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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The first thoughts that comes to mind when one thinks “diet tools” are usually things like low-fat yogurt, exercise balls and a ban on Ben and Jerry’s, but an easier way to drop a few pounds—and help the environment—is to banish the car instead.

For the second year in a row, Zipcar rounded up participants for their annual Low-Car Diet program, which this year saw more than 250 people agree to give their cars a break and instead walk, bike, public transit, and use Zipcars to get where they needed to go. They had to keep their cars parked for one month and maintain blogs about how it went. The results are encouraging enough to have even a car fanatic considering posting their vehicle on Craigslist: About half the participants lost weight on the Low Car Diet and the total number of pounds lost (for all participants) was a whopping 413—not bad considering the only change was that they’d switched to Zipcar lifestyles. It’s easy to see how they did it, however, since there was a 132% increase in miles biked and a 93% increase in miles walked. Click here to read more

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The smart fortwo—and its on-purpose lowercase spelling— has finally gone electric, in a move that makes the mechanics of the miniature vehicle a closer match to its exterior, which has always had an air of EV about it. The electric smart fortwos will be available ahead of early estimates that had it on roads in 2010, and, instead, the vaguely golf cart-reminiscent electric car will be available this November. But there’s a catch: It will only be available for lease.

A series of the all-electric smart fortwo vehicles will be appearing on the assembly line in France come mid-November before they head out to select cities in Europe and the United States, where they will be available only to select lessees who will all commit to four year leases on the electric smart fortwos and be responsible for giving feedback on how the tiny EVs function in real world situations (if this sounds familiar to you, it’s because Daimler did the same thing with the electric smart fortwo in the U.K. and BMW is doing likewise with the electric Mini Cooper). Daimler expects that the electric smart fortwo won’t be available for purchase until 2012, by which point the market could already be filled with many electric options.

So what will a few lucky—depending on your car preference—U.S. drivers get to experience? A lithium-ion battery from Tesla that will get them about 70 miles before needing to be charged again (a process that can be completed overnight), and the quirky design that’s always accompanied smart cars. The range is lower than the average on EVs these days (usually about 100 miles before recharge is needed), but will fit the needs of most of the city-dwelling commuters that the electric smart fortwo is geared toward. The biggest selling feature, however, is expected to be the price tag, which Daimler has made no comment on yet, but is likely to be less than that of larger EVs. And, of course, there’s always the perk of being able to park in the smallest spaces.

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