quickly en route. The universal plugs could also mean drivers will have to start paying for recharges, though they’re currently offered for free by Rabobank and SolarCity. Click here to read more

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With all the attention in the world of green autos focused on how they’ll get around (will it be electric, biodiesel or even something wilder like solar?), car companies seem to be forgetting about the ways they can enhance the eco-friendliness of their exteriors and interiors. But the limited edition Eco Elise that Lotus debuted last year at the London Motor Show didn’t just give a nod to greener components, it revolved around them.

The Lotus Eco Elise isn’t the first foray that Lotus has had into the realm of more environmentally-aware autos, but the company is usually involved in a roundabout way, like manufacturing the chassis for the Tesla Roadster or finding one of their Lotus Exiges used to develop a wind-powered car. For the Eco Elise, Lotus attempted to make the Elise as green as possible—without changing the way it was fueled. And while it managed to slip under the radar for the most part, it’s remains an innovation.

Hemp, the eco-wonder plant, was used to make composite body panels and a spoiler and to make up elements of the trademark Lotus seats (although one car reviewer described sitting in them liking being surrounded by itchy old mens trousers). The upholstery on the seats is made from what Lotus describes as “eco wool”, which is ethically produced wool that hasn’t bee dyed (the sheep it’s sheared from are selected for their natural car-appropriate coloring). Underfoot, sisal comprises the carpeting as a natural abrasion-resistant material. Click here to read more

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Despite Jay Leno’s new show itself (The Jay Leno Show) debuting to lackluster reviews, there’s been plenty of buzz in the internet world about one particular segment he’s doing: The “Green Car Challenge”. In the segment, which Leno hopes to do as much as two to three times a week, celebrities race electric cars around a track in hopes of beating previous racing celebrity’s times.

The segment is loosely inspired from a segment on British car show Top Gear called “Star in a Reasonably Priced Car”, which Leno recently competed in. In the Jay Leno Show version, however, the only car that will take to the track is the electric Ford Focus that Ford will be selling 2011, because of a sponsorship deal with Ford.

Leno has a longstanding reputation as a car guy, but the “Green Car Challenge” could shine the spotlight on his love of electric cars (he’s especially fond of historical electric cars) and of green cars in general.

Drew Barrymore was the first celebrity to take to the track, on last Saturday’s episode, and other celebrities like Tom Cruise have already expressed interest in tracking their time to Leno.

While consumers might appreciate a chance to see a wider variety of electric vehicles in motion, highlighting the cars in an entertaining way that also dispels the myth that electric cars are less functional is certainly a smart move to help Americans get comfortable with the idea of an all-electric ride—even if it’s strictly Ford focused.

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